Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-11-02
SORELY AFFLICTED.
Seventy families ofPOIish Jews, Number
ing 2SS Persons, are Found 70
be IN Terrible State
OF DestituttOn
They Have Nothing to Eat, and the Drop
ping Of Cattle are Used for Fuel
Aid Needed at Once for
the Settlers.

MnNEAPOLIs, October 23.-J. Harpman,
VINO has just returned from visit to Ram
sey county, Oak, says of the Polish Jew
sufferers there: The settlement is located
about eighteen miles from DEVILS lake, and
comprises seventy families, numbering 238
souls. They came here two years ago last
spring from Chicago, st. Paul and other
places, with some household truck and from
81, 800 to $500 in money, farm
ing implements, stock, etc. They
procured land, built their modest houses
an6 went to work with viii to clear the
land and become Independent farmers.
Those without any money mOrtgaged the
land and borrowed enough to pay the gov
ernment price about $3.50, and expected to
live on the balance of their loan until the
first crop could be harvested. They raised
a fair crop the first year, and the prospect
was SO bright that they mOrtgRged
their lands and other property to puf-
chase stock and farm machinery. The
second year they planted q much larger
acreage, The notes and mortgages signed
by them IN many instances bore interest at
at the rate OF per cent month on chattels,
and Y 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 eZOEbltant inter
est. About the middle of August all their
A severe frost came and ruined their entire
crop OF wheat, leaving them only about as
many potatoes as they used Tor planting,
and barely enough to winter their stock.
Their trouble and suffering began at once.
The merchants, who had been anxious to
supply all their wants, refused to credit
them any more, seeing they could not eX-
peCt payment for what had been furnished
already. Nearly every creditor became
alarmed and fOreClOseds The situation
became so bad that the sheriff refused to in
h1ct further suffering on the people by tax
ing their property. He found the people
without fuel or bread. they using the drop
pings Of cattle for fuel to cook such few ar
tIcle5 as they could get and some bread if
they had any to bake, in the fire. Their
children were naked, without shoes or
stockings, the men and women in rags and
without foot wear.
We found everything as the sheriff had
stated. To the fearful appeals Of these peO-
pie We said that We should not let them
starve nor freeze, and they took fresh hope,
shOWering blessings on Us. For the present
their most pressing needs are fuel and bread,
and these articles must be had at once, for
every day is a day of suffering and privatiOn.
We called at about twenty houses and found
all with but two exceptions, without stick
of wood or any other material for fire eZ-
Cept cattle drOppiugs.
On Saturday there was snow three-fOurths
OF an inch THICK, and we found numerous
little children with bare feet and legs. The
minister's wife We found living IN q hut,
with bare ground, no fire or nothing to
make one with Their furniture was in
keeping with the rest, and the2sentire sup
ply of food consisted of q dry crust Of
bread, kindly sent by a neighbOr from their
6canty supply. Another woman We 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 cred
itOr had taken her COW, and left her to staEVe
with her little ones.