Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-04-19
THE FAMINE IN INDIA.
Its Awful Effects Pictured In Letter Re-
ceiyed Here.

Jennie Fuller, missionary of Cir
gaun,, Bombay, and copy of which has
Eeen received in this city. at is no
longer AN impending famine, she
writes, "but great stuIendous fact. ~
She thus quotes from the Indian Wit
ness:
$50 the present famine is by far the
worst with which India has been
| affected since it came under British
rule. At the present time the aggregate
famine area is about 800, 200 square
miles, embracing population Of
40, 600, 600; with an additional area of
145. 900 square miles having popu-
lation OF $1,000. 0C0, in which scarcity
and distress prevail. About 4, 200, 900
| of people are now on famine relief
works! 1t is easy to write this down,
but it requires some reflection to grasp
the full significance OF the statements
made"
Mrs. Fuller tells Of putting the
| neediest Christians to weaving. More
| station and all the cloth made has
been sold. The government gave an
order for cloth for some OF its poor
houses. Other Christians have been
kept at brick making; others on house
building; another party on gathering
limestone out of river bed for burn
ing lime. Grain is being sold at loss
at 10 stations. Schools and orphanages
are doing what they can In the work of
relief.
Mrs. Fuller continues: SIN Gujerat
the people have been dying for many
weeks. A man died near the mission
house at kara and again at Mehmeda-
bad. Our Christians told us the man
was dy ing and Mrs. Woodward and
went out to him, but we found him
dead, lying out In the open sun with
not a soul near him Just across the
road from a row OF houses. Our arrival
was the signal for crowd to gather.
Oh the inhumanity Of caste! / could
not help 1T. l poured my soul out in
Indignation on the men who had let
the man die alone In the sun. As we
turned away, Mrs. W. went back and
threw cloth over his face, while the
little act of thoughtfuness brought a
lump In my throat. Again I saw a
boys dead body partly eaten by the
dogs. Two of our ladies found child
thrown away In the fields, and again
The same ladies found a little girl
thrown in thorn hedge. You will
find her In the orphanaee with her
head still bound up from the wounds
the thorns made. Mr.. Andrews and /
found little girl deserted by the road
side SO stiff with cold that we thought
her at first dead or dying. We had
nothing to put around her to warm
her. She was dirty and had vermin on
her, and must confess for second 1t
cost struggle before could wind NY
dress skirt around her and let her
share the cape wore. Mr.. Andrews
found q woman apparently dying under
the bridge In the city. She had two
beautiful children, that abe begged Mr..
Andrews to take. To their great sur
Prise she came 10 the house the next
day, o little better. By degrees her
tlmidity wore oil and she came to stay.
She was o gentle, sweet tempered
woman. l said to her plarfully, II
suppose you will be running away
SOON" "Oh, no." came the reply,
II have come home.'' And 1t was a
homecoming In double sense, for not
only was she cared for by loving hearts
as sister, but che seemed to accept
Christ and thus find an Eternal Home.
She gradually failed and in dying
whispered to Mr.. Andrews, "Take care
Of my children. :, H.
One effect of the famine Is TO make
large death rate among cattle. In
Gujerat the people have Kept the trees
stripped of leaves to feed the cattle.
I'VE cannot speak too highly of the
effort government has made to help the
people. Relief works were opened every
where. There are now over A, 900, 600
people on relief works, and such aid
will cost government up to the end of
March three orores 1870, 600, 000) of
rupees, and probably as much more till
the end OF the famine.
"There has probably been more money
given this year by the natives of the
country than In the last famine, and
government Is bringing all the pressure
1t can on the people to help.
''By the time this letter reaches you,
dear friends, the great heat of the hot
season will have begun and we beg
much prayer fiom you all for our de-
voted missionaries, very few Of whom
will get away to the hills for much
NEEDED rest. Some Of them were hardly
rested from. last famine and have their
furlough homo due. Will you be faith
full to pray for them? We now have IA
mission stations involved In famine.
There is also tho danger of epidemics
at the relief works. Near Buldana re.
Gently In one camp 80 people died in
four hours of cholera. In Gujerat there
10 an epidemic Of measles. The cold
of the winter, contrary to all expecta-
tions, has been very severe, and In
fuenza In some parts has prevailed.
Smallpox is breaking out in many Sec
tions, esH A
"We have had sore time in Bonn
bay. In seven weeks the whole num-
Der OF deaths IN the city Iosa to IA, 673:
rs the normal death rate OF the city at |
its highest is only 500 Fer week you can |
see how sore this has been. Besides
plague, smallpox trohe out, and in |
these seven weeks 1000 deaths came
from this dreadful disease. There we're
said to be at one time, 100, 900 famine |
refugees In the city which no doubt
made matters much worse. And now a
hush falls upon me, and my pen moves
more slowly Us / tell you that our
precious Miss Park. who has Eeen such
q stay and help to us In the Bombay |
Home for five years, has fallen asleep.
She contracted smallpox probably as
she went about her work in the city.
In fact none OF US can run away from
IT.. Hers took the oonhuent form mud
early manifested fatal symptoms.
M. y, Fuller adds the following to
his wife's letter:
'.The price of grain is rapidly rising
and half dozen ship loads of AmeriA
can corn would do much to hold down
pi ices and would help millions of peo-
pie. The awful pressure is growing
heavier and there is little DOUBT that