Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-09-14
ARMENIAN NEEDS.
Foreign Mission Board Has Report from
Member on the Spot.

The American Board of Foreign Mis-.
slons has received detailed report from
missionary member of the relief commits
sion in Eastern Turkey, which Is operat-
ing in behalf of the Armenians who have
survived the masSacreS there. ''We have
been trying to make some approximate
estimate of what is absolutely needed,
says the commissioner, Ito enable these
people to live till next years harvest, in
GLIDING what is necessary to secure that
harvest. To afford decent protection for
the winter, with all the crowdiug that
seems practicable, we estimate that at
least 1875 houses need to be rebuilt. The
government has promised that it would
supply them with the timber needed for
the roofs. The villagers, however, will
be obliged to cut down the few remaining
trees growing among the houses which
will give but very inadequate supply, at
the best, besides leaving the village tree
less. The rebuilding of the walls Is also
heavy piece of work, quite beyond their
ability to perform without the help of
masons abroad Twenty five hundred
dollars will be needed to help the people
to get these dwellings into shape. There
are about 5000 people on the ground to be
cared for, and their needs are ptable.
had occasion, yesterday, to go into the
house Of the head man of Shenik village,
whose family year ago consisted of so
souls, but now there are but 90 here
They were then rich in sheep, cattle and
horses, and one member of the family fled
from the soldiers with several hundred
leras on his person, butt it and his life
were taken by the Kourds In this house,
yesterday, all the bedding 1 could find
was one small ragged piece of felt, and
the other house furnishings were in the
same proportion. We estimate that 1880
will be the least sum that will make them
half way comfortable in the matter of
bedding. The need of clothing Is equally
urgent. An absolutely naked boy is
waiting before my tent now asking for
cloth for shirt, and hundreds of chill
dren have no more than one ragged shirt
TO cover them, and some of the adults are
but little better off. 1t seems that at least
S25OO will go TO clothe the multitude,
even though We do it, so far as possible
oy giving them the raw material for them
10 work up. DR.. kimball, a representa-
tive of the Congregational Woman's Board
OF Missions of Boston, has started n
scheme, at Van, for helping the poor by
giving them work She has already con-
siderable material ready to dispose of, and
we have written her to ship all she can
spare to MS at once, we paying the whole
sale market price at Van, which is less
than here, and so double gain being
effected. They had no tools for building
their houses, nor for gathering their
crops, nor TOR performing the various
household operations. suppose we have
already given them $3.50 worth of this
sort of material. The sum of these items
| foots up to $4,000. But the people are
accustomed to depend on the products of
their dairies for most of their daily food
The wool Of their sheep is essential to re-
| new and complete the meaRre stock of
clothing and bedding planned for above
Cattle Will be needed to prepare their
fields for the next crop. These animals
can he purchased much more economically
now than In the spring, and they have
gathered the hay Necessary for keeping
them during the winter An average of
one COW, one OK, and eight sheep for four
souls Is as low an estimate as we eau
make of their absolute, present needs
The funds needed to supply these Will be
total of s24, 400 The supply of daily
food Ia not included in the above figures
The little they have been able to SOW, If
1t all natures, which is very doubtful
cannot be hoped to supply the people mora
| tban two months So food for at least
ten months must be provided from out
sue AT two cents day for each person,
| winch is the almost starving rate ST
winch we are now supplying them, s12B
day is needed, and this for ten months
amounts up to $37, 500. Putting all these
together, and We have s62, 755, as what is