The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-02-03
STORM SUFFERERS STILL IN NEED
Elr. Glaytor Makes an Appeal for
Further Relief of Farmers in
Lower Richland.
To the Editor of The State. ):

To the Edisor of The State:
The State, as usual to the rescue, is
timely in It's remarks in the issue ot
she SSth, instant relative to the need
81 relief for Che sufferers from the
Storm that swept part of lower Rich
land.
In response TO several articles written
by reliable gentlemen Of the storm
staieken area and kindly published by
The State, a few people and communi-
ties have given literally of clothing
and money. But the hearts of the
many have not been reached or the
suffering would not remain so acute.
Why is this? For the heart Of the
Soath Carolinian is proverbiaIly warm
and sympathetic and in cases of known
suffering they usually respond literally
and freely. I think I can explain the
apparent apathy in the matter.
In case of a great disaster, as by
food, Ere or wind, the daily papers
SEMI their representatives to the scene
at once, the Associated Press takes
hand and each individual case of
suffering is noted ana published to the
world. The suffering then appears in
tangible form, the sympathies of
the people are appealed to more
strongly, because Of the immediate
and terrible distress depicted so graphi-
:cally by reporters and others in its
midst.
Note the disaster atPaeolet and
vicinity during the last summer. Be-
sides government aid in the shape of
tents and provisions, the hearts Of our
own people opened wide and money
went to the rescue SO freely that it
might we'll be compared to the foods
that wrought the awful calamity.
Now as TO lower Richland and the
scene Of the disaster in question. On
the morning of June /, 1903, the
crops. mostly worked by tenants,
were beautiful, well worked and grow
ing Well That night. Just after dark,
there came storm, accompanied by
nigh wind and such downpour of
hail as taeApeople never had known.
The wind blew down barns, killing
one person, wounding several others,
ard killing number of work animals.
The hail stripped bark from the trees
and dess sroyed every vestige of the crop
oyer an area OF not less than IS square
miles. These people did not ask for
aid thea, they were not in need, for
the merchants and land owners had
promised to supply them through the
summer and so they did. There was a
chance at even so late a date to re-
plant and make part Of crop. So
these: poor people, accomplishing, put
their shoulders to the wheel and
planted a second time. The rain con
tinued and grass grew apace, so the
cotton could not be cultivated. The
fields became SO boggy that a mule
could rot go in them. Even yet. the
fall having arrived. some still hoped
TO make something, until the frost in
October That blighted all hopes and
scarcely q tenth Of crop was harvest
cd Nc .corn- or other food stuff but
grass.
To add to all this trouble, sickness
has 5een more general than ever
known before, due III part to the ex-
cessively vet season and to the lack of
proper food and raiment. Even now
many of tie old negroes are very weak
and debilitated from the latter cause,
hence cannot perform any labor, and
SO become burden rather than help
to their families.
The land owners and merchants have
been very liberal, in most cases taking
only pars of the poor crop made.
The land owners are dependent fol
their living OF the income from the
land and most Of them are in debt
Hence their inability to relieve TO {
great extent the suffering of the
negroes. Many negroes in this section
own lands themselves but have tt
mortgage them to get supplies to work
their crops. These. mortgages coule
not be paid, SO they have nothing tx
fail back on this year and many have
no money with which to pay theil
taxes.
The physicians have practiced among
these people and furnished much
medicine without hope of recon
pense, but they cannot afford tt
furnish gratis the large amount o
expensive preparations needed b.
many. IF February and March Cal
10 %;3o5 o1-or T %I,inly tho i,opoo1; . r