Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-12-08
THEY WOULD STARVEI
WOULD UNEMPLOYED MINERS
IN THE UPPER PENINSULA
Was it not for the wondrous Open
Hearted Generosity OF the More For
tunate People--The Investigations.


That the condition of the poor, un-
employed miners in the Gogebic range
in the upper peninsula OF Michigan is
worse than was reported has been
clearly shown by the tour of the mem
bers of the investigating committee of
Michigan citizens. This committee is
composed of w. c. Maybury, II. ii.
Fyfe and Eben W. Cottrell, prominent
Detroiters The committees work was
TO look thoroughly into the needs of
the destitute miners in the snow-boupd
regions that the people of the state
might act intelligently in their giving.
The first place the committee visited
was Ironwood. This town was found
in terrible straits; the epidemic of
typhoid fever which took away scores
of the inhabitants had left many homes
without a head, the widows and or
phans were without support all sum-
mer and now when the snow is two
feet deep and old Boreas send the mer-
curry toboganning down to several
notChes below the circle the poorly
clad, hungry little ones huddle to-
gether in the cottages trying to keep
warm. Public funds of the local
charities were long since exhausted
ness had reduced the most thrifty to a
state of dependence until even those
who would gladly aid their neighbors
from their usual plentiful supply are
now reduced to actual want. There
are in Ironwood fully 5000 persons
utterly dependent upon charity with
the exception of their fuel which a
number of numbering firms permit the
moor 10 emf for their own uSe.
At Iron Mountain the people were in
as great want as at Ironwood. At
Bessemer the snow is deeper, the
houses more scattered the opportunity
to aid the suffering is made difficult
from the fact that travel over the hills
in three feet of snow with cutting
winds and frosts from all sides is any
thing but an agreeable task. At least
1000 people will have to be clothed
and fed in Bessemer until the snow
mclts next year.
Wakefield is town built up with
rude shacks, by courtesy called houses.
There are five mines to support the
town ordinarily. Three of these
closed down last spring and the other
two in August. Usually there are
about 1900 in the town, but many
have left since the mines closed. A
number of men were given work by
the authorities until the SHOWS stopped
that, and now the town is as utterly
dead rs can possibly be, there not be-
ing work enough TO keep one boy busy
and not penny in circulation. Be
tween 500 and 900 people must be kept
alive here by the generosity OF Michi-
gan's more fortunate citizens.
The investigation committee reports
that there are very few cases of impo-
sition; that everybody who can help
his neighbor does so; that aid is seldom
asked except when absolutely neces-
sary; that the distributing and relief
committees in the different places are
thoroughly reliable; that although in
want the people keep their homes in
the hes. order and are extremely neat
and clean: that all warm winter cloth
ing intended for these people should be
sent at once; that everything sent di-
rect should be addressed 10 the Gogebic
County Relief committee, lronwood,
Mich, by whom il will be faithfully
distributed.
For food distribution at the various
points a big store will be established
and each head of a family will BE-
credited with so much per individual
for the month, and be permitted TO
draw thai in provisions as he needs
them. In connection with this the ex-
pert figures on what they will allow
each person TO sustain life is interest
ing. For family of four the follow
ing will be allowed: 100 pounds of
-four ! ) pounds of pork, 10 pounds of
beans, pounds of sugar, 10 pounds OF
oatmeal, pounds of rice, l bushel of
potatoes, bars of soap, 10 cents worth
of yeast, pounds of lard, 1 pound OF
tea and l gallon of molasses. This
will cost little less than So per indi-
vidual per month.