The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-30
{ DAILY, $40 A YEAR.
, 5 GENTS A COPY.
[ WEEKLY, 1.25 A YEAR,
RUSSIA UNDER A CURSE.
FAMINE, PLAQUES AND FIRES
SWEEPING THE COUNTRY.

SWEEPING THE COUNTRY.
The Governments Failure to Act in
Time One of the Causes of the Awful
Lack of Food-The Peasants Too
Weak to Fight the Flames-Horrlble
Mixtures Eagerly Devoured.
LONDON, Sept pa dispatch from st.
Petersburg to the Telegraph describing the
situation in Russia arising from the failure
Of the crops and detailing the narrowing iu-
cidents of the famine now prevailing, part
OF which has already been cabled to the
United States, adds that not for centuries
has such widespread distress been
recorded. 1t ia nothing less than a national
calamity. The 7elegrdphs correspondent
says that the trouble is chiefly due ia
the government. which. at the beginning Of
the year, was we'll aware that famine was
imminent. The authorities delayed taking
any action to relieve the distress until IL
wns too late. What benefit would have
sheen derived from prohibition of the ex-
portation OF rye was nulEAed by the action
Of the government In extending the time
for the decree to go into effect.
INTENSIFIED BY FIRE.
In addition to the scarcity of food, which
has caused untold suffering, the distress has
been intensified by an enormous number OF
unusually disastrous fires that have oo-
CURED throughout the ADMINISTRATION dis
trict. In many districts entire villages
have been destroyed. The inhabitants
Of the burning villages, weak from
lack OF food and no prospect OF improving
their condition, made no attempt to check
the progress OF the flames, but stood and
watched their dwellings, burn. Some OF
them fell on their knees and prayed the
Almighty to extinguish the fire.
A CATTLE PLAGUE.
Added TO these came cattle plague.
which caused increditable havoc. Thou.
sands of cattle persisted, and thus many fami.
lies lost their only means of subsistence,
What little food 1t Is possible for the peas
ants to obtain is Of the vilest description,
hunger that they gladly cat
food that at other times they
would not touch. In many cases their only
food il the sweepings and refuse from tha
-four mills. IL SaratOff the landowners
found this refuse so injurious to their cattle
that they would not feed 1t TO them. But,
though it was not ht for cattle to cat, land
peasants.
A QUEER GoDsEND.
Bread made of finely chopped straw and
bran mixed with very small quantity Of
rye is considered godsend In many dis
trIcts the starving peasantry are not able
to procure even these miserable substitutes
for nourishing food. and are reduced to
most dire straits 10 procure anything that
will prolong life. In these districts the
selves alive by making what they
call hunger bread" 1t is hardly to be be.
lieved that human beings could be in such a
dire necessity and live upon such COM
pound as thfs so-called hunger bread, yet
10 is stated as a fact that the ingredients ol
this bread ie dried dung, the powdered barb
OF trees and ground peas aud goose feet
plant, more commonly known as pig weed.
This mess is greedily eaten by the famish-
ing people.
POTATOES RoTTING.
Heavy rains have fallen, and the ground
is 80 soaked with water that potatoes are
rotting. The price of potatoes has already
doubled. and is still rising. The peasant
boards have sent petitions to the ministry
praying that taxes and arrears OF
taxes be wiped out. Tho petitioners
be obliged to maintain the impoverished
people for fourteen months and that it will
be utterly impossible for them to pay taxes.
A circular has been issued by the minister
Of the interior which enumerateg thirteen
governments in which the people are com
pletely famine stricken and eight In which
partial famine prevails.
THE FAIR A FAILURE.
The great fair which is annually held al
Mini NovRorod and which is attended by
merchants and dealers from all parts OF
Russia, was a failure this year. This was
due to the enormous number Of bankrupts
and their consequent withdrawal from
trade. In many villages the peasants have
nailed up their huts and have left theiI
eommunes to scour the country in search of
work. Hundreds Of them have failed in
their search and are begging along the road.
sides.
SEED CORN DEvoURED.
In numerous cases the seed corn which
was furnished the peasants by the
government has been eaten. In
stead of being planted, the land is
lying fallow. Notwithstanding the terri
BILE con n1ition Of the peasantry the taxes con-
tinue to be extortsd from the starving peo-
pie. Everything is taken from them to
satisfy the demands of the tax gatherers.
Where the peasants display any unwilling
ness 10 pay over their taxes, the collectors
resort to physical means to extort the
money from them. The knoutis extensively
employed by officials Of the tax collecting
department Of Russia.