The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-05
ORGANIZED MEMD|CAhIs..
4 Guild Or Wealthy Bsggars Who
Do Business on = Mann
moth Scale.
Limited Liability Company for Ex-
plotting the Benevolence Of
Russian Society.
interesting Description OF the Clan Fur
nishsd by = Correspondent Of the
New York Tribune

nishsd by = Correspondent Of the
New York ribans.
The Russian famine IL dssoribed at length
in.a 81. Petersburg lsttar IN tbs New York
Tribune. II seems that there 10 . guild Of
beQears In Russia who do business on =
mammoth scale. The correspondent says:
The prevailing distress will doubtless
greatly increase the amount OF msndicancy,
which ID always large in Russia. In no
other country ID begging 20 reduced to .
science % ii il here, n nowhere else can
ono ind q regular md recognized organiza-
ton Of prosperous and we'll to do beggars
like the Sc~houvaliki. These people occupy
a cluster Of about thirty villages in Wish
nsgorodskaya, sons hundred versts from
Moscow. They got their name from the
famous Counts Echouvaloh, whose vassals
and tenants they have been for centuries.
They are not oommon bsgRars. Of the indo-
lent, hand-to-mouth order. With them
begging ID . trade. scientifically organized
ana artistioally praoticed, and they form a
great limited liability company for exploit
ing the bsnevolcncs Of Russian So
cistv In the Same way 40 companies
exist for exploiting the national minerals
and other industrial resourcss. Az with
orthodox departments Of industry. the trade
of the ~Nchouvnliki has its regular seasons,
for which preparations are made with great
a~stutensss. During the spring and summer
thew remain on their trim and prosperous
homesteads, filling the soil and raising
wonderful crops. They grow the finest
--x.-. - al D~oois and khnrA ia mt n
province in the vast empire whore their
famous bulbs are not consumed. As the
autumn approaches, and the ordinary
peasant wraps himself in his shsepskins
and prepares for a long torpidtty, the
their begging expeditions. Arraysd in their
several disguisss they proceed on their al
lotted circuits, and are soon rummaging in
every corner Of the empire, from the Baltic
provinces to the governments of Little
Russia. The character they bear with the
popular saying. which afirms that there
ID no Russian prison in which . Bokordsk
thief or q Borovsk beggar Is not to be
found" And yet they make a very good
thing Of their begging expeditions.
guild dates back TO the beginning of the
present century. From time immemorial
they had been in the habit Of begging in
their individual capacities, but whom In
1912 their homes were destroyed BY = great
fire and they were forced ~ at one time to
throw themselves On public charity they
found the corporate experiment SO success
full that they resolved in future to under
take organized begging excursions and di-
vide the proessds. They constituted them
selves into a regular society. with officers
opsd into the present remarkable orQaniza-
ton, Early in the autumn the onion har-
vest il gathered in and sold. OF the pro-
Deeds / certain percentage is carried to
capital account and another percentage TO
the reserve fund, and then the remainder 10
divided among the members. This business
concluded, the plans are drawn up for tbs
next begging campaign by \ council of
elders composed Of delegates duly elected
BY each Of the thirty communes. By the
resolutions and plans of this council every
With the first fall Of snow the schouva-
Tiki villages become deserted. Each men
dicapt or group Of msndicants is provided
with q especial h~sartrending story, proved
by abundant documentary and other evil
the districts to be visited. A large Huwber
of cripples are hired and distributed among
the bsgears according to the tales Of woe
they have to relate. Here \ couple of young
men are furnished with infirm parents;
there a widow il supplied with . leprous
6OAs WOTA ID lOuAO " bAW NM IL
blind and the dumb. The most fortunate
occurrence for the Schouvaliki' in the win
ter season ID a death, In their own ranks.
After a short mourning the corpse becomes
an article Of trade. Escorted by q troop Of
poverty-s'risken and w,iling relatives ii is
house and village to village with
piteous prayers for assistance to
bury il. II is said that the %schouvaliki do
not rely only IN such lucky accidents.
Their enemies charge tkem with perpetrat-
ing all kinds of crueltissto keep up the ssl-
are their own article Of trnde-that ia to
say, in the way Of eripples-and they play
the parts assigned them with remarkable
v~raiEsmblance. Some time ago the wife Of
one of the S~chouvaliki was trained to enact
fully did abe sustain the character that she
deceived even educated persons and sxpsr-
fenced police officers. A fAvorite trick ID to
burn large holes in ones clothes and paint
scars and cicatrices on the flesh in order to
pass for q victim of one Of the fires which
are 80 numerous and disastrous among the
wood and thatch villages of central and
western Russia
The Shouvaliki never hunt alone. In
every district they have 4 basis Of opera
tions whore a kind Of ofio er supsrvises the
work of his subordinates N receives the
spoil. When a peasant commune is ap-
preached whore money 10 known to DO
scarce, one begQar will remain outside with
4 wagon, while another on crutches, or
otherwise disguised, will go from house to
house soliciting aim In Christ's nams. and
gratefully accepting anything that may, DO
given him-meat, bread, vegetables, grain,
wool, fax, old clothes, ~eto.-which he i'm
mediately carries to the wagon. When the
latter is laden to its fullest capacity il II
driven to the central authority and it's con
tents are soTtsd for Gale. II is considered
to be a very bad season it each member OF
the beRgar guild does not obtain at least
fifty or sixty roublss in money and five
times that amount in kind. There are a
fow capitalists among the Sohouvhliki who
do not beg themselves, but who trsin APP
prentices. They have NO difficulty In OBJ
tanning prsmiums for introducing young
men into the brotherhood, seeing that tho
business 10 known to be profitable.
The. Bee Hive buys all their ~crockery and glass
ware from first hands, therefore can undersell
any COniDptitOr.