The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-01-04
DESTITUTION.
Terrible Distress Existing in West
ern Nebraska
PEOPLE WANTING FOOD AND FUEL.
Coal Most Needed In the Drought-StrlckeH
DistrIcts-Hany Persons Frozen to
Death-Great Demands on the
State Relief Committee.

DENVER. Col, Dec. 31.-Dispatches
from western Nebraska received here
tell of the restitution and distress pre-
vailing among the inha bitants of the
drought-stricllen districts. \ dispatch
from Hastings says:
Terrible destitutiOn exists in Perkins, Chase.
Dundy, Lincoln. Hayes. Hitchcock and From
/ tier counties. and the worst of the feature is
the people in several localities are afflicted
with seurvy for want Of wholesome food. The
state relief committee find themselves unable
to relieve all the people in distress. so great
are the demands for aid. The railroad men re-
port that since the cold snap no less than a
dozen people have persisted in the above cOun-
ties in the past two days for want Of food and
fuel. Hundreds of families are without coal,
and in the border counties where no trees or
brush exists, the poor people had hard time
to keep from freezing to death.
In Perkins county the restitution is COM
plete- Over 800 families are appealing for
help Near Lisbon the wife and two children
Of Settler Burns died for want Of proper
nouriSnment 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 neighborS could reach her home the
poor woman expired for want of sufficient food
and attention. The twins are still living and
in charge of charitable neighbors.
| Coal is most needed in the drought district
and Mr. Ludden. of the state relief commission.
and General Manager Holdredge, of the Burling-
ton Missouri River. are doing everything in
their power to forward supplies to the more
destitute localities. Very few OF the farmers
in the border counties have any stock left. hav-
ing let their cattle and horses roam at large.
stock is being driven out of the state to pre-
vent starvation. Corn planted in eight or ten
u the western counties never reached height
afxr ,v,a ,aa
lourishment than sage brush. People are
leaving in covered wagons by the hundreds,
rather than face starvation and freeze to death.
More or less destitutiOn exists in every county
from the Colorado line east to Hall and Adams
counties and the various relief committees are
overwhelmed with appeals for aid.
A dispatch from Curtis says:
Great distress prevails throughout this
and surrounding counties, owing to crop
failures the past two seasons. Re-
lief committees have been organized in
almost every precinct and solicitors sent east
or aid. several car loads Of which have been
received. This with what aid the county has
9een able TO give. has alone prevented suffering
among the people and stock. The outlook is
extremely dark owing TO the scarcity of food
md seed grain. the two articles now most need
I'd. The state relief commission has fifty fam
lies on its list worthy and needing assist
Ince.
A Lincoln dispatch says:
The most distressing reports come in from
II over the western part of the state relating
o the woeful lack of food and clothing No
1eaths certainly attributable to starvation
have yet been reported. although it is claimed
hat a woman and two children found dead in a
,abin near NiObrara the morning before Christ
mas died from lack of food and care. There
are thousands who could not withstand the
-igors of a cold spell without aid which is be-
ng sent out in generous supply by the relief
commission wherever it Is known to be needed.
Relief supplies are being received from all
over the country and shipped directly to the
needy in car lots.