Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-12-30
THEY ARE IN SORE NEED OF AID
APPALLING DISASTERS IN BLEAK
AND nARREN NEBRASKA.
faiiurc Of crer. In tho semi-Arid
Dis,ric,, Not xst syaserca by irr,-
cation, HAS Driven Thousands Of
People to tLe ycree OF snrva,icn.


Into omaha VI the destituton and sut-
terlng In the central and western ccun-
lies 81 NebraalSa. as the result Of last
nummrrs drauih, are heart rendlng
Appalling tales are told OF the condl-
ton Of tho settlers In this semi-arld
district. whore irrigation has not set
had q chance to transform tho sandy
soil into garden spot Thousands %
people are reported on tho verge OF
starvation. but 20 far there have been
only three deaths reported as the re-
suit OF actual hunger There may have
been more. but 40 far they have IS.
capped publicity, 1t ~ IN the eNtrcmo
southwcstern counties OF the state that
the condition OF the people Ia most APP
paulng--m Perkins. puudy, chase and
Hayes counties. In Perkins county
alone Of which Grant Is the county
scat, thcrc are 5000 people who are ae-
,ually destitute,
The situation there ~ told sraphi-
caliy hy County clerk Wilcox. who has
madu public the following atutoment
1--WE arc facing the most desperate
situation ia our niatory, About Sib,VoO
OF the couniy'a money IN lied W IN the
brokcn banlsa Of Grant, and all thiNe
| banks are broken. We have issued
bonds 20 the full limit allowed BY the
| law, and our wRrranis have been ~
fuacd BY some OF the merchants Vhe
/ latter are already ont considerable
money Tor goods Furnished % lahorera
on the ditch, We voted ssO,oQp Ia di,ch
bonds for nn Irrigation ditch which
| tapped the south Platte west Of jules
! burg and ran the entire length OF our
county, 1'his was In September anu
about 4 month lnt9r almost avery Voter
| In the couufy-bctween 500 and uoVa
went ont thcre 10 work On II. Vhcy
| took their teams. and N Honle carna
1 cows ana families. IN the meanwhile
the bonds have not been sold probably
/ from diatrttnt Of i2ARirrn capital III
| WFatNrn Investments. Tie consequence
h ihat lie farmers who ala this work
upon the ditch are a great donl worse
on than " they had not genr out s--efg
at all Many Of them exhausted whNl
llttie cash they took with them In FOOD
for Themselves and fodder for thoiI
horHea. aud others went IN dent Tor
their support, either 70 local mernhanll
IN. coinrndo people. Tho lnttur look al
ynntagp Of the situation, AMI a good
many farmers lost their ieaina WAGON,
and stock 10 the men who furnlrhrl
she board ana fodder About l2iV.'
worth OF work WA thus done, nut y
WIN he thrown away II mo rest " W.
hesompilaned The Mat nftern mlle'
IL ditch II hunt, and the tcHi wiz h'
much Sanicr 10 conntruct, but mere y
little prospect at present, that " ever
/ wlf NJ cpNulftcfi,
srhe crona o, Che last two years havl
boon total falurva, and In nine YEAR
we hnvn had but three ornpa, we nay
a3od farming country ~ pwiNinh cum
~. Dut there IL no certainty or ram
Ana no hot Winds play hnyVr WIZ
tho grain when " c0anoa NJ, We nav
"A one class OF industrious and hnncA
farnera. who have done al men ruui'
dn 10 fnlae crops and live within fhei
inpomon. Int few hayc anything ip9h3
10 chow for tho labor OF NeaaH niNv
have farmed Ia Perkins county nav
been Obliged 20 work our az N'llelliii'
oiFe evorg winter In order 20 nr' inons
Tor next yeAr's seed. ! have tHlfn
school and dug wells. II Is pretty hnii
Ia an wells nH winter aud 10 yet mon.
10 mi ia Il crop which ~ almost eefih
TO proye.l failure ,..,,,.
d "rhe limit Of our bond Issue hayih
boon feadhed. we arc loft htlpictR "
funds Of any Kind Men ana WVinN
romotimcs drive N here FOR tWehiy,i', !,
milea Tor relief which W. arc unable
,ivs Farmers who have lived ~ W
comfy FOR Yours and have sunk NV
canitil here trying 10 raise crops epn
IL me with tears 10 their eyes anu ~
|. for food. Not a dny pnases but IN
way from two 20 NIX ptopiH pnll W y
hOusa for holp OF Home kina,
cuirse try 10 Eiya eN"rgone Aun'e ,
= vhat / have. BIZ I'm a poor udll nv
! s.if and nv supply cannot last -
? o,,.,. n ia The aamp with everyone
= town. We have organized mo oouh'
. for tho dlhtribution Of rcllsf whrn y
I. get e. :, ..,,.-
Z .srhcre 81 not u stream or watsr
e f,ot.ltlns county, nor a LYME hprln
a Wells run from sixty 70 2po t'nt. y
I. majority being about 10y 70 ~ ~
n crope, n not. It bakrs Ike solo mas
2 ,rhe roads aud much OF the pfniri
Is reacmbie nsphnlt, 40 bard packed ~
!. -t.sa.aoih- mn thnr ,.
y Al & ron1it of these conditions maj
OF mo eottlrra have ieff tne ppuntr
q and Traveller through INC count
dcHcrlboR tho situation giNllllclliss
= ION every hand the bare count
N aoresda itneif not q shrub. not a y
le mt mo sight; no creeks. no rivers,
ie etsn al anything which would r.
. n,otqturo or produce hay. Tho rom
y ,,veflr ~ me table land are coyff'
p win inc short, criap brown grHHi
~ nothing ABOVE ankle MIN nhvW- 49, 80,
ie orcsnt a dead and deserted tree cln'
y al The right side. But little STOCK oop
q be seen, though what was tnsrs
" in FOOD condition. a few deserted ?
ie huta and frame houses we're seen "
ie thcra were signs. here and mere, y
As eosne habitationa had been tnkfn no'
ne and removed With the other tooaH
- mo owners when they LETT.
- SIN some cagcs farm iusplcmrnir ~
" aeon ia 4he fields, and ~ y dlste'
DO s,,f,stan.iai RranarirH stood JUST
thcir owner had left them. One iari,,
I tniked With who had come 70 y
town for relief, said, with tears m
mt sven. u never applied fes' help Defp
as ana never thought TO. but Hnen
st Fellow nan Inst all bis cropA for
le- wear. and has had his team Hno eo
az taireu away on account % board VI
he tyori,lttR On the ditch. ne cant see
X family starye. I'm not above say
Of ,s,af more ian't a thing In the no.
NJ NM n little Hour eni about peek
~ notatoea that was lea .. the laiit
thev gave mo credit FOX az fhe ~
nv wife II mol well, ana eile anu
ehidfea have not deeent cioth@s'
ke,
Cd