Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-23
RUssIAN-JEw FARMERS.
Their Industry, Peculiarities, and Re
ligiOus Views.

ngiOus Views.
A letter from Mitchell, OAK, to the St.
Paul Pioneer Press says: sin company
with one of the young Jewish farmers Of
the Cremieux colony, your correspondent
left Mitchell at daybreak for a visit to the
Hebrew farming colony, situated about
twenty-five miles southwest of Mitchell.
They are Hebrews, but claim to have
shorn off the traditional practices of their
ancestry, while retaining the spirit of the
teachings Of Moses, which they apply in
practical sense, and adapt themselves to
their surroundings. They say that now
the time has come when Judea will re-
deem herself and become nation of pro-
ducers instead OF consumers, and they
Will prove to the world that Hebrews can
again be as successful farmers as they
have proven to be tTadesmen for genera.
lions past. The 'Cremieux and Bethle-
hem-J udah' colonies, known now as the
CremleuX Society, were founded through
the advice of Michael Heilprin, a leading
Hebrew OF New York city, in August.
1881. There are now about seventy
colonlsts here, but they claim they are
only an advance guard, as it We're. of
lhOse VINO are coming as soon as the great
reservation across the Missouri river is
opened up to settlement. Some Of these
hebrews already have farms opened I'D
and good farm buildings erected. Mr..
Herman Rosenthal has a farm of nearly
l,OOO acres, which he is rapidly putting in
high state of cultivation. He lives IN a
Well-nnIshed eight-rOOm house. and has
also good farm buildings. Bernard FLIGHT
has farm of nearly 500 acres, and has
a good house and buildings, and many
others are becoming comfortably situated
The greater number of these
colonists, however, came to the
United States from two to three years
ago, with only enough money to pay their
passage, and at once engaged in physical
labor and commenced to learn the Eng
lish language. One of the colOnists.
Prof. +. 5. Mashbir, who this winter is
professor OF the German language in the
Mitchell high school, had engaged as a
labOrer on railroad at Mitchell. His
vocabulary OF the English language was
confined to few words, and his knOWl-
edge OF the use of shovel was even
more circumscriped fter " leIr hours
with the gang, and the section boss dis
charged him with the threat that if he
ever showed up there again he would
break his head. The professor retired to
a shady place and consulted his dictiOna-
ry on the term break his head.' He Sc
cured farm work, however. has taken n
good claim, and will engage in farm work
IN the summer season with his mOtherand
SISTER, VINO are now on their way from
Russia, and brother who is coming from
New York.
"A commendable characteristic of these
people Is their patient perseverance.
1hey nave come to a strange land. where
they are unacqualnted with the customs
ana language of the people. They work
nard' are practical, and look at facts as
they ma them. They are saving. and not
a dollar is wasted, nor is a cent spent
LOT dflnE, and very few incur debts, and
tnen only IN case of urgent necessity
Some OF the cOlOnists are getting a good
start IN stock, but number by hard
work have not as yet been able to Law bv /
enough to buy the much-needed Ox-teams.
Their number viii be largely increased /
the coming summer by relations and I
friends who will come from Russia. The
coIonlsts have a private school at the resi-
dence OF Dir. ROsenthal. taught by Miss
Burnes, highly-educated lady. She is /
paid by subscription, and the school is |
well attended by the Russian children, who |
are all learning to speak English fluent I
~ Ihey are, as a people, fond of music, I
reading, and society. Even the lOWliest |
nave a good education, and the brawniest /
has knowledge of music. In the long
winter evenings, and on days when it is /
TOO cOlu 10 work, they collect together and /
pass away the time with music and |
dancing. and consulting together on t
matters OF practical business. Parties !
are frequently held, to which their Ameri- /
can neighbors are always invited and /
welcomed. There are now number Of |
Hebrew-Russian farming colonies in the
United States, but they are all new as |
yet. The most numerous is that of New |
odessa, ore, founded under the advice Of !
Michael Heilprin, DR.. Julius Goldman, /
Edward Lauterbach. and Judge Isaacs, /
all Of New York city. Ihey claim that |
the time viii soon be here when Hebrew
farmers will be no novelty in the United /
States. The colony, young as it is, and |
the fact that nearly all |
its members have commenced without a |
dollar. embarrassed by all the inconveni- |
ence Of pioneer life, is seI(-sustaining." I