Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-10-24
PoYERIY,s PANes.
Tale 80 PrivAtIon and Suffering Told by =
vIsItor TO the Spring VALLEY MineA

Tale - PrivAtIon and Suffering Told by .
Visitor TO the Spring Valley Mines-
Mr.. Henry d. Lloyd. of this city. who
has just returned from a visit TO Spring
Valley. Ills., where he distributed
among the destitute miners medicine
furnished by charitable New York lady,
writes long letter to The New York
Tribune. in which he describes the
wletched condition of the people there.
He says: Among other means of get
ing intelligent and unbiased information
as to the exact state of things l visited
the Catholic school and the public
school, in which together there are over
600 children, and talked with the teach
ers and many Of the children. The sis
ters who teach in the Catholic school said
that their children gave unmistakable
evidence of not having sufficient food.
They were pale 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. Children who were
Enthusiastically suffering for want Of nour-
ishment would even refuse food when
offered them by their teacher, and in
some cases, the sister superior said, when
food was taken by some such children,
it was Immediately rejected by the stom-
ach, showing how far the exhaustion of
hunger had gone. One of the teachers
| In the public schools stated that on her
way to the school in the morning she
would sometimes meet as many as 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 80 children were INSULT.
ciently clothed. little boys and girls Of
the tenderest years having on only some
light sack or jacket, with no under
clothing. 1t was cold, bleak day, but
many were barefoot. How the people
have lived at all is a mystery.
There have heen during the last foui
weeks, ending Sept. 25, f ;s distributions
by the relief committee-all in goods
and no money has been given out-and
the extent of this charity is sufficient
ly indicated by the statement taken from
the account of the committee that eact
family of seven, and others in proper
ton, had received for the entire period
of four weeks -four, meal, etc., to the
value of S5.9S, or "a cents worth for eaci
person for the whole four weeks. The
mayor of the city, the editor Of The
Spring Valley Gazette, the Congrega
tional clergyman, Mr.. Stringer; all the
physicians of the place, every one, ir
fact, stated without qualification thai
were it not for the relief from without
the people would be starving. To checl
so scanty a stream of relief, "a cents
worth of food for each person monthly
by talk about 'exaggeration' seems to me
nothing short of inhuman."
Mr.. Lloyd declares that the death rat.
is high there, and that it will be greatly
increased as the weather grows cold
He declares, of his own knowledge, tina
the sick and poor have been refused
medicines and medical advice by th'
poor authorities there.
He urges that contributions be sent t.
these people.-Chicago Dispatch in St
Louis Republic.