Omaha daily bee., 1895-06-09
WOLF AT THE DOOR
Heartrending Stories of Destitution Come
from Grant County, Oklahoma,
HAVE RAISED NOTHING IN TWO YEARS
Credit Of the County and Of individuals is
Exhausted.
COMMITTEE SENT CUT TO SOLICIT AID
Three Families Live on Fourteen Dollar
Month Pension.
UBSCRIP TONS RAISED FOR SUFFERERS
Have Not Even the Means Left of Getting
Out of the Country-Food, Clothing
and Seed Needed at
Once.
INSCRIPTIONS RAISED FOR SUFFERERS

KANSAS CITY, June S.-For some time re-
ports of destitution and suffering among the
settlers in parts of Oklahoma have reached
the public, but for the most part they were
not believed. 1t was thought that the news
paper correspondents of the territory were
using the subject as a means of tiding over
dull season, and official denials of reported
instances lent color to this theory. Rev. p.
Shane and Judge r. b. Nash Of Grant county,
Oklahoma, reached this city today with a
story of the actual condition of affairs among
the settlers there that is graphic in its pic
ture Of desolation and want. They come as a
committee sent out by the people of Grant
county to solicit aid for the destitute and
hungry. They have letters from Thomas ].
Lowe, territorial secretary; Governor e. N.
Morrill, of Kansas and others equally we'll
known. vouching for them. They declare that
the condition of affairs among the settlers of
Grant county is one Of desperate want. Gaunt
hunger is their constant companion and the
situation is such that only instant aid will
prevent actual starvation among those who
are trying to hold the claims which they Sc
cured in the Cherokee Strip opening Septem-
Der 16, 1898.
Owing to the drouths which have prevailed
since the opening, no crops have been raised
AS result the settlers are in actual want
They have no resources to exist on there, and
to make the situation more desperate they
cannot get away. The destitution is so great
and widespread that the county government
can furnish no assistance and the territorial
government has no money for such purposes.
Slowly but surely the settlers exhausted their
resources.
With actual starvation in sight, the people
| of Prairie township held a meeting, which
| resulted in the county sending Rev. Mr..
| Shane and Judge Nash to tell the story of
| their extreme want to the charitable people
of Kansas and Missouri and to beseech aid.
| They want provisions, -four, Seed clothing
anything, in fact, that will cover nakedness
| and fight off hunger. The stories the two
| messengers tell Of the destitution is affect
| ing in the extreme. Rev. Mr. Shane, who
| draws a pension of s14 a month, tells this
story: For the last three months four fam
| lilies have been existing on my pension money.
| 1t would do, in ordinary circumstances, for
| the bare wants of my immediate family, but
| with four families you can imagine what il
meant. Last Monday I drew $42 for my last
quarter. l paid the grocery bill
| which had accumulated during the
quarter and then had $1.75. Just be-
| fore leaving on this trip l asked credit for q
| sack of -four, but was refused it. Then we
| had to face immediate want. 1t had beer
customary for the merchants to credit those
| who had pensions, for they were sure of get.
| ting the money. But with credit denied the
| last resource was cut off. My son-in-law and
| his wife started away in their wagon Tues
| day without a cent and without provisions
| They said they might well beg and starvt
on the road as to stay there and starve.
| have not heard from them since"
The Kansas City Live Stock exchange has
| appropriated $50 and a movement has beer
| started in the city to send immediate relie
| to the destitute.
| WICHITA, Kan, June S.-An appeal fol
| aid has been received here from Medford
| Okl. 1t is signed by four of its foremost
| citizens, who are vouched for by w. ]. Mart
indale of this city, presiding elder of the
| Wichita district, Southwest Kansas Metho
dist Episcopal conference. The citizens o.
that section Of the country are in wretchet
condition so far as food and clothing arr
concerned, and pray for relief Immediately
The appeal closes as follows:
I'm the name Of suffering humanity W,
| appeal to you for such food and other thing
as you can spare to help the destitute, ant
that as soon as you possibly can, to appeas
the hunger of crying children, Ship to tn,
Lamont Township Aid association, care Mrs
Emma Beacock The Rock Island CARRIE
supplies free Of cost"