Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-27
into the woods, so that their condition
would not be reported.

ton of Cruelty to Children, and gave
him the facts about the dcplorable con-
ditiou of the children in this lonely
cabin in the canyon. This man de-
clared that they were little savages'
and that the negress bad fed them
like pigs out Of big trough by
the side Of the house. He had
seen the poor creatures fighting
over q wretched dinner Of boiled
turnips or cabbage, the food hsv-
ing been dunped into the. trough,
and the children picked it out with
their fingers. lie said that they were
so shy that no one could get near them,
and that they chartered in a strange
patois which could not be understood.
The Secretary paid visit to the house,
but found it temporarily deserted by
its occupants. Then he interviewed the
Greek priest, who told him that the
whole story was a fiction invented by
curious neighbors. He said that Rogo-
witch had some means, and that the
children were we'll taken care Of. So
the Secretary accepted his version, and
put this down as one more added to the
long roll of his wild-goose chases.
RESCUED FROM BARBARIsM.
That the neighbor told the true story,
however, was shown by subsequent de-
velopments. In November. lSS3-the
same month in which Secretary Hunter
visited the place--Rogovitch committed
suicide by poisoning himself. This
left the negress all alone; but she
managed to pick up a precarious liv-
ing by working her garden and
doing occasional bits in working,
cleaning for neighbors. She was
very reticent about her home, and
no one learned anything Of the condi-
ton Of the children. In April of this
year the neighbors reported again to
Secretary Hunter that something should
be done for the children, as they appear
| ed to be in half-starved condition, and
the mother was growing more thriftless.
A few days afterward the place appear
ed to be deserted, and several of the
neighbors, calling to ascertain the
facts, found the four children
none Of whom were over twelve
years old-alone in the house, their
mother having wholly deserted them,
leaving nothing for them to eat save 8
few turnips and potatoes. They were
wild-eyed and hollow-cheeked, and
eagerly snatched food which was offered
to them. 1t was some time before they
could be coaxed into leaving the old
cabin, which was the only home they
had ever known. They were taken to
the Catholic Orphan Asylum in this
city, and, though still wild and strange
in their ways, they bid fair to soon lose
the outward marks of their barbarous
childhood in the canyon.
THE OREGON POsITIvIsTs.
Another story of Russian refugees
which this recalls comes from Oregon.
1t seems that about two years ago
colony of Russians from Odessa came
to this coast. They had grown tired
of police surveillance, and they wished
TO select secluded spot where they
would not be interfered with by the Gu
rious. They chose fine tract Of 776
acres in Douglas county, Southern Ore
gon, and sixty of them began life
there as community, with all
goods in common. OF course,
with so large working force, they
soon cleared much land and raised fine
crops. They all belonged to the Greek
Church, and were very devout in their
religious observances. Unhappily, some
Of the younger men became interested
in a translation Of Comte's Positive
Philosophy. The whole colony caught
the fever and became ardent disciples
Of the great French philosopher. But
they did not end there. Some ranged
themselves under the banners of the
Altruists; others declared for the
Egoists.
SESSION OF THE ALTRUIsTs.
The Altruists numbered only six
teen, and, feeling that they were in
hopeless minority, they decided to
abandon the colony. They came down
to this city and made arrangements for
most of their number to work at their
trade here, while two went on East to
select site for an Altruistic COL
ony. The fourteen men left here
are watchmakers and machinists,
who readily secured work. The
two advance guards started on July
Goth to walk to st. Louis. They said
they knew it would be tedious trip,
but they were confident of success, as
they would stop and work wherever
their money ran out. Their plan was
to found colony near st. Louis if they
could get sufficient encouragement !;
if not, they would push on to New
York, where they were sure of a
welcome from some of their country
men. Their plan is to secure head
quarters which will be of easy access
from the Atlantic seaboard and to which
all Russian refugees will be welcome.
These Positivists are vegetarians and
total abstainers from all alcoholic slim
ulants. They have left their wives in
Oregon, and propose to trust them to
the tender mercies of the Egoists until
they can get their new colony fairly es-
tablished.
COMMUNAL EXPERIMENTS.
Nothing, perhaps, shows more clear
ly the cosmopolitan character Of the
people of this State than the number Of
colonies, similar to those Russian set
Elements, which have been established
in California within thirty years. The
desire Of many Of these people was to
get as far away from the world as pos
sible. When they settled in certain
parts of the State their nearest neigh
bors were, perhaps, five miles
away. Now, the rapid develop
ment of the State has peopled the va
cant lands and converted vast stock
ranges into small farms. Several Of
these communities own valuable land
notably, the Society Of the New Life,
over which Thomas Luke Harris pre-
sides, and which possesses some of the
richest vineyard lane in the Sonoma
Valley. Their creed is . modified