St. Paul daily globe., 1895-06-10
OKLAHOMA SETTLERS REPORT
EDIN A CONDITION OF nES-
pERATE WANT.
AID MUST COME QUICKLY.
NO CROPS, NO FOOD, NO MONEY
AND NO MEANS OF GETTING
AWAY.
PATHETIC STORIES ARE TOLD
of the Efforts of Settlers to Keep
Body and Soul To-
gether.
lFrom sundays Last Edition }


KANSAS CITY, Mo-, June S.-For
some time reports of destitution and
suffering among the settlers in parts
of Oklahoma have reached the public.
For the most part they were not be-
lieved. 1t was thought that the news
paper correspondents of tne territory
were using the subject as means OF
tiding over a dull season and official
denials of reported instances lent color
to this theory. Rev. p. Shane and
Judge T. b. Nash, of Grant county,
Oklahoma, reached the city today with
a story of the actual condition OF af-
fairs among the settlers there that is
graphic in its picture of desolatlon
and want. They come as a commit
tee sent out by the people of Grant
county to solicit aid for the destitute
and hungry. They have letters from
Thomas j. Lowe, territorial secretary;
Gov E. N Merrill, of Kansas, and
other equally we'll known men. 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 suffering among
those who are trying to hold the claims
which they secured in the Cherokee
strip opening in 1898. Owing to the
droughts 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 situa-
ton more desperate and hopeless, they
cannot get away. The territorial gov
ment has now no money for their as
sistance. Slow, but surely, the set
tiers exhausted their resources. With
ACTUAL STARVATION
in sight, the people of Prairie township
held a meeting and started the move
ment which resulted in the county
sending out Rev. Mr.. Shane and Judge
Nash to tell the story of their extreme
want to the charitable people of Kan
sas and Missouri, and to beseech aid.
They want provisions, flour, seed, food,
clothing anything, in fact, that will
cover nakedness and fight off hunger.
The stories two messengers tell of the
destitution is affecting in the extreme.
Rev. Mr.. Shane, who draws pension
of $14 month, tells this story: For
the last three months four families
have been existing on my pension
money. 1t would do, in ordinary cir
cumstances, for the bare wants of my
Immediate family, but with four fam
lilies you can imagine what it meant
Last Monday I drew $42 for my last
quarter. 1 paid the grocery bill which
had accumulated during the quarter,
and then had $1.75. Just before leav-
Ing on this trip l asked for credit for a
sack of -four but was refused it, when
we had to face immediate want 1t
had been customary for the merchants
to credit those who had pensions, so
they were sure of getting their money.
But with credit denied, the last re-
source was cut off. My son-in-law and
his wife started away in their wagon
Tuesday without a cent and without
provisions. They said they might as
we'll starve on the road as stay there
and starve. 1 have not Teard from
them since" The Kansas City Live
Stock exchange has appropriated $50,
and movement has been started in
the city to send immediate relief to the
destitute.