Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-02-17
CRACKERS AND BREAD.
HUNDREDS OF People NEAR.
bY STARVED All BRISTOL.
No Meat for Months In Many House,
Rubber COmpany's Shutting Down
the Cause.

! A town meeting was held at Bristol, r, l.,
! on the llth, in response to a call on account
OF the alleged suffering of residents of that
/ town growing out of the suspension of the
National Rubber company. The meeting
was held In the town hall and the ancient
bu ilding was filed by taxpayers and opera
tives The chair announced that this meet
ing was called to consider; lst, an apprOpria-
tion for relief of the poor, and 2d, what that
appropriation should be. A few words only
! were necessary for him. He had signed the
call for reasons that were we'll known to all.
1t was patent to all that it had been rep
! resented that the town Of Bristol stood in
| no onviable position. 1t had been said that
there was great deal of suffering, and that
the town in its official condition should take
cogn Zance of this situation. The story that
people were suffering OF perhaps dying,
should receive some attention. Up to the
present time no action had been taken by the
town; he hoped that there would be some
taken for the town was under an indictment.
Did these things exstl If so, was it neces-
sary to make any provisions other than
provided by the statutesl
Mr.. Samuel B. Wardwel called for n
statement IRON the overSeer of the poor.
Rev. Mr.. Locke offered q resolution that the
sum of $1,000 he appropriated for relief of
the needy of the town, to be paid upon the
order of the overSeer Of the poor, to those
who, directly or indirectly, had been dis
treSsed by the suspension of the National
Rubber company After giving a statement
OF the number of people employed at the
rubber works as at 1920 in December prior
to the suspension, who were paid $47, 800 n
month, and at present as $50, who are paid
about 81 per week. the reverend gentleman
said that there were others who suffered
the small property owners who lost their
rents and their all, and the people who had
done washing, etc, for those who worked in
the mill. There was not entire desttution
but there We're many who were partially in
want. The societies had given a great deal,
and the storekeepers had been whole-souled
in giving credit without questioning to the
townspeOple While it was true that many
families were better fitted out to-day than
they had been in the past or would be in the
future, yet the grievous fault remained that
there We're a large number of persons who
were living in circumstances of extreme
structure. There were families now who
lived OH one meal day, but who would not
lot their condition be known for any,
thing; people who knew more about
crackers as an article of diet than any.
thing else; whose straitened condition was
carefully covered up and kept from the pub
lie eyes Many of these would refuse aid if
1t was to be made public in any way. The
town had done next to nothing to alleviate
the suffering of the poor and needy. The
town was on trial before the world and the
people of Bristol must stand or fall on their
record. For charity's sake, for decency's
sake, he Cried we are called upon to do
something. Can we with decancy leave it to
others to take care of The speaker knew
of persons who were shut up in their houses
because they could not decently and comfort
ably go out i'll public.
Thomas j. Usher, an overseer OF the poor,
said that he had done all that he could to re-
spond to calls for aid by the distressed. He
had already drawn upon the grocers on orders
to the extent OF SlTOO, and had expended in
that way $1,000 in excess of the funds that
had been placed in his hands.
Rev. FIR. Edward Carrigan said that he
knew of 75 families who had lived on bread
and crackers for weeks, and of 80 families
who had not tasted meat for five months He
had received money from Providence and
Boston, and had disbursed it iudiciously and
fairly, without regard to creed or color Two
of the Protestant clergy had stood
shoulder to shoulder with him and
the money was used up. For one he had ig-
nOred the towns relief committee long ago,
and, therefore, had done good work in the
cause of charity.
Mr.. Marmaduke Mason offered to be one of
number of persons to contribute $50 each
to make up the $1,000 without recourse to
taxation. The proposition was not favored,
but Rev. Mr.. Locke's resolution was adopted
The reverend gentleman then offered the fol
lowing, which was adopted with but few dis
senting voices:
Voted, that committee of three be ap-
pointed by the moderator of the meeting,
which committee shall have authority to
adopt such measures and employ such agen-
cies as may seem to them expedient for the
expenditure of the above named appropria-
tion, or such portions thereof as may be
necessary for promoting to the hest purpose
the object above named.
Voted, that the treasurer of said commit
tee is hereby authorized and empowered to
draw from time to time, on the overseer of
the poor, for such portions of the above ap-
preparation as the committee may desire, for
which sums he shall he required to make to
the overseer no further accounting than
that of his receipt for the several amounts
received