The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-11-10
WANT KNOWS NOLAW
STORIES OF DISTRESS THAT MUST
TOUCH ALL HEARTS.
With a Starving Family Miner Defies the
Law-Letters That Pour In Upon Con-
pressmen-where There Is Plenty of
Money to Squander.

Money to Squander.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Nov. 6.-[Special.] j
No more eloquent speeches were heard dur
ing the senate debate on the repeal bill
than those delivered by Senators Teller
Wolcott and Dubois, in which they pictured
the sufferings their people were to endure
during the coming winter. Even these
speeches were not as eloquent as some OF
the letters which members of congress and
senators are daily receiving from the PEG
pie of the country. If the letters which
statesmen receive from their constituents
during the course of single day could be
given to the public press, they would form
a picture of misery and suffering and ap
prehension without parallel in the pages OF
romance. One of these letters received by
a Colorado congressman the other day con-
tanned a story which is worth repeating.
1t told of incidents which had occurred a
short time before in little mining town of
that state Ofthe 1900 population scarcely
dozen, excepting commercial and profess
sional men, have any employment. Every
day the streets are filled with idle men.
One day a frenzy seized the crowd, and
they resolved to board the eastbound train
when it should stop at the station, take
possession of the cars and locomotive and
make their way to the east in search of
work. Fully 1000 men were gathered
about the station at the train hour, and
many of them bid goodby to their wives
and children and were determined to make
the trip without ticket or money. But the
station agent telegraphed down the road,
briefly describing the situation, and the
railway officials ordered the train to run
through the town without stopping. 1t
was as much as the dense throng could do
to get off the track and avoid being run
over, so great was the crush and the excite
ment. The train did not stop, and the idle
men turned sadly away toward their desc
late homes.
A Story From the Silver Mines.
One man, brawny miner, found his wife
and three children waiting for him near
by. The sight of their pinched faces and
hungry eyes drove him to desperation. He
entered grocery store, accompanied by his
family, and told the proprietor that he
wanted sack of -four. The storekeeper
glanced at the man, sized him up and said
it would be necessary for him to produce
the cash.
But have no money" said the man,
pleadingly.
"Then you can't have the -four" replied
the storekeeper.
But must and will have it," persisted
the miner.
my friend" said the grocer, 81 am as
poor as you. l have my goods, it is true,
but if you take them without paying me
for them l, too, will starve."
II can't help that" said the desperate
miner. 81 must have food for my wife and
children"
Suiting the action to the word, he leaped
upon the counter, grabbed a sack of flour
and started toward the door, his wife hang
ing to his arm, imploring him not to do it,
and the three children crying at his heels.
The grocer planted himself before the re-
treating man and was knocked down by a
blow from the miners fist. Then the man
strobe out upon the street, his wife cling
ing to him, crying and begging him to take
the flour back to its rightful owner. But
the miner walked on doggedly toward his
little cabin in the outskir of the town,
the crowd making way for him and no one
interfering with his progress.
AS soon as the grocer could pick himself
up from the floor he started in search of
the sheriff. That officer summoned posse
of men and proceeded to the door of the
miners cabin, followed by a considerable
crowd. At the door the sheriff and his
men paused and looked within the little
home. In one corner sat the miner, his
head between his hands and the tears now
for the first time streaming down his
cheeks. In the middle of the floor was the
sack of -four, where the miner had thrown
it with such violence that the sack had
burst and the -four was scattered all about.
On her knees was the miners wife, with
q bowl of water before her, kneading the
-four into dough, and mingling with it also
her tears. The three children were gathered
about her, eagerly catching up morsels of
the raw, wet dough, and voraciously eat
ing them. 1t was a picture which no one
who saw could ever forget. The sheriff
stood for moment irresolute, when one of
the crowd of miners around him stepped
up and quietly said:
''If you set foot within that cabin we'll
hang you"
The sheriff did not need any further sug-
gestion. He turned on his heel, accompanied
by his posse, and walked away.
A Paralyzed Town In the South.
An Alabama congressman has received
leUUer WHICH Is quite unique III us way. III
describes the situation in what is known as
a boom" town in his part of the country.
1t is new town, with hotel just finished
that cost 600 or $4,000, and many fine
stores, dwellings and shops. Living there
are quite number of families who until
recently considered themselves wealthy,
but at the present day, says the writer of
the letter, there is not dollar in the town.
Even the men who considered themselves
rich are unable to pay their servants. There
is employment for no one. There is no bust
ness, because none of the people in the town
and very few of those who live near by have
any money. All industries have come to
dead stop. There is the town, spick and
span new, with goods in the stores and all
the outward appearance of prosperity, but
the community is as hopeless, collectively
and individually, as if it were afloat in the
Arctic sea upon an ice foe.
Two Pictures-A Contrast.
Such letters as these are pouring in upon
senator's and representatives from all parts
of the land. Probably there is no other
place in the country where SO many COM
munications of this sort concentrate or
where it is possible to get clearer picture
of the distress which prevails among the
people. Now that the repeal bill has passed
congress the statesmen who receive these