Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-31
THE MIDLAND MISTAKE.
An Address which Demonstrates Con-
cIuslveIy the Absence o.
Any Suffering.
ware the Charitable People OF Fort Wor'"
Imposed un-signs Of crookedness'
TO Investigate.

ions 10 Midland, thinking tnat uesti'usion
exlsted there. Yesterday GAZETTE
man interviewed District Clerk Harris
Acid aud Mr. s. NJ. Fry, members OF tne
above named church, regarding the ree-
anna for sending donations 70 MinlAnu.
Neither OF the gentlemen knew oil any
anecial reasoL for aiding Midland lney
annposed destitution existed there
al In other parts OF the West. They were
particularly induced TO ship 70 miula.u
because Rev. II. Il. Cooper, OF inc oousn
side, had letters from party OF PaiS,os
living there which pictured inc sunetunE
as yery intense aud general NelsheI M NJ
Harts6eld or Mr.. Fry knew 10 wnoIn WI
goods were sent, and were very sLen1Il
anrnrised on reading in THE GAzErTE/af
a. 9a,h that Midland stood In no neHdo IN
SeIn Roth gentlemen regretted tllff "a
aHsir had assumed such shape, i1EsMF,,ini
that II fraud had been practicffit. tvlll
heIn Ia mt a check ON furtheZ ssirsance
even 10 those sorely neeNDg fnarlty.
Il appears that the name A w person
=, Midland TO whom he/ieatributions
were sent was E
ONE ). G. rR5rEs, Il
concerning whom the ffehnu spec'Ai VI
the Goth inst said AW
All Midland was ssslby ontagrlneiu ,n,s
morning 10 lind thQx puanuy OF Pr pow ths
had boon ,i5eeeiy2ffxge Mem and who sent for
utoutn La p,s0,i dyasked. The goods came
from rom Fort Wor ,hd were sent TO =; e. a. p NO
Rssnn,lcs Storroapondent sought him and
as Togdiy an oghnatlon lle said they came from
Inc SnGTes aid al from w ,be church
i nhu Nv places In consequence OF u fright
fal Ts1fioGd accident he sustained few years
aga has n good herd OF cattle, an excellent
.IEion OF land, and has boon regarded by our
Eixcns as beyond want. Had u been nspeda
that nc was In need OF proyiBione, ms womb
rhave been promptly helped.
II is very certain the donors here were
unaware OF the existence Of the aforesaid
Peoples, and that they were not donat-
ing provisions to sufferers from railroad
accidents. To further show how little
Midland stands In need of charity, the
agent OF the Pacific Express company at
Fort Worth received the following dis
patch from the company's agent at Mid
landi
"Your shipments OF bacon, Hour and coffee,
consignod to j. O. Peoples, received. some OF
tins goods are marked free on account OF the
drought Ap HerorH. We have not many nuticrors
from that cause, aud our town ana county
%SSSsAn n asls 70 S 5SvdS sxpr tSs
nas done well in forwarding such shipments
dead head, and arc entitled 70 best thanks tor
shlpmonts be offered for this place please re-
fuse TO dead head them. Cou you learn who
the clippers OF this lot Of goods are, and on
Yours truly, O. IL. WEIGH, Agt.
A CLINCHER.
IL appeara that the more the people OF
Midland thought about the dona.
ton business the more determined
they were that no false impress
80. - -, ~ ,,orid Not that tha, 1ailad q
appreciate the humane motives OF the
Fort Worth people. Not at'all. It's bat
enough to need charity. It's a Thousand
times worse 10 represent a actltiiou
stato OF suffering. Hence large ant
enthusiastic public meeting was hell
al the Midland courthouse on Saturday
evening, August. 80, County Judge Lan
caster presided. The following commltte,
was selected TO draft suitable address,
10 the people OF the state upon the nnan
olal condition of the people Of MIDLAND
county, to-wit; @. ID. Palmer, Justice o
the peace; j, @. Rathbun, editor OF tn
Staked Plain; w. II. Cornell, dealer II
clothing, gents furnishing goods rancf
supplies and hardware; j. D. Nc
Collough, dealer In ranch sup
plies, and w. l. Morgan, dealer in gro
ceries,
The committee retired and framed tn
following
ADDRESS:
To their great surprise the citizens {
Midland learned on Saturday mornin
that consignment of provisions ha
been received by one of their number
billed to the sufferers from the drougl
In Midland county. The Fort Worth an
Dallas papers, received later, brougl
the information that the goods were sci
by the ladies Of the Presbyterian churc
OF Fort Worth TO aid the drougl
sufferers. While we commend II
praiseworthy spirit that prompte
this donation, we beg to lnfori
the donors and the charitably dispose
in other places that careful inquiry fail
10 disclose single case OF destitution
Midland county, nor has there been on
at any time during the past year. wit
less than the usual exceptions, the poop
OF this county are oontented and happ
blessed with good health and sufficient
eat and wear,
The county officials are we'll prepare
70 aid the needy of the county as soon
their condition Ia made known; and
all such the business men OF the town a
ready to extend aid and, In addition,
respond 10 calls for aid fromoth
places.
We Will state, however, that Ia cor
mon with all West Texas,we have pass,
Though the seyerest drought known
the history OF the West, and that on
those who are provided with irrigati,
have raised crops. But during II all CT
Tie aad sheep have slowly tattened
grass Of last years growth and such fe
Ms local showers have started. But
the worst there was no suft
Ing, aud the greatest fear was that raj
would not come In time to make whit
feed Happily, our fears are dlspell
by a general rain that fell on the 20th al
alst inst. Grass is growing rapid
several ranchmen are preparing to ma
hay from wild grass, crops OF sorghu
and garden vegetables are doing duel
aud the stockmeu, upon whom the bul
ness Of this Western country at prese
depends, are in excellent spirits.
Tho drought has been lesson 10 thin
ing men In the West, II has demo
strated the remarkable power OF the 3,
to withstand drought, aud has shown 4
comparatively small expense necessary
ward on the evil effects Of such nro,