Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-04-25
THE REAL FAOTSN puT NEBRASKA.

OWING TO conilctlnB statements sent
out from Nebraska, resulting in an
alarming falling off Of supplies and con-
tributions, while Ut tho game time tho
number 10 be supplied with food, grain
and seed Ii largely increasing, we, the
presiding elders of the districts in the
drouth regions, deem it our imperative
duty TO restate the present conditions
and needs Of our people
We base our statements on facts
known to us as eye witnesses, and the
personal observations of our faithful
pastors, aud official statements Of our
county and State officers, sources of in
formation which we deem reliable.
| First-'rhe area embraced in tine drouth.
stricken region is equivalent to about "
counties, or nearly half Of the State, Terri
| torially, and 9T5 900 people, or % per cent
| of the population.
| Seeond-'fhe proportion Of those needing
| aid ranges from 10 per cent in some coun-
| ties TO 81 per cent in others, as in Boyd
county, where. according to official cnl'
vass just completed, there arc l.00D needy
| families out Of a total of 200 families.
Third--rhe number of families needing
food, and at present seed gram and feed
for teams, Is increasing. For instance, the
official records of Knox county relief COM
Inittee show that there was in September
but one family in the county known to bo
4 needy. On December 9th there were 70
families; January 2lst, 0S families; Feb
runry 9Th, 240 families and February 10Th.
3l5 families. This increase comes about
in two ways, Some who had sufficient
, supplies and means left over to do them
through part OF the year, sooner or later
exhaust these resources and must be
helped. Again many needy and desery.
ing cases are only discovered after dillgeht
inquiry. The individual pride, county
and State pride have all tended power
fully to suppress the facts and conceal the
need, until tho most utter restitution ren-
dered II necessary to make it known A
specimen case Prof. w. r.. Jackson, u
county superintendent of public instruc'
ton, a member of our church and per.
fectly reliable, accidentally found q family
, consisting OF parents and seven children,
the oldest IA, whose condition he reports
rs follows: They had nothing to eat put
bread made of flour and water. They had
not had sugar. butter or meat since last
: November, there were but two quilts and
, two Sheets and only two beds for the
entire family. and they were using gunny
sacks and rags tor bedding"
Fourth-There are in the seven presid-
ing elders districts, within the drouth belt
$4,000 Methodists and we believe we have
, | ~ times as many people looking to us Tor
help as any other Protestant denomina'
! ton, while many of our pastors are receiv.
, ing little or nothing from the people, aud
very few are receiving more than hall
their salary.
: Fifth-We very much desire il possible
, to relieve our pastors and members from
, | the humiliation of having to apply to the
county officials for aid. This can only hi
, done by increasing contributions OF cast
/ aud supplies from our Methodist people
i. The people Of Nebraska have done, ant
i Il Nr,I,1 Sfatn Ia
= ing been more OF less crippled by thu
/. druuth, are utterly unable to meet the de
. mand. Hence while grateful for what hai
been done, we must needs appeal u
: friends throughout the entire country.
, Sixth-What is most needed: Flour
4 cornmeal, beans, groceries and meat, o
= cash with which to purchase them. Will
q the exception OF groceries we can purchas
the staples near by cheaper than they cal
!. he purchased further East and thus saw
, freight bills. Wheat, outs, corn, vegetables
i seed, and feed for teams arc urgentl.
!, needed eve hope arrangements will b
made to carry seed grain free.)
= Seventh-How to ship supplies: Do nc
o i'll any case ship to Mr.. Ludden or to tn
d State relief commission, but ship drcctl
4 to DR. d. W. G. Huntington, Lincoln
Neb, Rev. j. b. Priest, Omaha, Neb, Re,
ii .. r. Bebee. Minden, Neb,, or to either Q
4 the presiding elders.
10 The close OF the winter VIII not relieY
a the situation, except in the matter {
= clothes and fuel Nearly all the destitut
~ being farmers, it is clear they will nee
ar help until they can raise crop.
(0f Rev. A. r. Juian's large district th
10 above statement refers to the eastern pc
i. ton embracing territory equivalent I
"A seven ordinary counties.)
~ ID. X. TISDALL, Grand Island district.
q DAVID MARQUETTE, Neigh district.
4 c. A. HALE, Holdredge district.
ar JAMES LEONARD, North Platte district.
n r. SMITH, Kearney district
v. w. ID. ALEXANDER. Hastings district.
!, A. Il. JULIAN, Chadron district.