The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-14
Governor HOch Condemns Work
of Fake News Writers.
Absurd Dispatches Sent Out
About Kansas Fuel Famine.
HUDDLED IN CHURCHES
Alleged That People Are in
Danger of Freezing.
Outrageous ExaggeratiOn" Is
What the Governor Says.

Outrageous exaggeratfon" is the
Characterization by Governor E. ".
Hoch of articles which appeared dur
Ing the last few days in eastern news
papers as special dispatches under a
Topeka date line, telling Of awful suf-
fering in southwestern Kansas because
OF the zero weather which has prevail
ed there and the uncommon shortage OF
ruel in that locality. Some OF these
dlspatches went so far as to state that
because OF the conditions the people
We're huddltng together in churches and
public buildings so as to avert possi-
bic death from exposure and in order
that they might get a maximum OF
OF fuel.
A sample of these dispatches appeared
IN the Chicago Record-HeraId a few
days ago and evidently came from To-
which It was printed. This dispatch
was as follows:
With the Thermometer lowering
around the zero point in many towns
of southwest Kansas and with no coal
to keep themselves from freezing II the
cold wave continues. the residents are
making arrangements to meet the en-
ergency by congregating in churches
and public school houses to avert possi-
BILE death from exposure.
The situation has become so desper-
ate that an appeal has been made to
Governor Hoch to exert his official pow
er TO procure a supply of fuel for the
suI1erers Petitions already have come
to the governor from Meade Liberal
Clmarron and other towns
1t is authentically reported that
twenty towns in that region are virtual
~ without coal for heating or cooking
purposes Necessity has driven the
people in several places to burn corn
to ward off actual suffering In these
places they have adopted the plan of
gathering in the churches and public
buildings that there may be a maxi
mum of comfort with a minimum ex-
penditure of fuel
Appeals have been made in vain
to, the railroads, but the officials insist
that they can not procure the cars In
which to haul coal At the same time
they ara charged by the towns people
and country folk with eonfiscating the
coal tnat. had been shipped to the
famine district and appropriating il 10
their own use. To prot ect themselves
against what they call offering along
the line. they are hauling coal in closed
steel cars.
Indignation against the railroads is
at high tension. They are charged
with selfishness in not assigning cars
Tor hauling coal, finding the carriage
of other kinds Of traffic more remuner-
ative. Threats of fOrcible seizure are
frequent unless relief is soon afforded.
Reliance is placed upon Governor
Hook to give publicity to the dire dis
tress of the people. and to use his in
fiuence and that of the state railroad
commission, If possible, toward move
This dispatch was shown to Governor
Hoch and he appeared vexed to say the
least when he had perused it carefully
so far as I know it is absolutely with
out foundation" he said. Everyone in
Kansas knows that continued zero
weather has not been prevalent in any
part of the state this year. It evident
ly must have been built up out OF the
dispatch 1 received Friday of last week
from the mayor Of Meade telling me
that there was a coal famine In that
place and asking me to use my infu-
ence with the railroads to get some
coal hauled there. / communicated
with the officials of the Rock Island
that being the road that touches that
point, and they promised to see what
the difficulty was. / did not hear from
them on Friday and communicated
again with them Saturday. They had
been unable to find out then what the
trouble was but said that everything
would be done to alleviate the condi-
tions and would let me- know within an
hour what the matter was. Before that
time elapsed had to take my train for
Hutchinson on a contemplated trip. I
wired the mayor of Meade what I had
done and Of the promise OF the railroad
company to extend all possible relief
This request for help from Meade
was the only one received. NoF have
7 or anyone else in Kansas, I guess.
heard anything Of such terrible condi-
tions as this dispatch purports to exist
here Because of the fact that there
has been no continued cold weather in
anv part of the state this dispatch and
others like it are outrageous exagger-
ations and they tend to injure kansas
in the eyes of prospective settlers here