The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-04
FAMINE FUND IS PUT
WELL UNDER WAY
IN ST. PAUL
Meeting Is Held in Governors
Office, and Local Commit :
tees Will Be Put to Work
First st. Paul Return Is
Made by Edward Peterson.

Gov. Van SAINT yesterday had a
meeting at his office of Q. L. Thorpe,
of the central committee, James A.
Peterson, representing Hennepin
county, and p. F. Olney, of Swift
county, to consider the question of Or
ganization for the purpose of solicit
Ing contributions in aid of the famine
stricken Norwegians, SWedes and Fin
landers. Other members of the COM
mittee were expected to be present,
but did not appear.
In their absence, however, 1t was
decided that in view Of the urgency Of
the matter, no time should be lost, and
the conclusion was arrived at after
discussion that the best way to sys-
temat1cally undertake the work would
be to have the whole state organized
by precincts.
| m1ttees to be appointed at once and
quick canvass made SO that the
funds to. be collected can be available
in comparatively short time. Steps
will be taken immediately to have a
meeting of the central committee for
the purpose of effectively organizing
the precincts, SO that within week
resulted III arrangements being made
all over the state to carry out the
good work.
Gov. Van SAINT was yesterday in
receipt of a letter from Martin
Wageness, of Devils Lake, N. D., in
closing five dollar note in aid of the
fund, and wishing the committee every
success,
Details are Appalling.
AS the details of the famine slowly
come to hand, the appalling plight of
MN FSAIf
and more upon even the most caIlouS.
1t is stated as a conservative estimate
that over one hundred thousand peo-
pie are affected. These are the, inhab-
itants Of what is properly the Arctic
zone, being the stretch of country be-
tween the SiXty-fourth and the sixty
sixth parallels and extending from the
North Atlantic ocean across Norway
and Sweden to the Gulf of Bothnia,
and from the easterly shores of the
Gulf of BOthnia to- the Russian bor-
der, in Finland.
/ Never at the best Of times able to
make more than a bare living from
their small. farms and holdings, the
less of the Whole seasons crop means
to these unfortunates absolute starva-
ton, to, which is added the terror of
the cold, dark winter in regions where
it is almost impossible to reach them
with SuccoF. , KIT. ..
Long distances must be travelled.
and great hardships undergone at this
season OF the year in getting out of
the snow bound valleys to the coast,
where they are within reach Of Stock
holm. The cold, darkness. and diff
Guilty of travel would alone entail
hardshtps untold, but when there
comes on top of these the demon of
hunger, it is. well nigh impossible to
IND words to adequately piCtiu the
situation.
~ Cry Comes Home Here.
To the people of Minnesota, this
cry for aid from that far off country,
comes With peculiar significance. This
state owes much to it's sturdy Nor
wtGian and Swedish sons who in a
new land have prospered and become
leading citizens, and in their prosperity
have proved themselves enterprising,
ener<~dc' and patriotic. It would be
impossible to resist such an appeal
from any part of the globe, and when
1t comes from ''kinsmen of our own'
there is all the more reason why the
response should be prompt and gen.
erous .tr
In connection with the systematic
efforts now being put forth to swell
the fund, the Swedish Brothers Be
neVelont society wish it understood
that they are acting in perfect harm
mony with the state organization and
will turn over to the central committee
whatever money is collected by them,
but as they had organized and ap-
pointed collectors before the state
committee was appointed, they think
it only proper that they should con-
tinue to carry on their work.
The Swedish Brothers committee
acknowledge receipt of the following
contributions through Edward Peter
son, collected largely in the court