Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-10-06

| Wales was covered with dead bodies
| of men and beasts" starved to death.
The seven years of the lean kline of
Egyptian history told about in the
Biblical story of Joseph find coun-
| terpart in the famine Of Egypt in 1901
a. D., when the overflow of the Niie
failed for seven years. Bread went 50
high that only the very rich could
afford it. Tho poor resorted 30
eannibalism after the supply of
rats and other vermin was eX-
hausted. People on the streets
down huge fish hooks attached to
ropes from windows and catching
them under the chin or by the cloth
ing.
In 1858 England was again stricken.
this time as the result of cold north
winds in the growing season. Many
thousands starved TO death.
one of the longest famines in his
tory was during the last part of the
thirteenth century, when tor twenty
years there was an unbroken chain Of
crop failures, with hunger throughout
the length and breadth Of England.
Parliament al the end of this lean
era, passed "A law regulating prices.
1921 England had what is regarded
by most authorities as the last of it's
serious famnes. But this was the be-
ginning of Il series of great crop
shortages in ireland. In 1882 wheat
sold for $40 a bushc there. y half
century later there was famine of
three years in England, which WAS
attributed % the boarding of corn.
The mayor and citizens of London
took ont of the orphans chest in their
guild hall money to buy corn and
other foods beyond its seas. and pre-
vision was made whereby the govern
ment sold food to The poor at appoint
ed prices. where they We're able -
pay fer it, and took notes payable
several years hence where they were
not able te pay cash.
one Of the frequent complaints in
England vas that too much gram
produced there was sold abroad.
There were numerous famines in tho
sext nteenth century, beginning with
ere in Russia, in which half million
people died. Wars caused famines in
Ireland and in India during this cen
fury. In 1876 occurred the first of the
great famines of India Of which We
have record. It is estimated that
3,040,o QUO persons died. When the neS
crop came forward in August in many
cases 1t had no owners.
1reland's first great potato famine
occurred in 1S22, and YVES repeated 1T
intervals up To 1915. During the lattar
year it Was supposed that quarter
of a million persons died. Parliament
advanced nearly S50.o00.000 for protect
ing the masses from starvation. More
than million Irish left for America
to escape the starvation and the pes
thence that followed. That was the
last of the great famines in ireland.
\ million and a half persons per
ished in India in 1869 and an0oQ0o N
1876 to 1873. In hina nearly 1o,p90,69o
persons persisted during this latter
period. and in the last year of the
century the last of the great Indian
famnes occurred. entailins Il loss af
million lives and $25a,boe. ea1. The
government spent $5ooooOoo on relief,
and at enc time nearly 5.oao,o00 were
dependent upon outside aid.
While there are no statistics avail
able to show the number of people
who died from starvation in the near
~ i1u famines Of history it is conser-
Vatively estimated that not less than
200o0ooa0 have died from starvation,
and that Of these -fourths may
cb attributed to crop failures which
were the result of drought Morning
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