The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-02-24

distance of a new crop of 1896. 1t was to
De from August TO August Between. these
TWO months doomed the great white bar
rler of the winter of 189i-95. 1t was a su-
preme battle TO which to look forward. 1t
required the profound and logged cour-
age OF the American peoples who have
come INTO the west to carve farms, rail-
roaus, towns, cities IN the heart of a
world fortified by enormous distances.
Inc weakest were, of course, the first to
cry out at the pain of It, Farmers
morally certain of the success of the cron.
hal already gone into debt for groceries,
and supplies. The hot winds left these
men without crops and without credit.
1hey were instantly confronted with
want. They stood for time reluctant.
lhen family by family they drove away to
DINER states where there mi gnt be people
VINO would give their great muscular
hands opportunity TO earn food for their
wives and little children.
linen came the struggle for the ones
who stood fast. They were SO driven 10
Day by nature, now the pitiless enemy.
1 hey we're sturdy and dauntless. When
the cry of help came from their Inns il was
10 be the groan from between the
cIenched teeth. Men began to offer 10
work at the rate of % cents a day, but.
presently. in the towns no one had work
Tor them, and, after a time, barely any,
one had % cents day which they dared
invest in labar. Life in the little towns
matted. The wide roads, which had once
neen SO nusy, became the dry veins o the
dead land.
Meanwhile, the chill and tempest of the
inevitable winter had gathered in the
north and swept down upon the deyasta-
ted country. The prairies turned black
and desoIate.
The wind was a direct counternart of |
the summer. 1t came down like wolves of |
ICE And then was the time that from |
TINS district came that first wall half inn
potent rage. half despair. The men went /
10 iced the starving cattle in their tiny al
lowances in clothes that enabled the wind
TO turn their bodies red and then blue
with cold. The women shivered in the
houses, where fuel was as scarce as flour
and whore -four was sometimes as scarce
as diamonds.
The cry for aid was heard everywbere.
The people of dozen states responded in
lavish way and almost at once. A relief
commission was appointed BY Governor
daicombe at Lincoln to receive the sup
plies and distribute them to the people i'm
'oh'' Aho Tdiirodu companies granted |
transportation TO the cars that came In |
oaded with coal and -four from Iowa and
Minnesota, fruit from California, grocer
es and clothing from New York and Ohio.
md almost everything possible from ,
Ieorgia and louisiana. The relief COM
Mission became involved in a mighty
angle. 1t was obliged to contend with |
normous difficulties
Somtimes n car arrives in Lincoln prac- $
lcally IN pawn. Ii has accumulated the G
reight charges of perhaps half a dozen |
The commission then corre- /
ponds and corresponds with railroads to I
CT the charges RENTED. 1t is usually the @
auit of the people sending the car. who +
an arrange for free and quick TRANSPORT \
alton by telegrs phins the commission In G
lincoln list of what their car, or cars. r
1ntain. The commission will then ar. z
lnge all transportation.
\ facetious freight agent in the East d
bellea one carload of food: "OItfit for n
Migrants" This car reached the people b
no needed it only after the most extraor- n
nary delays and after many mistakes Ii
I'd explanations ami recxplanations. $,
eanwhile a certain minority BEGAN to :.
axe var upon the comniss on al the ex. q
'asc of the homes AMI NEEDY maioritv. :,
en- resortei 10 al! manner OF tricks in
der 10 seduce the comm ss.on into Civ T