The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-02
ARE SUFFERING FOR FOOD.
The Miners of Spring Valley-Their Chill
rem Go Hungry and Are Poorly Clad.

The Miners of Spring Valley-Their Child
Go Hungry and Are Poorly Clad.
CHICAGO, Sept. 2s.-AIr. Henry d. Lloyd of
this city, who has lust returned from visit
to Spring Valley, ILL.,, where he distributed
among the destitute miners medicines furnished
by charitable New York lady, writes long
letter to the Tribune. in which he describes
the wretched condition of the people there.
lie says: Among other means of getting In
telligence and unbiased information as TO the
exact state of things, 1 visited the catholic
school and the public school, in which togeth-
er there are over six hundred children,
and talked with the teachers and
many of the children. The sisters
who taught in the catholic school said that
their children gave unmistakable evidence of
not having sufficient food. They were paler
than the year before and they could not study
as well. Children would frequently fall asleep
at their desks from weakness. But so sturdy
was their pride and self-respect that
it was almost impossible for their teachers to
obtain from them any acknowledgment that
they did not get enough to eat at home. Chill
dren who were unmistakably suffering for
want of nourishment would even refuse food
when offered them by their teacher, and in some
was taken by some child it was Immediately
rejected by the stomach showing how far the
exhaustion of hunger had gone. Oae of the
teachers in the public school stated that on
her way to the school in the morning she would
meet as many a dozen of her
class out with baskets going to beg.
As they saw her the little things. ashamed,
would try to hide from sight until she had
passed. In both schools numbers of the chill
dren were insufhcientiy clothed, little boys and
girls of the tenderest age having on only some
light sack or Jacket with no underclothing 1t
cold, bleak day, but many were barefoot.
How the people have lived at all Is q mystery.
''There have been during the last four weeks
ending Sept. > five distributions by the relief
cOmmittee-all in goods; no money has
been given Out-and the extent of this
charity is sufficiently indicated by the
statement taken from the account of
the committee that each family of seven, and
others in proportion, had received for the en-
tire period of four weeks flour, meal, ETC., to
the value of S5.SS, or 81 cents worth for each
person for the whole four weeks. The mayor
OF the city the editor of the Spring
Valley Gazette, the congregational clergyman.
Mr.. Stringer all the physicians Of the place,
everyone, in fact, stated, without qualification,
that were il not for the relief from without, the
people would have starved and would be
starving To check so sCanty stream OF relief,
eighty-four cents worth OF food for each per
son monthly, the talk about 'exaggeration'
seems to me nothing short of inhuman."
Mr. Lloyd declares that the death rate is
high there, and 1t will be greatly increased
the weather grows cold He declares of his
own knowledge that the sick and poor have
been refused medicine and medical advice by
the poor authorities there. He urges that con-
tributlOns be sent 10 these people.