The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-01-30
STARVATION in CHICAGO.
WARNING OF BREAD RIOTS,
More Human Beings in That City Out Of
Wark and Hungry than Ever
Before.

CHICAGO, Jan. 23.-Men. women
and children are starving in Chica
go in sight of relief, because the
County Commissioners, blind and
deaf, do not allow the county agent
enough help to distribute supplies.
There is county treasury rich in
its surplus, and there is an aeeumu-
lation of the appeals from thous-
and cold and hungry families. Hun
dreds of these applications are more
than two weeks old. Heads of fam
lilies were discouraged, and, as last
resort, appealed to the county for
aid. They have seen their wives and
children grow weaker and colder,
and no aid has come-no bread and
coal. These men are desperate.
The county agent is helpless to
save these famine stricken men.
women and babes He has the re-
lief ON hand, but be has no way to
distribute it. The county commits
sioners have tied his hands and are
deaf to the cries of the hungry.
Warning is given that the deserving
poor are becoming dangerous, and
that their hunger is likely to drive
them to riots, in which their terrible
cry will be bread"
WIDESPREAD MISERY.
Men who gave this warning know
whereof they speak. They are the
members of the overworked force of
County Agent Olson. They see
gaunt hunger at its worst. They see
the hollow, CLASSY eye of the strong
man who hears the cry of his wife
and babes for bread and warmth,
and is powerless to give it to them.
These men tell an appalling story,
but nobody on earth can tell the true
tale of misery as it exists in Chica-
go to-day And the disgrace of it
all is that there is no limit to the re-
lief that is ready and waiting for
these hungry wives and babes All
that is necessary to be done is for
the county commissioners to act,
and act at once. Hunger has invad-
ed even Michigan and Prairie ave
nues. Poverty has come to homes
that knew only comfort before, and
has filled them with misery. The
wolf has driven scores from aristo--
cratic streets to beg for bread.
The winter is terrible over the en-
tire country owing to the number of
honest unemployed. In Chicago it
finds more good men and women out
of work and hungry for bread and
labor than ever before.
The keenest poverty is being felt
by many Of the employees of the Hi
nois Steel Company, who were
thrown out of work Tuesday. Groups
of idle men wandered about in the
snow and rain, and their sad faces
gave evidence of what they suffer.
Without money or employment and
almost without hope, the day was to
many the bitterest of their lives.
WARNINGS OF TROUBLE.
Poorly clad children went into the
streets for food and begged Of the pas
sers-by for money and clothing, while
their fathers sought at the grocery and
meat market for food on credit and
were TUNED away empty handed. AL
ready in debt, and with neither fuel
nor food at home, entire families are
in pitiful state.
No wonder that Olsen said, when
speaking of the situation: 81 tremble
when | see it snow and turn cold. If
we have four weeks, or even two weeks
of steady, severe winter weather, the
hungry and unemployed will be storm
ing the doors and windows of this
Office
"Yes,n added Assistant Agent Chas.
Pasdeloup, ''ten days of bad weather
will send Thorn to the doors of the
City Hall clamoring for bread.n
"Never before in the history of Chi
cago," said Secretary McNichols,
shave there been so many deserving
poor and the rich so little aware of it.
The poor that the county is supplying
to-day with food are not professional
beggars. but the respectable middle
classes, whose names would astound
the charitable if they knew them.
Bad weather will mean serious up
rising unless relief is soon forthcom-
ing.
This work of relief must be clogged,
choked and delayed a week and ten
days after an application is made be-
cause the County Board has not given
Agent Olsen the clerks that he needs.
He wants six or seven clerks at once.
He could use 20 If his present quarters
in Clinton street were not miserable
and overcrowded already"