Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-06-05
Distressing Famine In China.
MORE THAN HALF MILLION IN UTTER
DEsTITUTI0N.


in China, letter dated Chinkiang, China
April 25th, 1899, in which he enclosed
clippings from the Shanghai "North China
Daily News" one of which, letter from
Mr.. Paul D. Bergen, missionary working
in the famine district, to Mr.. Muirhead,
we copy as follows that our readers may
learn something of the great calamity that
has evertaken the people living along the
Yellow River
DEAE Mr.. MUIRHEAD.-We we're rejoic-
ed few weeks ago at receiving two tele-
grams stating thai It's. 1900 was at our
DISPOSAL in the Hongkong and Shanghai
Bank and that you would probably be able
to send us still more if needed. In answer
To vour request for further particulars, l.
will proceed to write something OF "Trip
through one part of the distressed region
from which l have just returned. Inc
country living between this city and the
district city Of Chi-yang, so u to the north
east ON the north bank of the Yellow River,
while in truly miserable condition, is not
on the whole quite SO destitute as the re- !
gion on the East of Chi-yang. 20 u east OF
Chi.yang ia the market town OF wang
CHA Ch'uan and here it is that the most
bitter need begins to be felt. Here saw
the neople IN the fields plucking up the
frozen wheat sprouts, and here women have
publicly hawked their children for sale in
tine streets, saying, "Who will buy this
how. I can't feed him any longer and l
don't want to hear him crying about for
want of food" Here l was surrounded by
a crowd of half famished people (who at
| first SIGHT of the foreigner concluded at
once that relief had Gomez on their knees
beggipg for aid and crying out "Don't
leave all thess people to starve to DEATH"
| Ouieting them with the assurance that they
should be aided, if it were possible, passed
on eastward. My route lay along the inner
embankment on the north side OF the river
and the desolation which met the eye on
every hand was in the last degree oppres-
siye, To the north about four u distant is
the outer embankment running PARALLEL
with the inner. Its top is occupied con-
tinuously with line of wretched shantles
for mile after mile, built out Of the scanty
remains OF their former comparatively COM
Portable homes, long since washed away.
We look in vain for the great piles Of fuel
on the housetops or about the doors usually
seen about the country homes and suggas-
tive of comfort and plenty. Everything
sneaks of poverty, bitter aud unreiieeed.
Between these two banks is great expanse
of sand, dotted here and there with few
novels of the same character as those on
the embanhment. l went down into one
of these villages just at the time OF the
morning meal and examined their food. l
send you a specimen OF the material OF the
breakfast. 1t is a combination of dry bean
leaves (such as they commonly use for fueD
pulyerised, aud millet chaff, the latter be-
ing luxury which they can afford to use
but sparingly. This, with gater, is their
only diet, except in special cases. 1t is
needless to say that with such nonrishnlent
as this many die of gradual starvation
coupled with cold and exposure. Great
numbers from this rsglou have scattered in
various directions, having not even this
poor food. and become vagrants, not from
choice. bat necessity. Turning toward the
south, the outlook is, if possible, still
worse, for here at cur feet rolls again that
terrible yellow River, now fiilad with piled
ND ice aud already recommending its career
of destruction, for it spreads across the
entire space between The outer south en-
bankment and the inner north one, dis
tarce of from seven to ten H. Here are
lines of villages caught in the ice, some of
them half submerged with the ice piled in
huge fragments about their walls. The
water returned about the 25th of the 18Th
moon and came down on these villages in
the night 30 that the people had barely time
to escape from their beds to the housetops.
Here during most Of the night they were
exposed to the severe weather until most of
them were badly frozen. One mau told ne
that his daughter lost one of her feet from
that nights cold. Most of these people
lost the little they had. Proceeding along
the embsnkmept, we meet families escap-
ing from the district, wheeling all that re-
mains of their goods on q small barrow. l
recollect seeing one old man and his wife,
both over 70 years Of age, he wheeling the
barrow and she with rope over her
shoulder and staff in hand hobbliug along,
pulling the barrcw to the best of her ability.
Just as we passed they stopped for a rest,
and as hsard their deep signs of weari-
ness and noted tae worn expression Of their
vrinkled faces. felt that theirs indeed was
bitter lot and coul6jnot but desire intense
IL to possess the ability and discretion &c
alleviate successfully their troubles. Al
along the embankment groups of villagers
were standing anxiously gazing al and
l commenting on the probable rise or fall oil
: the water on which all their earthly for
= tunes largely depend. I arrived that even
ing as village called Chao CHA F'ang-tz
, just across the river from ths district City @
Chi Tuug. This city Is at present abOu
t two thirds under water and csn only bt
entered at one gate and if the foods con
tinue, as il all probability they will unless
the water leaves for the south again, th'
e city will saon be entirely gone. The offcia
hiss distributed little relief (jnst how
much l was unable to learn) to the sufferer
in his vicinity, particularly to those whit
u were so frozen on the night when tht
waters came. So much, as sketch of tht
condition of affairs northeast of the Cit
|; for distance CT 100 u as far as my trip ex
o. teuded. Further east understand matters
are quite as bad. West of this city tb,
N condition OF things in many quarters il
much the same as l have already related
D. The people are practically IN the samt
n condition. How has all this come n5out,
From repeated overfows of the Vel
low River during period of the last six o.
y seven years.
l Blast year when the river left US
l there was an almost total failure of crops
along its banks, owing to early drough
and afterwards heavy rains, which flooded
70 the country for time 10 almost as grea
|. an extent az the Yellow River had eve
Is done, and effectually ruined what little tn
IL drought had spared,
:; These two causes combined have reduced
tho people to the greatest extFemities.
:; You ask if we can extend our operations
and I answer that we eau extend them in
u definitely according to the amount OF none.
J which We receive for distribution. Tn
IL need is certain TO grow more and NOR
pressing until the 4th moon, when We hop
L there will be wheat harvest. In closing
| would say that we will receive mos
}. gratefully all the money which you cal
send us and will distribute it with al pos
e sible pains 50 that it may convey the mes
d relief to those in need
J We hope TO select one or two of tbs
;. most distressed districts, say one east ant
/ one west of the city, and Canine our dis
tributious to those two regions so that u:
l may be able TO help the people little every
month up to the time of the wheat harvest
This method would seem more satisfactory
: than working over larger area and help