Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-03-26

A STRICKEN PEOPLE.

A STRICKEN PEOPLE,
pROUGHT'S RAvAGES IN LOUISIANA
.s CAUSE MUCH SUFFERING.
The Want Of Rain Last Year Killed All
Crops-state II Making . Brave Stand.
Sufferers Selling All For Food-stock
Suffers Greatly.
The condition of the drought stricken
people of Louisiana is little known In the
north, and yet there are almost 100000
people In destitute circumstances In the
northern half Of that state. Their neigh
bors have come to their relief, and every
effort is being made to meet the needs OF
the sufferers by contributions from the
state alone without asking for outside aid.
The population Of almost the whole Sec
ton north Of the Red river and great
portion west Of it have practically no homo
or means Of support No crops were raised
last year, and the loss of cattle and hogs
by starvation has been unprecedented. In
the thickly wooded sections the hogs sub
sist almost wholly upon a growth called
mast, but this year there ia total failure
of the mast crop, and tho result has been
large loss of hogs from lack Of food.
The first news Of the drought was re-
oeived last August, but no one at that
time expected such widespread suffering
as has been caused. When week after week
! went by, however, and no rain came, the
small farmers, who make up almost the en-
tire population of the district, began to be
fearful of the results. The suffering at
that time was very great, owing not SO
much to want, although that had already
begun to make itself felt, as to the intense
heat Almost every day in the month Of
August, 1896, the thermometer stood
above 100 degrees, and, added to that, the
fever broke out In some sections
The people struggled on for four months
without rain and, what Is still more re-
markable, without dew. Crops began to
fail, and one after another tho brave farm
ers were forced to live on the scant results
Of their years of hard work or to ask aid
of their neighbors.
Those who could borrow did go, and
those who had no credit with the mer-
chants were forced to beg.
A touch of pathos was added about this
time by piece Of news from one Of the
districts which had been able to raise
very small crop of cotton. The ma ority of
those who succeeded in doing this were in
debt to the merchants from whom they
had purchased seed and supplies, and with
an ordinary crop would have been able to
nay their debts and still have snug little
sum left over. ,
An acre of ground usually raises one
bale of cotton, but the ground was SO mis-
erably dry and parched that it took from
81 to 10 acres to raise ono bale, and then
it was inferior in quality.
Under these conditions tho farmers were
only able to raise enough to barely pay
their debts and some of them not even
that much, but instead of selling their cot
ton for food and letting the debts remain
almost every one Of them paid the mer-
chants as much as he had and got along as
best he could, hoping for relief from the
outside world. D,
When the story of the intense suffering
finally reached the larger towns and cities,
steps were Immediately taken to relieve
those who were most in need, but when It
was learned how great an area was afflict-
ed and how dire was tho need 1t was fear.
ed that an appeal would have to be made
10 the general public. Some Of the most
influential citizens, however; who had bean
best informed az to the state Of affairs In
their own districts, decided that by sys-
te1natic plan OF relief the state could suo-
oessfully COPE with the difficulty alone, for
sWhile at least, providing, Of course, that
tho citizens would do oil tn their. power TO-
belp.
"A State committee was organized, with
Uriah Millsaps a. chairman. This inspired
some Of the people with confidence, and
soon contributions and promises Of help
BEGAN to pour in. Then parish committees
were formed, and under these ward COM
mittees,, % that every individual case
could be attended to and reported to the
pafish committees. The central commit
To received donations Of money and food.
The formation of regularly organized
relief committees bad the desired effect Of
making the great need known to the pub
lio ii the southern portion of the state,
which was entirely free from the drought.
Contributions came in from every section,
and newspapers all over that region did
all in their power to help the good work
along. ~" + ~.
The food which was sent to tho suffer-
ers was not all distributed free. The
ward committees made it their duty to
find out the condition of each family
which applied for relief, and those who
could pay for supplies were charged. q
merely nominal price, and to those who
were utterly destitute 1t was given free.
The money received from those who could
afford, to pay was used to defray freight
and to buy more supplies.
The sufferers did all in their power to
help themselves. Those who had horses
and cattle sold them at any price that was
offered in order to have more money to
buy food and clothing. The horse and cat
tie dealers in Indian Territory basely took
advantage of this and offered them the
merest trifle for their stock, but 50. great
was the need of the owners that they took
what was offered and were content. One
hundred carloads Of horses were shipped \
from Monroe alone bought at prices rang
Ing from 80 cents up to $1O.-New Orleans
Cor. Philadelphia Press. e. .,:.,.~ i