Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-01-03
DESTlTUTI0N.
Terrible Distress Existing in West
ern Nebraska.
PEOPLE WANTING FOOD and FUEL.
Coal Most Needed In the Drought q, rIcken
Districts Many Persons Frozen t0
Death-Great Demands ON the
State Relief Committee.

DENVER, Col, Dec. 81. dispatches
from western Nebraska received here
tell Of the destitution and distress pre-
vailing among the inhabitants Of the
drought.stricken districts. A dispatch
from Hastings says;
Terrible destitution exists In Perkins, Chase,
Dundy, Lincoln, Ilaycs, Hitchcock and Frou-
tier counties, md the worst OF the feature II
the people Ii several localities are afflicted
with scurvy for want Of wholesome food. The
state rollof committee md themselves unable
70 relieve all tho p,ople Ia distress, 10 src1t
are tho demands for aid. The railrcad mon re-
port thst sincs the cold snap no less thaA =
dozen people havc persisted In tho above coun-
ties In tho past two ds7s Tor want N food and
fuel Hundrsds Of families arc without coal
and In the border counties, whore no trees or
brush exists, tho poor pccplo had hard tinp
10 keep from frecaing TO death.
In Perkins county ths des.ltullon Ii onn :
plete Over 90 families sre appealing for
help. Near Lisbon the wife and two children
Of Settler nurns dIoi for want Of proper
nourishment and clothing to cover thom. In
Hitchcock county tho wife Of one OF tho set-
tiers gave birth to twins during the storm, aud
before tbs reigbbors could reach her home the
rcor woman expired for want 0! sufHcIsnt food
and stteuttor. The twins are still l.rtrS asz
IN charge Of charitable ncishbefs,
Coal Is most needed IN the drought diaNict
and Mr. Ludisno os the state relief commission.
aud General Manager lIodrcdgs of the Burling-
ton N ri lnlnt ln
their power 10 forward supplies 10 tho moro
destitute localities Very few OF the farmers
III The border oounfios havs anr stock left, hav-
Ing lot thnir cattlo and horses roam AZ lsirs
Stock Is belng driven out OF the state to pro-
vent starvation. Corn planted III eight OF ten
OF The western counties never reached height
Of over six inches and contained no more
nourishment than sage brush. People arc
leaving Ia covered wagons by the hundreds.
rather than face starvation and freeze to death
More or less destitutlon exists In every county
from tho Colorado line east 10 Hall and Adams
counties and the various relief committees are
overwhelmed with appeas for aid
A dispatch from Curtis says
Great distress prevails throughout this
and surrounding counties, owing 10 crop
failures tho past two ssas0ns. Re-
licf committees have boon organized In
almost ovcry precinct and solicitors sent Gas,
for aid, several car loads Of which have been
received This with what aid the county has
been ablo 10 give, has alone prevented suffering
among tho people and stock The outlook "
extremely dirk, owing 10 tho scarcity OF food
and seed grain the two articles now most noed-
ed The state relief commission has lfty fam
lilies on its list as worthy and needing assist
ance,
A Lincoln dispatch says
The most distressing reports come 10 from
all over the western part Of the state relating
TO The woeful lack Of food and clothing No
deaths certainly attributable To starvation
have yet been reported although II IL claimed
that woman and two children found dead In
cabin near Niobrara tho morning before Christ
mas died from lack Of food and care There
are thousands who could not Withstand the
rigors Of q cold spell without aid which II be-
Ing sent out In generous supply by the relief
commission wherever N Is known TO be needed
Relief supplies are being received from all
over the country aud shipped directly to the
needy In car lots