The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-08-07

given for less than cent meal, and during
the famine one such meal was given daily
to thousands who could not even pay this
amount for nothing. There was enc Of these
kitchens. at NJni-Novgored, which was
serving hundreds Of these 81 %-cent meals TO all
who paid Tor them and giving them TO such
as could prove themselves destitute For this
~ cents they gave bowl of soup, with
bit Of meat as big as the palm of your hand.
and pound and a half of bread. and on fast
days fish took the place of meat. Ole of
the customs IN regard TO this dining-rOJm
seemed TO be an excellent one, and ii eating
rooms on a similar plan could be established
liz America it would be a good thing. This
custom was the giving of beggars meal
tickets instead Of money. The proDTietors
of the establishment sold 20 of their dinner
tickets for 30 cents and the citizens of The
town bought them by the hundred, and when
approached 10y beggars for aims they gave
them tickets for these 212-ceEt meals in
stead OF money. Such tickets could not, of
course, be used at the vodka shops or sa-
looms and they prevented fraud ON the part
of the beggars.
During a lunch which Dr. Hubbel and
myself took with the Governor of Niini-
Novgorod we had a long talk about the
famine, and as Njni-Noygorod was one of
the first districts TO take measures 10 aid the
people his story of the situation was inter
estlng. This Mini Governor saw that the
famine was at hand long before 1t came.
The crops had been bad for several wears.
and as far back as May, 1891. he sent for
reports from the various districts Of
bis province aud found that out Of
II. which comprised II, only two had
enough to carry them through the winter.
This is one OF the greatest grain centers
of Russia and the Governor at once
bought lot Of grain on his own RESPONSE
bllty. and before he had even notified the
Gar he had purchased 1000 tons OF grain
and sent 1t to the afflicted of his province.
~ "a fa1 IN In sp,fu -
terror for loan for his peopls and got
100000, or about 100000 rubIes. He
closed the saloons and stopped the grain
spectators who were trying to make a cor
Der in the market and raise tie prices !;
and finding that according TO the constItu-
ton of the village the Government loan
WAS being used by the well-to-do as well
as the starving lie changed IL and made
different laws. SO that the men who
got the money and not the villages were
responsible for the loan. Already this prov
iDce OF \ uni, which Is half as large as Ohio
or Kentucky, and which has as many people
as the State Of Michigan, has had about
So, GOO for the famine from the Govern
ment. and the Governor tells me that this
amount went TO about 100000 peopIe, IL
was all given TO non workers, and no one
between the ages OF 10 and 81 was aided by
1t. These were IN general supposed to be
able TO work for themselves, and such of
them as were not were generally supplied
Dy private ana not Oy Government charity.
In addition to this he bought q great guam
tiy of grain and hay for the stock Of his
province and made such arrangements with
the Government that he has had from 5000
to 10000 men working at cutting wood in
the Government forests. Last December
he received $4,000 from the Govern
ment 10 employ his most needy in the max
ing Of roads. and so he has gone on through
the whole OF the famine watching the in
terests OF his people. and doing the best he
could to fight the famine. / cite his case q S
an instance of the work that has been done
by certain of the officials in the famine
districts. Many of the Governors have not
done so well. and IL would be indeed strange
II in the handling of more than half bill
lion of dollars some Of 1t had not stuck TO
the hands of thousands Of men who came
with it. find, however. that relief works
are going on In most OF these provinces.
and / believe that as a general thing the
Government money has been fairly dis
tributed, and that every cent Of the Ameri-
can supplies has gone to those for whom
they were intended aud to those who needed
them the most. FRANK G. CARPENTER.
Sahara, Russia. July 16.