Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-11-09
FRIGHTPUL FAMINE IN india
A Sad Picture Drawn by Mrs.
Sarah Almond Smalley.
PRICE OF GRAIN HAS TRIpLED
The Avariclous Money Lenders
Control the Market.
Suggestion That the Christian Peopis of
This City Send Grain TO India for sale at
Cnst-People there Deny Themselves for
the Sake OF Their cattie-Trees stripped
of Leaves to Feed ANIMALS.

Sarah Almond Smalley. formerly of
Wilmington, who with her husband,
DIR. Charles F. Smalley, is engaged in
missionary work In Girgaon, Bombay,
writes to member OF the Gazette's
staff on the famine that now prevails
in that country. 1.-TWO years seo.''
she writes, lust before we started for
India, the Provinces of Berar and Gen.
tral were just ecover ing from famine.
In this portion Of India the monsoons
cover period of four months. June
and September included; during the
other months of the year, no rain. This
year, the monsoons have again failed
in Berar and Central provinces. 1t is
safe to say that during the past five
years, there has been but one heavy fall
of rain in Berar. On that account the
water level has sunk considerably over
10 feet, that was the distance some
time back, during the past five years.
In many places there Is an entire deai th
of water; in others the water is dipped
from tho wells by means of cups.
Cattle are dying by the hundreds, and
the outlook is fiightful. Berar is north
east of Bombay.
GRAIN Is VERY HIGH.
fall in Guyerat, province north of
Bombay. Government has already de-
clared famine and is doing much for
the people. IN stating relief woIk. But
famine wages are very low; there are
many aged, infrm and children who
cannot work, and grain is fabuiously
high. There is sufficient grain in the
country for two years, but it is in the
hands of the money lenders, who hay q
run the prices up tc about three times
the usual price already, and ale gather
ing the grain from all parts OF India,
and will still increase prices as much
more as they can, unless their control
Of the market is broken. | say they
already have run it up to three times
its price. You will remember that the
time of monsoons is just over, and
there are yet eight months before any
prospects Of rain.
PEOPLE DENY THEMSELVES.
"Mr. and Mrs. Tuller, the superin-
tendent and wife of our mission, have
just returned from Guyerat, where we
have number of mission stations. The
people, natives, are denying themselves
for food for their cattle; men getting
eight annas use five annas for the cattle
and three for themselves. iAn anna is
equivalent to two cents. Famine
wages are: For men, from three to five
cents days women, from two and
half to four cents day. Nearly all
the men have large families.
They have sttirped the trees OF
leaves for cattle, and in many places
cut large limbs from trees. For this
reason there is no shade for miles.
SELLING WOMEN.
1--WE heard the other day that some
Of the people from tiuyerat are bring
ing their women to Bombay and sell
ing them, for wives to the Mohamedans
for 10 rupees. In our money that
would amount to 81.
"Mr. Tuller has written to the Chris
tian Herald, suggesting that companies
might be formed Of Christian capital
lists to send shiploads Of grain to Bonn
bay to be sGld at the actual cost ia
missionaries and others who would
dgree to sell it to the people at the
same price, the cost Of distributing il,
the railway carriage and wages OF
| trustworthy men 10 attend the shops,
and other charges to be paid out of the
money sent for famine relief. In this
way both money and grain can be used,
anu WHeu buese onyiUchs Ste tuab gram
is coming by carloads to the interior
and by shiploads to Bombay they must
come down in their prices or have thoil
| goods left on hand.
MAY God touch the hearts of the
people of America and of our own city
to send grain or money to this land
and these starving people. May His
own people arise TO tho situation anc
in the spirit Of Jesus minister to the
needy, 10 the prayer of
Yours, il His service.
S. A. Snalley.' y
Mrs. Smalley is the daughter of Johr
p. Almond of this city.