Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-23

by the Ist of September, when the harvest
will have been gathered. Great want and
much suffering. however, must continue to ex-
ist for the mex: year or SO in many Of the
states. and drough. this summer NAV precipi-
tate a second famine equally terrible as the
present one. notwithstanding all that has
been published concerning the famine, we in
the United States have but little idea of its
terrible extent and Of the wonderful manner in
which the Russians have handled it. No eoun-
try in the world. with perhaps the exception of
the United States, could Withstand such q
strain as Russia is now undergoing, and there
n no nation in the world, except perhaps one,
that would rise to the emergency and do so
much for its people a. Russia Is doing. The
contributions America has made have been of
might almost say, tearfully received, but
they only a drop in the bucket to what
Russia herself Is doing. Our and other outside
gifts amount. all told, to perhaps three quar-
ters of q million dollars The donations OF the
government and the people represent
In the neighborhood OF $3.50. 900. 600
and the car himself has given about ten million
dollars out Of his private fund The govern
ment loans 70 the famine villages amount to
more than one hundred million dollars. and
these loans no one ever expects that the peasants
viii repay. IL Is a physical impossibility fo-
u.
Of the government said to me latterlyI the car
does not expect repayment He always gives .
present 70 the people upon certain occasions,
such ~ the coronation of a grand duke. and at
the next such event one of his presents viii
probably be the forgiving Of this debt This
one hundred million dollars was given almost
outright b. the government, but IN addition TO
IL numerous schemes have been favored and
authorized BY the GEAR 70 get money for tho
sufferers. and the bulk Of the gifts have come
from the peoplS One of these schemes was by
. lottery under the treasury department, the
prizes Of which were guaranteed by the Imperial
BANK and the profits of which went to the
famine. Russia no lotteries as the rule. and
such thing are ordinarily againsi the Law. This
lottery brought IN abo1- seyenty-ive million
dollars and all classes pstroniZed it. mIny of the
wealth. buying thousands of tickets. know
one man here who bought ten thousand dollars
worth Of tickets. choosing scattering numbers,
and be did not get single prize. He was
tvitted on hi bad luck and replied:
al dol't care. / have the satisfaction
Of knowing that nv twenty thousand
roubies have gone TO help the famine" ST.
Petersburg Is civ OF many rich people. and
many Of lhs mobiles here took from one to five
thous-nl dJlla-s' wOrsh Of thsse lottery tickets.
but tae g-sat m ,rity were sold 10 people of
small means AID tn bIyiny of them was, 50
to SOAK. thu lad.
P2IyArE PEJPLz wID GAVE SI75 900 O00
C0lsii Gel "a, C-IsiJ-d estimates that the
sits Of pTiTi.e citizen. il Elssil to this famine
have bssn NJ. !e than $50. 900. 900 roubles or
the enormous san, OF 5000 o0O The gifts
almost surPaSs comprehension and all told,
notwithstanding the vast population of Rsssia
they amount. including those of the govern
ment. TO 50 for eIch man. woman and child in
the whole Russian empire, or 10 els per family
When Won remember that Of the twenty odd
million families that make up the Russian
people no: many more than one million of
them probably has ever had sI5 at one time in
is possession you get some idea of the mighty
strain this has been on those who could give
and have given. The nobility have in all cases
led the hist, and hundreds of well-educated girls
and women Of the best families Of this and other
Russian cities are now in the famine districts
fighting the demons Of starvation, typhus fever
and the smallpox in behalf of the peasants A
number Of these ladies have caught the diseases
OF the peasants. and a Russian countess who
went from ST. Petersburg was among those who
took the smallpox Almost all Of the great
landed Proprietors in the famine districts are
doing what they can 10 help their people
hear OF men who have been feeding and caring
Tor nve. ten and IN some cases even twenty and
twenty-five thousand peasants, and Count
boorfnsky. who IL at the head of the trans
portation Of famine relief here Is in connec-
Won with his family, supporting nearly thirty
housand people out of his own means and at
NE same time aiding in the distribution Of the
forefgn and goyernme Mt relief fund among the
people 90 tslde Of his estates.