Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-04-09

rsm.r. and Ihem TamiI,ss ssiTsrins FRO"
Want or Food.


--@-@-~----
.,s their Families ssHersna from
waut or Food
a eorrespondent Of the Pittsburgh
Tfp.,,. who has travelled through the
Vanishing districts Of West virginia
writes es follows TO his paper from
waugh's Mill, Clay county; There
ia need of haste to the succor OF suiier-
ing West Virginia. The sun Is shining
brightly here, the buds are swell
ing. and birds sing blithely in the
woods. but many a farmer, standing
At the threshold OF his log cabin, looks
out over his waste land and beats his
breast because he cannot still the cries
of his furnishing children. The suiier-
;np in the back counties has been terri
bic through the failure of the crops
and the unprecedented drought which
robbed the people OF their corn, oats,
and vegetables. December closed the
rivers and the roads and shut the door
of the world upon them, and how they
have come through those bleak months
Is only now TO be discovered. The
afflicted district embraces many coun-
ties. Last year there was heavy emil
grafton from Ohio to these counties.
The emigrants spent all their money
for land, which they relied upon to sup
ply them with food. Their expectations
were not realized, because on the LIST OF
last June drought set in which lasted
until November. Scarce fifth OF q
crop was gathered, and when winter set
in barns and granaries were empty.
Cattle have died by hundreds of hunger,
and it has been an exceptionally fortu-
nate family that has had any better
food than cakes made of corn-meal
mixed with water and baked on griddles
that had not been creased for months.
There has been great mortality among
the children and aged people. Com
munities, rendered desperate by hunger,
have demanded food from the authori-
ties, with the declaration that if 1t was
not given to them they would take
it by force. In answer to these
appeals the judges Of Calhoun,
Writ, Upshur, Clay, and Braxton coun-
ties have purchased limited sup
plies of meal and wheat, which are be-
ing distributed at stated periods. In
the other counties no public measure OF
relief has been adopted, and the suffer
ing is intense. Whole families are
literally starving, and there is no pros
pect that they will be able to relieve
themselves for months, as in the noun
famous counties the snow is still upon
the ground. In places where it has
disappeared the cattle that have not
died are too weak to work. The au-
thOrities seem unable to devise plan
of general relief, and the State officials
are considering the idea Of appealing
to the country for help"
Shooting ARRAY Ending with Sad Accident
TO a Girl.
A special from Pennsboro', Richie
county, gives the details Of fatal
shooting affair which occurred in that
village Monday evening. DR.. Martin,
a physician of the place, while under
the influence Of liqSor, made an attack
upon one " Babe" Timmons, whom he
claimed owed him debt of forty cents.
Timmons denied the Indebtedness, and
a fight ensued, during which Martin
drew revolver and fired at TimmOns,
breaking his thigh. Timmons fell, but
managed to get out his revolver, and
fred at Martin, missing him, but NOR
tally wounding Martins twelve-year-
old daughter. The girl died in less
than an hour afterward. Timmons was
arrested. but he is not blamed, as he
fired in self-defence.