Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-01-11
Need IN NEBRASKA
Drouth- Stricken Districts Utter
ly Destitute.
FUEL And FOOD NEEDED.
Scores of People In the western
Part of the State are In the Worst
Possible Condltlon-Scurvey
Has Broken Out-AWful
Scenes.

In Western Nebraska destitution and dis.
tress prevail among the inhabitants OF tho
drouth-stricken districts.
Terrible destitution exists in Perkins, Chase
Dundee Lincoln, Hays, Hitchcock, ,andFrontier
counties, and the worst feature is the people
in several localities are afflicted with scuryy
for want OF wholesome food.
The state relief committee find themselves
unable to relieve all the people in distress, 30
great are the demands for aid. The railroad
men report that since the cold snap no less
than dozen people have perlshed In the
above counties in tho past few days for the
want of food and fuel.
Hundreds OF families are without Goa, and
I the border counties, whero no trees or
brush exists, the people have hard time to
keep from freeing to death. In Perkins
county destitution is comp etc. Over 6OO
families arc appealing for help.
Near Lisbon the wife and two children oil
Settler Bcrns suffered for want OF proper
nourishment and clothing to cover them. In
Hitchcock county the wife Of one OF the set
tiers gave birth to twins during the storm,
and before the nelghbors coulI reach the
home the poor woman expired for want OF
sufficient food and attention Tle twins are
still living, and In charge OF charitable neigh
bors.
Coal is much needed in the drought dis
trlct, and Mr.. Ludden, OF the state RELIEF
committee, and General Manager Holdredge
OF the Burlington AMI Missouri River, are
doing everything in their power to forward
supplies to the most destitute localities. Very
few OF the farmers in the border counties
have any stock left, having let their cattle
and horses roam at large. Stock Is being
driven out OF the state to prevent starvation.
Corn planted In eight or ton western coun.
ties never reached height of over six inches
and contains no more nourishment than sage
brush. People are living In covered wagons
rather than face starya ion AID freezs to
death.
One Of the first acts OF the legislature, just
convened, will be to pas suitable appro-
priation for the relief OF the sufferers. More
or less destitution exists in every county
from the Colorado line east to Hall and
Adams counties, and the various relief COM
mittees are overwhelmed with appeals for
aid.
North Platte reports Il. Is a fact that
there have been many cases OF suffering and
hunger among the drouth sufferers in Lin
con and Logan counties Many families
have only potatoes and milk to live on now,
with no hay or grain for their stock through
the rest of the winter. The county in
short time will be unable to supply the in
creasing demands for the necessi los OF lifS.
The oyerseers Of the poor say there are
more calls for aid than they can supply, and
unless aid comes from the outside, there
will be many deaths from hun or and want
OF clothing this winter"
A despatch from Curtis says: "Gront
distress prevails throughout this and sur
rounding counties owing to crop failure, the
past two seasons. Roliet committees havs
been organized in almost every precinct, aI
solicitors sent East for aid and several Ca.
AOduo VI ouppliOo hdFO bOOh lOOSfO@ Ahf1
with what aid tho county has been able to
give, has alone prevented suffering among
the people and stock. The outlook Is OK
tremely dark, owing to the scarcity OF food
and seed grain, the two articles now most
needed.
''The state relief committee ha, lfty fam
lilies on its list as worthy and neellng as SIS
tance, and the most distressing reports come
in from all over the Yves ern part OF the
state relating to the woful lack OF food and
clothing"
Says Lincoln despatch: "No deaths cer-
tainly attributable to starvation have yet
been reported, although Il Is claimed that a
woman with two children, founl dead in
cabin near Niobrara the morning before
Christmas, died from lack OF food and care.
"There are thousands who could not with
stand the rigors of a cold spell without aid,
which is being sent oIt in generou, supply
by the relief commission wherever 1t Is
known to be needed. Relief supplies are
! being received from all ovor the country
and shipped directly 20 the aeedy In car
lots"