The sun., 1898-01-31

narrow mantIepicce listened a,tentiycl.
| 10 he wocfuI tale Mrs. Ilorner told, oc
casionally interrupting her to give lnfor
nation to strengthen her statement
Here is Mrs. llorner's story from he
} own lips:
"My husband was employed at th'
Delaware Iron Works. When they shu
down he was out. lie has tried to fn'
work twice but can't. He is industrious
and deserving, but he can't find work
Since Christmas We have not averaged
one meal a day. Many days We have
been without food Five weeks ago
asked Mrs. Boyd for help and she sem
Inc some food. like meat, coffee, s'lga1
and beans, but it did not last long. Last
week appealed to her again and aske.
her if she could not help to get shoes fol
my children, as they were bare-footed
She sent me some more food, which is
now all gone, and wrote me a note, say
ing that the association had no more
funds to help me. What she sent me t.
live on two weeks cost about tift ~ cents.
After she finished thi. statement,
Mrs. Horne raised her sucking infant
in her arms and with pathcthtic ring
in her voice told another story of how il
had suffered when born two weeks ago.
"When this baby was born two weeks
ago, | laid with it beside me for foui
days without fire in the room. The
room was 50 cold that was afraid the
child would not live. My husband was
out of town hunting for work at the
time. | sent around to Mr.. Toman
telling him that there were neither
victuals, wood nor coal in the
house, and he sent word back to send
around the next day and he would give
me some wood
"Have you no food III the house, -
she was asked.
"Not a morsel she replied. We are
trusting to providence for the next
meal"
She then said that she is able to get
little milk every day from a good
generous woman in the next square and
feed the children with the milk.
Commenting on the distress all over
the town Mrs. Horner said that there
were large number of families in the
town who are equally as bad off as hers.
There are families in town, ''she said'
who have not had food for fOrty-eight
hours. One woman has fed her three
children for three weeks on the pick
ings from the refuse depository Of neigh
bors and principally on the shaving of
potato pcels she finds.
Mrs. Horner's ten-year-old son spoke
up saying with a youthful enthusiasm
that was not unju.tiicd, that it would
take two men week to call upon all the
families in the town which are destitute
and on the brink of starvation.
"llave you been hungry in the past
month p he was asked.
"Well, should say l have, I've gone
to bed more than one night without any
thing to eat all that day"
His six-year-old brother beside him
verified his statement and said he had
suffered in the same way.
The rear of the Horner home was dark
There was no fire in the kitchen and the
rooms bore the lnarks of abject poverty.
Mrs. Horner said tlmt the family would
have to live in the bed room on account
nf the scarcity Of fuel which allow them
but one small fire.
After the canvass of Clayton street the
home of John Hyde on School street just
back OF the railroad station was visited
Hyde is young man with two children.
He says his family has been suffering f. r
food six weeks although supplies have
been sent him BY the G, ,arity Assoca-
t on.
81 might as we'll tell you the truth,'
he said. "If don't get work soon we
will starve. My brother in-law, who
works at the Diamond State Mills in
Wilmington, comes over every week and
gives lis Il little money, but Of course he
can't keep it up forever. Nor can the
Charity Association keep us forever. |
tell you frankly, my home has been
without food many days since the iron
mills shut down, and can't say that we
have a vcav great deal Of eatablcs here
just now. am glad you are trying to
help us, and am glad you are trying to
get at the truth Of the distressing sitU-
tiOn-'
The family of John All, and the Brat
ten family, Of Dobbinsvi'c, are similar
in hoprIcssness and suffering to those
quoted above.
After the house canvass the commits
sion devoted its attention to the securing
of information from reliable and impair
tial citizens OF the town concerning the
extent OF the distress.
Mr.. Harold Sudel said that the stu
alton in the town is indeed grave; that
there are at least fifteen hundred persons
depending on the idle men for food, and
that only Il very small per centage of the
idle men have been able to find employ
,nant in Wilmington
Rev. +. NJ. Munson, of the Episcopal
Church spoke hopefully of the situation.
He said that intense suffering, 10 doubt
exists and that many persons are in III cd
of food; nevertheless he said the chari-
table people and associated charities are
doing much good Many requests, he
said, had reached him for help and that
he las responded rs freely as possible.
In the club rooms about town yester-
day afternoon the poverty of the people
was freely discussed and the COZ sen IL OF
opinion is, that an effort is being made
by the authorities and old and wtll-to-do
families of the place to conceal the trath
of the situation.
TIE investigation by the commission
yesterday brought out the information
that flmilics which are able are prepar-
ing to II o,e away from the town.
Last week more than dozen families
,nnvnl ont n ast.aI,n Stnrvutin inn