Daily globe., 1883-11-03
THE VECHSLER COLONY


from visit to the same. This has been |
his fifth visit to the colony. He states to |
US that Notwithstanding the many Difficult
ties IN his way the colony will be SUCCESS.
Ii Will be demonstrated beyond doubt that
agriculture among these people will finally
succeed. II is wonderful what energy
perse7era nee and self confidence can ac-
complish, and Rev. DR.. ]. Wechsler has
used these qualities in very remarkable
degree. When other colonies failed he
redouhIed his energy and self-sacrifce.
lie states by nc means that the COLONY ia
full SUCCESS yet, but is hopeful that this
people will be elevated to higher
plane by agricultural labor. He
reports nearly three hundred souls settled
at the colony. They have at present about
fifty government claims, each settler hay
ing entered 160 acres, which would make
about 5000 acres. A large tract of land
OF five and six miles apart,for these claims
are not all adjoining. Three of the set
lers have very fine timber land, witch is
worth already large Ssum of money, for
the new town called sWashburn'' is only
three miles distant, which has already q
good many houses, and large saw mill
and Is predicted as the new comfy seat of
Mclean county. Not every settler was on
his claim contrary to the order of Rev. DIR.
Wechsler, who at his last visit in July
wanted them to come up to the homestead
laws and make preparations to settle in
good earnest upon their own claims ,b1t not
all fulfill their promise. To understand
this properly it must be stated here, chat at
the commencement when this colony was
started with eleven settlers and hardly
any means we're at the disposal of DR.. j.
Wechsler, houses and other improvements
were bought OF a Frenchman at thus
called school section, which cannot be
pre-empted. Now good many OF the
settlers are still located there. DR.. Wech-
sler at his present visit was greatly dis
pleased and spoke against it in the
strongest lsnguage that his orders to vacats
this entire school section had not been car
ried out.
Owing 10 their living together
there have beer disagreements, quarrels,
etc, which, as DR.. Wechsler believes,
could have been avoided if every settler
lived separately. 1t must be
understood that these people
do not c.'me up to the standard of educa-
ton, refinement and culture of other Isra-
elites. In fact Rev. DR.. Wechsler tells us
that nobody can appreciate his unpleas-
ant experience and labor with these
people. 1t must, however, be taken into
consideration that these people in despotic
Russia did not enjoy the privileges of
good education, were oppressed, ,persecuted
and lately robbed of everything they pos
sessed. This degraded them morally and
socially that now good deal of charity
must be bestowed upon them. A large
number of the settlers are upon their own
claims and have built quite substantial log
houses to live in quite comfortably, have
cultivated number of acres OF land and
raised this season, potatoes, wheat, oats,
corn, cabbage, etc, but not enough yet to
get along with their numerous families.
The harvest in that neighborhood has not
been this season a very favorable one,
while last year the crops raised in that 10
| cality was four times as large. This be-
ing the first year of the settlement they
feel this the more keenly, under the
most adverse circumstances SO far. Rev.
DIR. j. Wechsler reports the people most
contented and they would not give up
! their claims for any amount of money.
Quite a number expressed themselves,
Here we wish to be buried and our chill
dren to demonstrate to the world that
agriculture among the Israelites will be
| as successful now as when our fathers lived
in the land of Palestine" They are es-
pecially pleased with their new location,
the land being extremely fertile and
| country rapidly settling up, and railroad
| already projected through that locality.
A great misfortune has befallen quite
large number of the settlers. A prairie
fire suddenly and unexpectedly destroyed
| the hay-a large number of tons-and also
their temporary shanties, with everything
they clothing, bedding, blank
cts, etc; that many of the settlers are
really in destitute circumstances. Rev
DR.. j. Wechsler related especially the
case of one settler as extremely dis
tress1ng, that of Bamth Hechtmau.
He lost all his baggage when he came over
from Europe, and it could not be traced,
and now when this had been replaced as
far as possible, by Rev. DR.. Wechsler, his
temporary shanty took fire, and he and his
wife and five children escaped only with
their lives. Mr.. Hechtman in his attempt
to save few articles, burned himself &C.
verely, and the family have nothing left
except what they wear, and that is of the
poorest kind. Rev. DR.. WechsIer has ap-
pealed to the good people of Bismark in
this particular case, and he hopes that the
people will respond literally to aid him in
his necessity, but if there are other char
atable persons who read this, they may
send their donations to Rev. DR.. Wechsler.
Rev. DR.. Wechsler has assisted these peo-
pie this time as far as possible. He dis
tributed at this present time car load of
-four, butter and many othey articles, too
numerous to merton, among the needy,
which he hopes will sustain them through
the winter. He paid large sum of mon
yey for groceries, hardware, oxen, COWS,
furniture, wagons, implements, etc. He
has purchased before at his previous visits
to the colony horses, oxen, COWS, imple-
ments, ETC., which foot up at this present
time the large sum of about $4,000, which,
with the assistance which he has rendered
to the refugees here, makes the total
not less than $11, 200. This large sum of
money was collected, with the exception of
about $500, which was contributed here
in America, in Europe, the nobe Mansion
house committee having contributed near
ly $1,000, the central committee of Berlin
$4,000, the Frankfort committee s475, the
Hamburg committee $500 and the Ali
ance Israeiite of Paris, with its philan-
throphic mission, $3.50, and the committee