The evening times., 1900-01-31
HUNGER'S DEADLY WORK
An Appalling Loss of Life All over
the Bombay Presidency-Thousa
Dying of Starvation-The Fatal
Plague Adds to the TerrOrs En-
dured by the Suffering People.

PHILADELPHIA. Jan. 31.-"While the
cable dispatches have told very briefly OF
the terrible famine in India, no one. uE-
less he had witnessed the awful scenes
of 1897 can form any idea of the actual
situation at present"
It was Rev. III. J, Bruce, of the American
Board of Foreign Missions, who has been
doing missionary work in and about Satara,
in the Bombay Presidency, for the past
thirty-seven years, who made the quoted
statement to a reporter last evening.
People are dying in India by thousands,
cattle by tens of thousands" he contin-
ued. Il was through two previous affiic-
tions of this kind, but the conditions now
are even more appalling. The rainy sea-
son was a failure. Rain generally falls
from June to October. Ii did not do so
last year. There was SO little of it that
the crops were all dried up, and the people
had to face what seemed like never ending
drought.
Now, while there is a food famine,
there is also a famine of water. The mis-
sion schools have had to be abandoned be-
cause the children at times could not get
a drink without going distance of three
miles for it. 1t is said that in one district
alone covering an extent of territory
about equal to one of your counties, there
are 500, 900 head of cattle, and that it is
expected 100000 of these will die be-
cause there is no fodder for them. Peo-
pie are starving on all sides. The gov
ernment is doing all it can to help the
suffering and has established relief works
all over the famine districts. But a week
ago there were. according to reports which
have seen. 5000 600 people in dire need,
and there may be a million more now.
ITO add to this heartrending condition
the bubonic plague is still causing fearful
ravages. 1t has been spreading for the
past four years here, there, and every
where. During that period there have
| been over 100, 900 cases in the Bombay
! Presidency. Lord Curzon. the new Gov
! ernor General. is doing everything posi-
! BILE to stay its progress is willing to spend
! the last rupee TO save the lives of the peo-
/ pie. but the future is dark indeed
During the famine of 1897 the govern
! ment spent SO. 600 000 rupees in the work
! of relief. and yet I have heard that eight
and a half million people perished of star
J walton and the plague They died in the
fields died all round the country. Then
/ / saw children so greatly emaciated that
they could not eat when the food was pro-
vided for them. The only way in which
| they could be nourished was to rub cod
! liver oil over their shrunken bodies.
If aid could be sent these starving peo-
pie from America il would be a great
charity indeed. One two, or three ship
! loads Of corn, beans, and other cheap food
would be invaluable there. The carrot is
/ the crop that can be raised quickest, and
/ if carrot seed was sent to the famine dis
! tricts it could be planted at once when
| the rains come and the crop would be
| ready month earlier than the crop of or
| dinary grain.
LAS to religious work in India it is
| steadily progressing All of these terri
Bile trials aid in the spread of the Gospel
! and tend to eventually stop the abomina-
! Bile system OF caste. AS an instance of this
| latter phase I may tell you that during
! the last famine | offered a Mussulman
| food from my table, but he refused it be-
/ cause he said il would break his caste to
| take il from a Christian. | said | would
| take his two boys and care for them In
| the mission orphanage but he would not
/ leave them with me for the same reason.
] Rev Mr. Bruce has been in the United
| states but twice before in thirty seven
| wears. This is his third furlough. and he
| expects TO return 10 Satara during the
earl ypart of the coming summer.