The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1888-11-02
DolNGs IN DAKOTA.


DOlNGS IN DAKOTA.
A Tale of Suffering and woe
j. Harpman, n Minneapolis merchant,
who has Just returned from a visit to Ram
sey county, says of the Polish Jew SUI
ferers there: The settlement is located
about eighteen miles from DEVILS Lake
and comprises seventy families, number
ing 23S souls. They came here two years
ago last spring from Chicago, st. Paul
and other places with some household
farming implements, stock, etc. They
procured land, built their modest houses
and went to work with u will to clear the
land and become independent farmers.
Those without money %mortgaged the land
and borrowed enough to pay the govern
lnent price. about $3.50, and hoped to live
on the balance of the loans until the first
crop could be harvested. They raised
fair crops the first year and the prospect
was SO bright that they mortgagcd
their lands and other property to
purchase stock and farm machinery.
The second year they planted II much
larger acreage. The notes md mort
gageg signed signed by them in many in
stances bore interest mt the rate of = per
cent. per month on chattels and II per
cent. on real estate, besides 8 per cent. on
the looms which they were to pay. The
loan sharks loaned them money and
charged extravagant interest. About the
middle of August all their expectations
were ruined i'll one night. A severe frost
came and ruined their entire crop of wheat
leaving them only about as many potatoes
as they used for planting and barely
enough oats to winter their stock. Trouble
and suffering began at once. The mer-
chants who had heretofore been anxious to
supply all their wants refused to credit
them any more. seeing that they could not
expect payment for what had been fur
nished already. Nearly evercy creditor he
came alarmed and ~forciosed mt once. The
situation became so bad that the sheriff re-
fused to intiict further suffering ON the
people by taking their property. lie found
the people without fuel or bread. they
using the droppings of cattle to cook such
few articles as they could get. and set the
bread. if they had any. 10 bake in this fire.
Their children were naked. without shoes
or stockings. mon and women in RAGS and
without q wenr. No found eyerythinu
as the sheriff had stated. To the fearful ap.
peals of these people We said that We
would not let them starvc or freeze and
they took fresh hopes. showcrin. bless
iups ON us. For the present their most
pressing needs are fuel and bread. and
these articles must be had mt once. for
every a II ~ /" aaS a at suneri's ''liu lr'smJ
found ali with two cycentions without =,
stick of wood or any other material for a
fire. On saturday the ice Was three.
o.i'is ". ~ iiuh NV IN we i""'n1
lers. The minister's wifi. W. fond l;yin"
ground. with no fire nor ANYTHING to
MN y az WIN omo ~ hI'i "i"u n"i
irving to keen warm. Their furniture was
i'll keeping with the rest and their entire
supply OF food consisted OF II dry crust OF
o,s v"". M..N.s n.ni's "Me.ia"o WI. |.
found the same morning. with two little
girls with bare limbs and feet. trying to
keep warm on the sunny side of the house.
Some creditor had taken her COW and left
her to starve with her little ones.
Gov. Church has received IL telegram
some charitable person has left $3.OO0
with the Herald for the benefit of those
farmers in Ramsey county who lost their
grain by the early frost this year and are
thus rendered destitute. The legislature
will doubtless be called upon to assist
these farmers i'll obtaining seed grain. A
similar bill was defeated ut the last session.
-
Sad Acc'de"t at fank'on.
An accident occurred at the insane hos
pital last week by which CHRISTOPHER.
rrb,,,,so, w,s inst,,tlv killed .r.c,l,
- $50"
Lee 1a'allS h'r'' o"perih,ehaen. Mean
dangerously injured, and Michael Curry
SLIGHTLY hnrt. The disaster WAS tlie result
of the caving in of the walls of one of the
two new wings of the hospital now under
construction by Il man named Pakee, Of
Canton. The victims were on top of the
third floor of the structure when the arch
suddenly began to spread, the outside
walls of the building falling outward and
some of the interior walls going down in
the general wreck. Nine other arches in
the structure also gave way, the interior
mass of brick, mortar and timber falling
through the first floor. Thompson and
Lee had their chests crushed in and were