The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-10-03
STARVATION IN RUSSIA.
Peasants Reduced to the Direst Straits
10 support Life.


The dispatch from St. Petersburg to the London
Telegraph, describing the situation in Russia arising
from the failure of the crops and detailing har-
rowing incidents of the famine now prevailing adds
that not for centuries has such widespread distress
been recorded II is nothing less than calamity.
In addition to the scarcity of food, which has
caused untold suffering the distress has been intcn
sifed by the enormous number of unusually disas-
trous fires that have occurred throughout the famine
stricken districts In many of the districts entire
villages have been destroyed. The inhabitants OF
the burning villages, weak from lack of food and
with no prospect ofimproving their condition, made
no attempt to check the progress of the flames but
stood and watched their dwellings burn. Some Of
them more devout 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 incredible havoc
Tn ousands of head of cattle took the disease and
persisted, and thus many families lost their only
means of subsistence.
What little food it is possible for the peasants TO
obtain is of the viest description, but sharp are
the pangs ofhunger 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 Saratoff the land owners found this
refuse so injurious to their cattle that they would
not feed it to them But, though it was not fit for
cattle to cat the land owners made bread Of it and
sold It to the peasants Bread made of finely chop
ped straw and bran mixed with very SIN all guam
tty of rye is considered godsend In many dis
trcs the starving peasantry not able TO procure
even these miserable substitutes for nourishing
food and are reduced TO the most dire straits to pro-
cure anything that will prolong life. In these dis
tricts the starving population are keeping them
selves alive by making what they call hunger
bread It is hardly to be believed that human be-
ngs could be in such dire necessity and live
upon such compound as this socallcd hunger
bread" yet it is stated as a fact that the in-
gradients entering into the composition of this
bread are dried dung. the powdered bark Of
trees and ground peas and goose foot, plant more
commonly known as pigweed. This mess is greedily
eaten by the Emishng people.
Heavy rains have fallen and the ground is 50
soaked with water that the potatoes are rotting.
The price of potatoes has already doubled and is
still rising.
A circular has been issued by the minister of the
interior which enumerates thirteen governments III
which the people are completely famine stricken
and eight in which partial famine prevails.
In many villages the peasants have nailed up
their huts and left their c0mmunes 10 scour the
country in search of work. Hundreds of them
have failed in their search. and begging along
/ the roadsides.
| 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 iSlyng
/ fallow.