Telegram-herald., 1891-10-01
WOE IN RUSSIA.
sunerlngs Undergone by ths Czar's Fam.
inc-Stricken Subjects.

tnc-Str!cken Subjects.
LONDON, Sept. 30.-A circular has
been issued by the Russian minister of
the interior which enumerated thirteen
governments in which the people are
completely famine stricken and eight
in which partial famine prevails.
The great fair which is annually held
at Mini Novgorod, and which is at
tended 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 conse-
quent Withdrawals from trade.
In many villages the peasants have
nailed up their huts and have left their
communes to scour the country in
search of work. Hundreds of them
ging along the roadside. In numerous
cases the seed corn which was fur
nished the peasants by the government
has been eaten instead of being planted.
and the land is lying fallow.
Notwithstanding the terrible condi-
ton OF the peasantry the taxes con-
tinue to be extorted from the starving
people Everything is taken from them
to satisfy the demands of the tax
gatherers. Where the peasants dis
play any unwillingness 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 department of Russia.
Dispatches from st. Petersburg de.
scribing the situation detail harrow
ing incidents Of the famine. Not for
centuries has such widespread distress
national calamity. The Telegraph's
correspondent says that the trouble
is chiefly due to the government,
which at the beginning of the year
was we'll aware that a famine was
imminent. The authorities delayed
taking any action to relieve the distress
until it was too late. What benefit
would have been derived from the pro-
hibition of the exportation OF rye was
nullified by the action OF the govern
ment in extending the time for the de-
cree to go into effect ,ei..fss,..4
In addition to the scarcity OF food,
which has caused untold suffering, the
distress has been intensified by the
enormous number of unusually disas-
trous fires that have occurred through
ont the famine-striclSen district In
many of the districts entire villages
have been destroyed. Added to these
cruel strokes OF fortune came the cat
tie plague. which caused incredible
havoc Thousands of head OF cattle
took che disease and perished, and thus
many families lost their only means OF
Subsistence.
What little food II is possible for the
peasants TO obtain Is OF the yilest de-
scription. but SO sharp are the pangs Of
hunger that they gladly eat food that
other times they would not touch. In
many cases their only food Is the
sweepings and refuse from the -four
mills. In Ssratoff the landowners
found this refuse so injurious 20 their
cattle that they would not feed II tc
them. But though IL was not At
for cattle 10 eat the landowners
made bread Of IL and sold 1t 10 the
peasants.
Bread made of finely chopped straw
and bran mixed with a very small
quantity of rye IL considered a Cod,
send Ia many districts the starving
peasants are not able 30 procure even
these miserable substitutes for nonr-
ishing food and are reduced 20 the
most dire straits % procure a,y-
thing that viii proiong life. in these
districts the starving population
are keeping themselves alive by max.
ing what they call gingerbread IL Is
stated as fact that th~ ingredients
entering iato tae composition Of this
bread are dried dvag. the powdered
bark Of trees aud ground peas and
goasefoot plant more COMMONLY
knowa a. pigveeA, This mess Z
gFeediiy eaten By the famishing PEG
pie.
IA