The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-11-07

The boiognas We found 10 he long.
/ lox sheds, hastily built Of rough pine
boards, and inclosed with sides Of thin.
white cotton sheeting. They were three
in numher aud were occupied exclusive
( ly by family parties, women and chill
dren.
The arst one to which We cane was
surrounded by foul difea half full Of
I filth, into which water oruriue vas drip
ping here and there from the floor under
( the cotton sheetin9 wall. The bologan
had no ~in,iows. and all the light that it
received came through the thin cloth
which formed the sides.
A scene OF more pitiabls human MS
cry than that which was presen tel TO u
+ as we entered the low, vrsschsd shed can
/ bar,ily ie. iasaginesi I, was literally
packed with bunaneds ef vaary-eyed men
z haeszr1 women and waiiing children.
sitting or lying in al concefvabie st5i-
I tides upon two iongiIines Of rough plank
Z sleeping benches. which ran through It
from end to end, leaving gangways about
( four feet in xidth in the Middle and at
/ the sides. could see the sky through
+ cracks in the roof the fioeF Of unmaich-
/ ed boards had given way here and there
and the inmates had used the holes as
places into which 70 throw refuse and
: pour Stops sa3 excrement the air was
Z insufferably fetid on aecouHt Of the pres
ence Of 4 great number Of infanis and the
( impossihiIity Of giving them proper phys
ical care vet understanding. which had
I been washed in complexities, was hang
ing from all the crussbeauls, the gang
ways were obstructed by Piles of gray
bags. bundles, bedding and aomesti- uten-
els and in the chaos of disorder and
misery hundreds Of human beings. park
ed together 90 closely that they eouid not
move without touching one another. were
irving to exist and 10 perform the neces-
sary duties of everyday life. Il was
enough to make one sick at heart 70 see,
subjected 70 such trsatneut and undergo
ing such suffering, hundreds Of women
and children who had committed no Of
fense, but had merely shown their love
and devotion By going into Siberian ex-
lie With the husbands, the fathers, or the
brothers who were dear % them.
As we walked through the narrow
gangways from one end ofthe shed IN the
other We were besieged 10y unhappy men
and women who desired % make com
plants or petitions.
Your High Nobility" said a heavy
eyed, misunderstanding man 70 the warden
it is impossible to sleep here nights on
account Of the cold. the eFowding, and
the crying Of babies. Can't something
be doneqr
No, brother replied the warden
kindly, I can't do anything. You vii
90 on the road pretty scan then it viii
be easier"
-Dzl Bogh q Cod grant IT. said the
heavy-eyed man IS be tErned with
aournful look TO his wIfe ami little girl
who sat close to him on the sleeping
bench.
Batiushka Ny little father Ny ben
efaeier ~ cried pale fleed woman with
AZ infant a. her naked breast. Won't
you, for Gods sake. Jet NE sleep in the
bath house with ny baby It's 80 cold
here nights. and cannot keep him
warm
No, matushka.7 my little nother
said The warden 8 can't let you sleep
in the bath house; it Is better for you
here
Several other women made in success
Ion the same request. end were refused
in the same way and 1 finally asked the
warden. who seemed to he kind heart
el and sympathetic man, Why he could
nos let a dozen or two Of these uuio-tu-
nate women. who had young babies. 20
TO the bath house to sleep. 1t Is cold
I here now, said, and It must be much
worse at night. These thin walls Of cot-
ton sheeting don't keep out at all the r4w
night air."
II IS impossible.- replied the warden
The atmosphere ofthe bath house Is too
hot, close and damp. I tried letting some
Of the nursing women sleep there but
one or two ef their babies died every
night, and hal TO stop it.
appreciated the hopelessHess Of the
+ situation, and had nothing more 10 say
4 As We emerged from the bologan We came
upon Mr. Papelaief engaged il earnest
conversation with one Of theexiles. a due
hooking blonde man about S5 yeaFs fage
/ upon whose face there Was an expression
Of agitation and exeitsulent, mingled
with a sort OF defiant despair.
( Il have had only one shirt in months.
: the exile said IN 4 trembling voice. aud
It IS dirty, ragged and foil Of veFrniu-7
Z Well. said Mr.. Papelaief, with con
I tempiuous indifference. you'll get an
othe1 when ron 20 on the road =
But when viii I get on the road -
replied the exile, with increasing excite
ment. I'll may be three or four months
hence
Very likely said sir. R5pelaiefoold-
7 ly. bat with rising temper as ne saw Us
listening TO the oolloquT-
Then DO ron expect a man 70 wear
one shirt Until it drops OF from him .
inquired the exile, with desperate indig-
nation.
Silenes r. soared Dir. Pdpelaief, losing
all control Ct his8selE How dare you
talk to me in thas way III take the skin
of from you You'll get another shirt
when ron 90 on the road, and not before.
Away
( The exiie's face flushed and the bGmp
in bis throat rose and fell as he struggled
to choke down his emotion. At last he
surcee,Ied. and, turning silently awas, en-
tered the bologzn-
How iong xiii the women anu ehil-
,iren have to stay in these sheds I ask
ed the warden-
Until the u OF Octol,er,7 be replied
And wliere will you pat them then p
He shruzgel bis shoulders. but made
no reply
From the boiogans We went 70 a -'faIni-
" that We had witnessed in the boleeans
with the kalaera.- in one Of The leg kaz-
arms Here there vas the sane scene Of