The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-09-30

tional calamity. The Telegrsph's CORE
spondent at Sc. Petersburg says that the
trouble is chiefly Que 10 the government.
which at the beginning of the year was
well aware that n famine was imminent
The authorities delayed taking any action
10 relieve the distress until it was too late.
What benefit would have been derived
from the prohibition of the expectation of
rye was nullified by the action of the
government In extending the time
for the decree TO 60 into effect.
In addition to the scarcity OF
food which has caused untold suf-
fering. the distress has been intesified by
the enormous number of unusually disas-
trous fires that have occurred throughout
the fam ine-stTicken districts In many of
the districts entire villages have been de-
stroyed. The inhabitants of the burning
villages weak from lack of food. and with
no prospect of improving their condition,
made TO attempt 10 check the progress of
the flames. but stood and watched their
won't than others. fell on their knees and
prayed the Almighty to extInguish the fire.
Added TO these cruel strokes OF fortune
came the cattle plague. which caused IN
credible havoc. Thousands of head OF cat
tie took the disease and per;shed. and thus
many families lost their only means OF sub
sistence.
What little food it is possible for the
peasants TO obtain is of the vilest descrip-
ton, but so sharp are the pangs of hunger
that they gladly eat food that at other
times they would not touch. In many
cases their only food is the sweepings and
refuse from the tiour-mills. In Saratoff the
landowners found this refuse so injurious
TO their cattle that they would not feed il
10 them. But, though lt was not mt for
cattle TO eat, the landowners made bread
of it and sold 1t to the peasants. Bread
made of finely-chopped straw and bran
mixed with q very small quantity of rye. is
considered q godsend. In many dis
tricts the starving peasantry are not
able to procure even these miserable
substitutes for nourlshlng food and are re-
duced TO the most dire straits to procure
anything that will prOlong life. In these
districts the starving population are keep
ing themselves alive by making what they
call hunger bread" IL is hardly to be be-
heved that human beings could be in such
dire necessity and live upon such COM
pound rs this sO-called hunger bread"
yet it is stated as Ia fact that the ingre-
dents entering into the composition of this
bread are dried excrements the powdered
bark of tree. and ground peas, and goose
foot, plant commonly known as pig weed.
This mess IS greedily eaten by the famish-
ing people.
Heavy rains nave fallen, and the ground
is so soaked with water that the potatoes
are rotting. The price of potatoes has al
ready doubled. and - still rising. The
peasant boards have sent petitions 70 the
Ministry praying that the taxes and arrears
OF taxes be wiped out. The petitioners de-
clare that the government will be obliged
TO MAINTAIN the impoverished people Tor
fourteen months, and it Will be utterly i'm
possible for them to pay the taxes. A cir
cular has been issued by the Minister OF
the Interior which enumeIates thirteen
governments in which the people are COM
pletely famine-stricken and eight In which
q partial famine prevails.
The great fair which is annuity held at
Mini Novgorod. and which Is attended by
merchants and dealers from oil parts of
Russia, was failure this year. This was
due to the enormous number of bankrupts
and their consequent Withdrawals from
trade. In many villages the peasants have
nailed MP their huts, and have left their
communes to scour the country in search
of work. Hundreds of them have failed In
.heir search and are begging slong the
roadsides. In numerous cases the seed corn
which was furnished to the peasants by
ehe government has been eaten instead OF
being planted and tho land Is lying fallOw.
Notwithstanding the terrible condition
of the peasantry the taxes continue to be
extoyted from the starving people. Every
thing il taken from them to satisfy the de-
mands of the tax gatherers. Where the
peasants display any unwillness to pay
over their taxes the collectors resort to
physical means to extort the money from
them. The knout is extensively employed
by the officials of the tax-collecting depart
ment of Russia.
The Cologne Gazette prints O letter in
connection with the famine in the province
of Saratotf: A marshal quarreled
with the president of the Gems
too. and the president boxed his ears.
The marshal challenged the president TO q
duel. and the challenge was accepted on
the condition that the marshal accounted
for the expenditure of 10000 roubles of the
famine fund. As q result the marshal was
forced To resign, and inquiries into further
official r0bberies are pending.