The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-20

repeating. 1t tells n simple, sad story
OF tho ingratitude suffered by noble
philanthropist at the hands OF the pco-
plc who owe him 80 great a debt. Hero
it is:
''!SPGcia, BiIpatch 10 he In'cii9.ncer.
COLUMBUS, ONO, Sept. 30.-'Land
Biz Allen, author OF tho homestead
law, and tho greatest friend to tho
wagc-workers, was tonight taken to the
county inrnary to end his days. lie
is eighty years old, and spent his life in
the interest Of workingmcn and women.
lie spent his own time and money adj
dressing meetings, until at last Congress
passed the national homestead law, Civ
ing every actual settler lG0 acres Of land.
lie spent Il fortune in the cause, and
was left 10 die without friends or
money"
The lETELLlGESccR has, since the pub
LEGATION OF the above dispatch, taken &C.
casion moro than once to refer to tho
matter and to the necessity for some &c.
ton looking 10 the relief OF Mr.. Allen,
and it is with pleasure that tho follow
ing communication OIL the subject is
published. The suggestions contained
therein will no doubt be received with
favor and the appeal meet with ready
response:
TO the Editor OF Hie In,eiiiccnccr.
SIR:-Some days ago we wrote let
ter to the Enquirer, OF Cincinnati, and
asked it to receive contributions for tho
benefit OF LAND Bill" Allen who is now
an inmate OF the Franklin county, O.,
poor house. In calling the attention
OF the public to tho ungratcful treat
mont that this man is receiving and in
offering to head the list OF contributors
with 4 certain amount 10 begin on, we
had hoped that Gro this other papers
and other men would have seen the
necessity OF immediate action in this
matter and would have offered to help
US. But no, even though tho Enquirer
very kindly Published our letter, yet,
in personal letter to US, it says: ave
would not care to take charge OF SUBJ
scrlption unless it could be seen that
the public was showing enough inter-
est in Mr.. Allen to give reasonable as
surance that it would bca success" In
this the Enquirer seems to think that
public opinion and public philanthro-
pic action should outline the course OF
the. newspaper world and not that
the press OF the country should
mould public opinion, or even
call the attention OF the public to the
necessities OF suffering humanity. John
Howard Payne sang OF "home." but
Land BilP' Allen builded homes.
Payne was homeless and wandcrer
while living, but the phianthropic Mr..
Cochran buildcd q guided monument
to his ashes and to his rags. Some day
the public spirit OF some future million
aire will perhaps erect cold white
marble column TO the memory of Gland
Bill" Allen, but this will not make the
modification and suffering that he en-
dures now grow any less. Some time
the children in 4 thousand palatial
homes will be taught to love and rever-
cnce the name OF ''Bill'' Allen, but this
will not lessen his sensibilty to the
cold wind that blows tonight, and that
is perhaps chilling to the very death
the body, soul and heart OF old, hut
still brave, still patriotic, and still
homeless LAND Bill' Allen. The world
ut large seems to care nothing for its
benciactors. Those that offer US saliva
ton We cruelty. One who has spent
moro than fifty years OF time in behalf
OF tho once homeless working mon OF
the country certainly deserves some
thing better thar the poorhouse.
The father OF the agitation and legis-
lation that has dotted the great west all
over with happy homes and pleasant
iiresidcs surely ought to be provided
with, at least, comfortable shelter,
enough to eat, place he could call
'home" and decent place to die.
Almost everybody looks back with
the kindicst feelings upon tho place
they once called "homc." Reader, has
kind providence blessed you with a
home? Ii it has, We beg Of you; yes,
you who are now reading this, to 60
down in your pocket and, for the sake
OF justice and humanity, contribute
something, ii it is only ten cents, to
help buy homeless Chill" Allen home
And some day, maybe not in this
world, but, perhaps, just over on the
other shore in that bright land Of the
leal, you, my dear reader, will receive
your reward.
We asked the Enquirer to receive sub
scriptions, with the result rs stated
above, and now and here We ask the
INTELLlGEScER to do the same. Know
ing that it is paper in sympathy with
the "e:eat common people" we trust it
will grant our request. Tho uncer-
tainty OF life and the fickleness OF
fortune ought 10 teach us to extend
the hand OF charity to those less fortu-
nate than ourselves.
I have written tho above unsolicited,
neither his religion nor politics, never
had any business with him, never saw
him and never knew him only by rcpu-
tation. knowing what We do OF him,
however, we would have thought it 4
sin SO have kept silent. The writer has
no personal axe to grind in this matter
and has written the above from the
purest motives OF charity. Thinking,
however, that justice and not charity
demand that something should be done
ior Mr.. Allen, and done now, he has
venturcd these suggestions, trusting
that they will be read, considered and
acted upon. Feeling that the world is
our country and that to do good ought
to be our religion, ! am,
Yours, very truly,
O. d. HILL.
Etrldalia, ". Va. Nou. is, 1891.
Papers that feel kindly toward Mr..
Allen will please copy.
Amy subscriptions sent to the INTEL
IlGENcER office for the above-namcd