The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-01-14
STARVING INDIANS.
Terrible Dostitution Among tho Navajo,
An Appeal for Aid.
INDIAN Ridurs ASSOCIATION,
1907 Amen Srurpr

sNbaNN ttiNhlh hHbuNlhllONt /
1905 AEcu STnEEr,
PHILADELPHIA, January 0, 1895.
To he Editor NJ he Intelligence.
DEAR sln:--I feel justified In appeal.
Ing to tho charitably.diuposcd public
through your kindnoas, on behalf OF
tho starving Navajo Indians, for such
contributions as may BIO given to rcliovo
tho most pressing aud serious cases Of
destilution among thom. | ask Oh DO.
half OF this association that contrlbu.
tiona OF money should DO cent, payable
to my order Us secretary. Such funds
| will use promptly, through reliable
persons on tho Navajo reservation, for
the purpose specified.
Tho essential facts OF tho case NAV DO
briefly given. On December 70, 1891,
issued IN appeal to tho friend, OF tho
Indians to urgo upon Congress, through
their individual representatives, and
upon tho Indian bureau, an nppropria.
ton OF $25,000s to roliovo starvation
among the Navajos, threatened BY tho
total failure Of their crops. Captain
Willams, tho army officer acting as
their agent, wrote me: Tho destitute
arc living on the charity OF those who
have something, but tho resources OF
these latter will soon DO exhausted.
being very limited. All OF them will
then havo to face starvation unless somo
speedy provision DO made for their 70.
licf. I have only tho regular supply
necessary for tho holp Of tho small num-
Dor OF poor In ordinary yoars, and this
Is nothing to what is required now"
In answer to this appeal hundreds OF
letters were written to members OF Con-
gress and TO tho Indian office urging
action. At later day visited the
Indian commissioner on this matter.
lIe told me that he believed Captain
Williams had been too short time in
charge Of tho Nava os to understand
fully their condition; that no would do
everything In his power to relieve what
ever want might exist among them, but
no wished to avoid putting tho Indians
on rations lest they should become
pauperized.
Since then Mr.. Thomas v. keam, OF
kcam's Canon, Arizona. q competent
authority. has written me: 81 fully
agree with you that something should
be done by the government TO assist
those OF the tribo who are now suffer-
ing, and many others that will be in the
same condition before the winter ia
over"
have also received reliable iuiorma.
ton that Captain Williams ha, been
admonishcd by the secretary Of war,
upon tho request OF the secretary OF the
interior, to "hold no correspondence
with outside parties on official business
whichis TO receive action by Congress"
This means. Ipresume. that no is not
to appeal further to tho Indian Rights
Association calling for relief to tho
starving Navajos. But wo have other
sources OF information.
A lady engaged as teacher upon the
reservation writes: at you were hore
and could see the suffering among the
Navajos it would cause your heart TO
ache. They are starring, and come to
me and beg for something to eat, and
language cannot describe my hearts
pain when am obliged to refuse them.
sometimes wish were where l could
not witness so much misery. being pow
erless to help them. Oh! something
mus. be done for them. To think We are
living among people who are literally
starving to death. have visited num-
Der OF hogans, and found nothing what
ever to eat. In one hogan l saw
horses head, which showed they had
killed one to eat. They have killed
most OF their sheep and goats. and are
now killing their horses"
Commissioner Browning writes me,
under date OF January 5: 81 am giving
earnest support to aiding tho Navajos
in the way that think will be best for
them" But it seems clear to me that
in addition to what the government
may do there is need Tor immediate
action. therefore issue this appeal.
and trust that contributions by check
may DO sent to this office, so that the
association may be able to empower
trustworthy persons resident upon the
reserve to relieve, through tho cener-
osi,y OF the public, the most serious
and pressing cases OF want.
Respectfully.
HERBERT WELSH.