The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1888-10-27
Destitute Jews.

~ hS0AA w
count Of the sufferings Of a colony
of immigrants in Dakota appeals
strongly to the sympathies OF all
people. Let those who are prone to
fa%ult-inding thank their stars that
they live in Louisiana and not Da'
kota. To all Of these, and many
hundreds more, We say come South.
Come to Vermilion, the garden spot
Of louisiana bright eden, the At
takapas, occupy her inviting, broad,
fertile acres, till them industrioasly
aud reap tho rich reward Of abund.
ant harvests, peace and prosperity:
ST. PAUL. Mimi. Get. 23,--J.
Harpman who has just returned from
a visit to- Ramsey county, u. 7.
says of the Polish Jew sufferers
there:
The settlement is located about
eighteen miles from Devils Lake
and comprises several families, nun
bering 238 souls. They came here
two years ago last spring from
Chicago, St. Paul and other places
with some household truck and
from $500 to $500 in money,
farming implements, stock. etc. They
procured land, built their modest
houses and went to work with d
will to clear the land and become
independent farmers. Those with.
ont any money mortgaged the land
and borrowed enough to pay the
government price, about $3.50. and
expected to live Oh the balance Of
their loans until the first crop
could be harvested.
They raised a fair crop the Grst
year, and the prospect was SO bright
that they mortgaged their. lands
and other properly to purchase
stock aud farm machinery. The
second year they planted a much
larger acreage. The notes and
mortgages signed by them in many
instances bore interest at the rate
of 2 per cent a month on chattels
and IL per cent per annum on real
estate, besides 5 per cent per annum
on loans which they were Obliged
to pay. Loan sharks lent them
money and charged e1orbitant in.
terest.
About the middle Of AUGUST all
their expectations were ruined in
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, The trouble and sui
fering began at orce. 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
paymen. for 1hat had been furnish.
ed already. Nearly every creditor
became alarmed and foreciosed.
The situation became 80 bad that
the sheriff refused 10 iDAict further
suffering on the people by taking
their property. He found the peo:
plo without fuel or bread. they
using the droppings of cattle for
fuel to cook such few articles as
they could get and set bread, if they
had any, to bake in this fire. Their
children were naked, without shoes
or stockings the men and women in
rags and without foot wear.
We found everything as the
had stated. To the fearful
appeals Of these people we said that
we should not let them starvo nor
and they took fresh hopes,
blessings on US.
For the present their most pressing
needs are fuel and bread these articles
must be had at once, for every day is
q day Of suffering and privation.
W. visited about twenty houses and
found all, with but two exceptions,
without a stick of wood or any
other material for FIRE except cattle
droppings. On Saturday the ice
three. fourths of an inch thick,
and we found numerous little chill.
dren with bare feet and legs. The
minister's wife We found living in
q lint. the floor consisting of the