St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-19
THE RUSSIAN JEWS.
Report Concerning the Colony at
Painted Woods.


London, an organization especially charged
with the duty of providing relief and assist
ance for the Russian Jews, have just returned
to London from a trip to the United States
and Canada, their special mission being to
inquire into the general condition and pros
poets of the Russian Jewish emigrants, in
this country and Canada. These gentlemen
visited st. Paul with the expectation of meet
ing Rev. DR.. Wechsler, out his absence pro-
vented. They, however, visited the colony
founded by DIR. Wechsler at Painted Woods
in Dakota, and in their report to the Trustees
they make the following statement, which
the GLOBE reproduces below:
THE COLONY AT PAINTED WOODS, NEAR BIS
MARCK, DAKOTA.
There are about fifty families settled in
this colony. of which the situation seems to,
be exceedingly well chosen. 1t is distant
ABOUT thirty-fve miles from Bismarck, new
but rapidly developed and thriving town in
Dakota. The road throughout, from Bis
marck to the colony, is in good order. the
colony itself is situated close to the Missouri
river on which we saw steamers and freight
barges navigating. independent therefore,
OF the rapid extension of rail-
way communication through the
western states of America, the river
itself will always furnish a ready and cheap
channel for the conveyance of agricultural
produce. The colony covers large extent
OF ground, and the arrangement of the con-
siderable plats of land allotted to each settler
nccessitates their being somewhat widely dis
tr1butcd. The nearest town or station of any
description is Washburn, but as the habits
and modes of life of the settlers are still
strange to their adopted country, it is per-
haps to their advantage than otherwise
that, during the first years of what
may be termed their acclimatization, they
should he to some extent isolated. Each
head of a family has 16O acres of land al
lotted to him, which becomes absolutely his
property in three years on condition of his
having resided and having worked on there
continuously during that interval. The soil
is extremely rich and fertile, and in this re-
spect compares favorably with the colony of
Vineland. wagon, a team of oxen,
plough, and in some cases cow,
have been furnished jointly to
almost every two families, and we were
pleased to observe that no disputes of i'm
portance appear to have arisen amongst the
colonists, who, in spite of the undoubtedly
severe struggles incidental to their life, pro-
fessed themselves very contented with their
lot, and very grateful for what had been
done for them. The tenements in which
they lived were naturally of the rudest de-
scription. They were generally constructed
of mud, bound together by timber, of which
there is an abundant supply, and
the completeness and fittings of these huts
varied generally according to the age and
constitution of the occupying family.
Where there were young men or BOYS,
these hOth in
struction of the hut and in the cultivation of
the soil. The number of acres hitherto
brought under cultivation by each of the
colonists seemed to vary from ten to twenty
by no means an unsatisfactory result, Con-
sidering the circumstances. 1t may
fairly be hoped that the progress
as times advances, will be more rapid, so
that each of the colonsts may hope, by indus
try and labor, to find himself the owner in
few years of thriving farm of consider
able extent, and to be in a position to leave
to his children an Independent and honor
able means of livelihood. The selection of
the colonists, nearly all of whom came from
Odessa, or its immediate neighborhood seems
to have been confided to the Rev. DR. Wechs-
Ter, of st. Paul. We were not
fortunate enough to meet DR.. Wechsler,
as he was absent in California; but we had
the pleasure TO make the acquaintance of the
members of his family, from whom we re.
ceived much attention during our stay at
st. Paul. 1t is impossible to speak too
highly of DR.. Wechester's services to this
colony.
On all sides, from the Jewish residents at
Bismarck, from the colonists themselves,
and from the stray Russian Jews, whom we
saw at Bismarck, and who were anxious to
be placed on land at the colony, an unani-
nous tribute was paid to his kindness,
| to his solicitude for the welfare
of the colonists and to his constant efforts to
provide them with all that was necessary to
their calling. We were told also that there
was school in the neighborhood OF the col
coy. The settlers were enabled to, and we
believe did, observe the Sabbath and we
learned that divine service was held, and
had been attended by more than one of the
residents in the town of Bismarck, It will
be readily imagined that we were met with
several applications for more implements and
further grants of many necessaries,
but the expenses of this colony, as the COM
mittee are aware, have already been very
great, and although the outlay incurred ap-
pears to have been judiciously expended, we
are informed that for both this colony and
indeed for the Russian Jews generally
throughout the state, there is considerable
difficulty in raising further funds in Amer
lea. In one or two cases the colonists al
ready settled eEtreated Us most anxiously to
assist them to bring out their relatives, some
times the wife, at others the children,
and certainly it would seem
that where undoubted proof can be furnished
of the identity and whereabouts of near rela-
tives of the colonists, who have been left in
Russia, assistance should first be given to
enable these to join the breadwinner of the
family before the number of those already
placed is increased. In answer to our in
quiries as to the fitness of these emigrants
for farm labor, we were told by Mr.. Falk
me-, and himself considerable landowner,
that they worked well, and on the whole in
dustriously. The resources, how
ever, at the command of the
colonists were often insufficient to employ
all the hands of one family on the land allot-
ted to it, and Mr.. Falkner remarked that the
younger members of family might fire.
queDtly be of great assistance to their parents
by hiring themselves out as laborers on adj
joining properties, were it not that they
would not accept the by no means inconsid
cradle remuneration attac ing to such labor.
We endeavored to impress his advice on the
colonists, as we saw one or vo instances of
the business of Mr.. Falkner observation.
The committee also visited the colony at
Vineland, New Jersey, where they found the
colOnists in state of thrift and contentment
They also mention in their report the colony
founded by Sir A. Gait at Moosemin, near
Winnipeg. Within the last three years 49,
coo to 10000 Russian Jews, able bodied and
willing TO work, have reached the United
States and Canada, all Of whom are engaged
in the honest endeavor to gain for them
selves honest and self supporting liyeIihoods.