River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-07-20
THE SIBERIAN EXILES.
The Terrible Lives of Russian EXiied
CriminaIs-An American at Erkutsk.


do not know how many exiled Grim
inal Irkutsk has the honor of harbor-
ing within her walls, SAYS a correspon-
dent of the New York Herald, but |
should say at least a fifth part of the
whole population belong to this cate
CORY. 1t is generally assumed by writers
on Siberia that the proportion of politi-
cal to criminal exiles is about one in
ten, and there are 279 politicals at the
present time in Irkutsk, all, like most
of the criminals, living in freedom in
the city, but kept in strict police sur
VIGILANCE. do not care to go into the
statistics of exiles in Siberia at all,
am not sent here for that purpose, but
l am inclined to call attention to the
very absurd statement made by an
English clergyman, Mr.. Landsell, in
his recently published work entitled
Through Siberia. He asserts that in
1880 only eighty political prisoners
were sent to Siberia. This on the face
of it is a preposterous statement, tor
the banished Nihilists are nearly all
classed as politicals, and their number
is very large. OF the 279 political pris-
oners at Irkutsk l should say that two
thirds of that number are Poles, WHO
have grown gray in exile. and in most
cases have become established in trade
or have some useful occupation. TIE
Poles are the gentlemen" among the
exiles; they are the most cultivated
men in the country, and are deserving
of all sympathy. Groups of them may
be met at dinner or supper every day
at the hotel where | STAYED, fine speci-
ments of their race, but grown old and
weary, desparing of every being able
to get back to their own country, not
for lack of permission, but the neces-
sary means of transport. They are
dreamers still, these aged patriots,
dreaming over grand future for
Poland, but helpless as children in
rendering any assistance to gain that
end. 1t seems terribly cruel thing to
have done with these men, to have
wrested them from the country and
home they loved and fought CALAMITY
for, and to have condemned them to
this more than useless life in the Siber-
ian waste. No one can grasp the terri
bic meaning of exilation to Siberia
unless he has seen these men; grown
old and desolate in this far-otf place,
their poor de crepit bodies thousands
of miles away from the place where
they have left heart and soul. | would
curse heaven and humanity were
condemned to live forever in this soul
less country, away from all that is beau
tiful and good and healthy in the
world, away from the life where tender
ness and love reign sweetly over hearth
and home. And there is no escape
from this land made hell for humanity
except pardon, tardily granted, or, more
frequently, death and grave that IS
frozen all the year round. These
thoughts arise when / think of the Fate
of the Polish exiles still Eere. Fer the
ordinary criminals | have no sympathy,
nor yet for the Nihilist, and only think
it said that any country, however
wretched, yet capable of any future at
all, should be burdened with their
presence. OF the former droves may be
seen on the roads every day; of the
latter large numbers are constantly
arriving. On the 9th of March the
notorious DIR. Weimar, who was inn
plicated in the Nihilist attempts on the
late emperor's life, passed through
Irkutsk on his way to some place still
further removed from the world, but
his destination / did not learn, but
probably somewhere in the Amur
province, where he will be enabled to
make interesting studies in the villages
filled with disease and rotten human
ity.
One of the most interesting exiles |
met in Irkutsk was, as you may be
surprised to Learn, an American, but
voluntary one, an American dentist, DIR.
Ledyard, who, with his wife and child,
arrived only q month or two ago from
China, intending to make home and
fortune for himself in Eastern Siberia.
But / am afraid the doctor will not stay
long on the Angar2, having inherited
too irresistible desire to travel from his
ancestors to think of settling anywhere
for long time together. DIR. Ledyard,
who halls from the Pacific slope (San
Jose, | think J, is the grandson of one of
Capt. Cooks officers, John Ledyard,
who had the most romantic enthusiasm
for adventure OF any man of his time.
He conceived the progect of travelling
across Europe, Asia and America as
far as possible on foot, and to this end
sci out from London with some $3.50 in
his pocket. He reached Yakutsk,
where he met Capt. Billings, an En-
glishman, who, after sailing with Cook
was employed by the Empress Gather
inc ii. to make discoveries on the
northeast coast of Siberia, and among
the islandi in the Eastern ocean stretch
ing to the american coast. At Yakutsk,
however, Lcdyard was arrested on sus-
picion of being French spy, and was
sent back under escort to Europe.
Afterwards he was commissioned by
the London Geographical society to
make explorations IN Africa. DR.. Led
yard his decendent, is an inveterate
wanderer, too, and trust that before
he leaves Eastern Siberia he will make
the journey up the Lena, as | have
done, Yskutsk, and make special study
of the wonderful teeth ofthe Yakutsk
he will see along the road and tell the
world the reason why his aboriginal
race can boast OF the most beautiful
teeth in all the wide world. Three
hundred versts from Yakutsk / have