The Greeley tribune., 1904-12-22
FOR FAMINE.
GREELEY FARMERS WILL
SEND QUICK RELIEF
Will Meet Saturday to Discuss
Question of Sending Ship
Load of Spuds to
Ireland

Aid for the starving people OF
Ireland is almost the sole topic of
conversation on the streets the
past two or three days. Since the
matter was first broached to Mayor
II. C. Watson and Manager $. ii.
| Southard of the Potato Growers
and Dealers association. the move
ment has been like spreading wild
prairie fire.
1t is of little Importance just how
the movement originated. Perhaps,
it was from the small suggestion
made in The Tribune last week.
merely as sort OF freak remedy fol
the low price of potatoes suggested
by Duncan HOLIDAY of Denver.
The day after that suggestion came
out, the Rocky Mountain News edi
tors called up The Tribune and asked
that the matter be taken up with the
dealers and growers here to see what
they would be willing to donate in the
way of potatoes, providing the freight
was paid from Greeley to Ireland.
"A hundred car loads was the
quick response given by both Mr..
Watson and Mr.. Southland That
they had not overestimaated was seen
Monday when Mr.. Southland called
up members of the executive COM
mittee of his association to ascertain
the probable amount that each COM
munity would donate. Monday a rep
reSentative of the News in Denver
called on Mr.. Watson who prom
iSed to call a mass meeting of citi-
zens of this section, in the Armory
hall next Saturday to discuss the
matter 1t is desired to have every
farmer in Weld county who can pos
sibly turn out, attend this meeting
and be prepared to subscribe liber-
ally to the amount of potatoes to be
| raised.
By strange coincidence, it is
failure of the very crop that we are
flooded with, that has caused the
most intense suffering in Ireland.
Potatoes is one of the leading pro-
ducts of Ireland, and forms practi-
cally the sole diet of thousands of
small farmers there. A sort of
blight struck their fields last sum-
mer and there are thousands of
acres of potatoes that have not been
dug at all, because there is not a
pound of potatoes under the tops in
entire fields.
large number of peasants live
in little houses that would be con-
sidered novels in this country. Straw
thatched roofs, a couple of wooden
chairs and a table in many cases
form The entire furnishing. Stoves
are not thought of at all in these
places, but all cooking is done in
pot suspended from the ceiling by a
chain. ON the stone floor under
this pot smoldering fire OF peat,
boils the few vegetables that go to
make up the meal for the family.
The smoke from the fire finds its way
as best it can through the thacched
ceiling. Hundreds of these pots now
swing empty on their chains, and in
vain the women and children turn
their drawn and tear stained faces
toward the men for aid. There is no
aid in Ireland. The entire coun-
try is too poor to give what would
be more than drop in the bucket.
Therefore, as in the famine of 1897,
they are looking across the ocean to
their more fortunate brothers, who
have wandered to the land of free
dom, and to the American people
in general.
Greeley is the first to respond to
the cry for food. and right nobly
her people promise to come to the
aid of the sufferers. Only that of
which there is great plenty is asked.
Potatoes. The more potatoes, the
better. Make it five hundred car
loads if possible. Two hundred at
the least. Just ship load. The
News and the Times have promised
to pay the freight to the Gulf and
Senator. Patterson has taken the
matter up with the government,
who will bridge the rest of the dis
tancp to the famiShed