The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-16

a great surprise to the traveller and fills
him with wonder. Their cottages are
substantially built and contain large
and lofty rooms, yet the family gener-
ally sleep in one room, the heavy cur
taincd four-poslers-of which I have
seen as many as four in one room secur-
ing almost as much privacy as so many
separate apartments.
1.-The condition of the colonists is
really worse than of the Russian peas
ants in other districts, inasmuch as the
former have no natural protectors or
guardians. The estate owners, to whom
the Russian peasants formally belonged,
still take a sort of patriarchial interest
in them, and help them in their dis
tress. But the German colonists have
no one to whom they can look except
a few wealthy employers of labor. For
hundreds of miles you can traveli in the
steppes which bound the Volga with
out coming upon country gentleman's
seat. The colonists have feeling that
they are being left alone to die. No
hand is stretched out to save them.
Even the Government aid, scanty
enough in all conscience, has been
meted out more grudgingly and in
smaller quantities to them than to 9th
ers. The Red Cross Society has passed
them by altogether. This is how it
comes about that, while the inhabitants
of the Russian villages in Saratott are
fed, the Germans are starving. The
moral the Russians point to is differ
ent. They maintain that the existing
state of things is an argument in
favor of the RussianiZation Of the colo
nists.
"As you enter a German colonial
village you become aware OF an extra
ordinary odor, heavy and unpleasant,
which seems to pervade the whole
neighborhood. This is the odor of
burned manure, which is the only fuel
the German colonist is able to find. He
is consequently unable to manure his
fields. 1t was touching on entering the
cottages to see the industry of the in
habitants. All were busy, working for
their very lives. Most of the colonistso on
what is called the mountainous side OF
the Volga are weavers, and by dint OF
very great labor they are able to earn
about IS. a month. This is not paid to
them in cash, but in kind. They are
all hopelessly in debt to their employ
ers or sweaters, and these, of course,
take full advantage of the circum-
stance. The only educated people
among them are the clergy and the
schoolmasters, and these have not re-
ceived any salary for years. It is sad to
see young children with pale faces and
glistening eyes working at the looms
like galley slaves. In one cottage that
I entered the owner, man of IS, was
lying in semi-conscious condition IN
his bed. He had not tasted food for
several days, and his mind was wan
dering.
"In some villages l saw men, women
and children sitting almost naked, un-
able to GO out to seek work because
they had no clothes, and excluded from
the receipt of Government aid because
they had handicraft. This is, in
| deed, the worst feature in the admin
istration of relief. The Government
helps the absolutely destitute, whom it
IS scarcely worth while to save, and
leaves those who are industrious and
! able-bodied to starve. In the Russian
villages this arbitrary arrangement is
tempered by the dishonesty Of the Mir,
but t.. German colonists retain the
sterling qualities which they brought
with them from the Fatherland. They
are sober, honest, virtuous and indus
trious. Much of their present help
les.ness is due to the fact that they
were originally handicraftsmen and
tradesmen and knew nothing about
agriculture. They consequently adopt
ed the methods common in Russia and
hence, instead of improving the Rus
slams, they are gradually themselves
sinking down to the same level"