Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-29
NEW LIFE IN RUSSIA.

There Is village called BoutOurlinoy-
ka situated in the government Of Vo-
nonegh. 1t belonged before the eman-
cipation Of the serfs to certain Count
Boutourline, one OF the greatest de pots
that ever welded knOut under the EN-
peror Nicholas. This village contained
at the time about 1900 serts. The Count
iIi-treated the serfs IN the most cruel
manner, and for the smallest otfense he
had his peasants brought to his stables
and logged until they were half dead.
The poor people had to submit to his
cruel rule for several years without any
attempt beng made by them to free
themselves.
But change was brought about in an
unexpected manner. The Count had q
small servant boy in his establishment
whom he used t. fog every other day;
but once, when the came boy was brought
to the stable in the presence oi score or
two of peasants, he turned to them and
asked: t.How is it that all OF US always
submit to be fogged like brutes by the
order Ut single mani Would it not be
better to fog him instead, and make him
fear us also!' These simple words fred
the long-dormant feelings of hate tor the
Count, aud the peasants rose Ia mass
and gave their master such q beating
that he was obliged to keep his bed
for n week after.
But when he got better he went straight
to ST. Petersburg, where he had great
many powerful relations at court, who
interceded with the government to allow
him to SEND all those peasants he might
desire from among his own serts to hard
labor In Siberia for life. At the time
when Boutourline made this appeal,
there already existed in the high circles
OF the capital the undercurrent lndica-
tive of the coming liberation OF the serfs,
which was to be subsequently carried out
by the present Car, and the request Of
Count Boutourline was refused.
But, as he could no longer retain the
same footing among the serfs who had
logged him, 1t was proposed that he
should pawn his village. Boutourllnovka,
with all the peasants belonging to it, to
the state bank, from which the govern
ment intended to purchase them and
make use OF the said village as test of
the regulations and rules which were ul-
timately put upon the peasants and are
still in use among them In Russia. The
Count Boutourline consented at last I'M
der the persuasion of the Emperor him
self; but when the peasants heard that
their lord and master had pawned them
to the state bank, they declared their
readiness to buy themselves off with
their own money.
The Government allowed them long
terms to redeem the land attached to the
village, and they accomplished it by
means of the richest peasants giving up
all their savings to- public good of the
village, and this was afterward paid back
by the people peasants by installments.
This was, as far as understand, the first
instance of large village belonging to
the liberated peasants in the reign of the
Emperor Nicholas.
The peasants Bou Of tovrlinovka be-
gan their new life by raziDg to the ground
the manor of their old proprietor, in Or
der to have nothing which might remind
them of him and his race, and they at
| once applied themselves wholly tn the
| cultivation OF soil in summer, and the
fabrication OF boots and other leather
materials IN winter. The money thus
produced was put at interest and formed
the foundation of local bank: the vii
lage was fully organized and all matteIs
concerning tie local administration man
aged solely by the bsiiffs elected by the
peasants among themselves.
How far this system has been found
to pay is sufficiently shown by the pres
| amt 70 5,T1 no 1,llarra hos
80 900 inhabitants, divided into eighteen
parishes; it has nine schools, two local
banks, and contains hundreds of versts
| of paved thoroughfares and many libra
RES and large shops. More than once
the question has been raised as TO the
making of town out OF the said village,
but the inhabitants of it have ALWAYS
vigorously resisted it by deed as we'll as
by money, being fully aware that If 1t
happened their self administration and
independence would be at an end.
The trade of the village has restricted
itself to the one speciality OF leathern
wares, which has thrIved so well that
there sre now several 'mlllionaires' found
among the peasants. / saw lately gen.
tleman who came direct from Boutourli-
uDNhd " CuuuuCI SOuc business Win one
of our richest men, and when the latter
called upon him he desired the servant
10 announce him as the peasant Trot-
moff." When my friend in the course of
the conversation asked him why he call
ed himself peasant now, having been a
wealthy merchant, the other replied that
he had indeed second-class license for
commerce, but that it is only business
matter, and that he had always been and
would always remain peasant of Bou-
tourlinovka. In fact the last denomina-
ton had become something like noble
title. They are free from debt and
wealthy, they are an instructed and en-
terprislng people, and enjoy almost as
much freedom as they would have In q
constitutional country. And all this be-
cause they were allowed to act on their
own account without special teachers
being sent to them in order to apply any
system invented tor the purpose, and
without any nihilist enlightening them
as to their true wants and benefits.
A Remarkable Ride.