St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-21

ABSOIl ELY PURE

by the thousands daily, in some districts
they are collecting acOrnS, oak bark and
leaves as substitute for TODD; that the
only food of the peaSantry in the prov
lnce Of Simbirsk is a hard black mass
called bread, made chiefly of goosefOot,
plant that is, and that every assist
ance given to the ear aud his govern
ment will be a work of humanity.
Thousands of peasants are deserving
their homes. having absolutely nothing
to eat. Troops of starving beggarS are.
wandering through the villages. Many
a peasant sells his only plough horse for
few rubles to buy food for his family
for week. Mortality has increased at
a rate that is frightful, and in one place,
out of $50 Families. forty-seven persons
died of hunger in fortnight. Thou
sands have fled to Siberia. but even
there cannot get relief. Thirteen thou
sand of them are at Tiumen in the
greatest distress, and cannot move until
the rivers open in the spring and
steamers can transport them to the
more fiourlshing districts, hitherto de-
voted mostly to eXileS.
Russia is expending every possible
energy to meet the rational calamity
The national Golfers have been opened.
The imperial family has contributed a
very large sum; state balls have been
c0untermanded: meetings to raise funds
are raised everywhere; the rank and
file of the army are contributing. Stu
dents in the universities are foregoing
their annual dinners that their contri-
buttons may be larger, and money is
flowing in to the distributing commit
tees from every direction. The car
himself is supervising everything. He
has appointed the cZareWiteh as preSi-
dent of the central relief committee.
lie has dismissed by wholesale railroad
officials who failed to have the facilities
for transporting the grain to the FAM
iShed districts. How much money the
government has already contributed it
is impossible to state with accuracy.
Two days ago further sum of 65, 900, 600
rubles, or about S40,000,000, was appor-
toned for relief purposes, and this is
the third of the contributions of SINH
lar amount. The car himself has given
10000, 900 rubles; the czarina 5000, 600
rubles.
A few days ago M. Alexief, the mayor
of Moscow, was dispatched by the care
witch to visit the famine stricken dis
tricts,' especially Saratotf, Orenburg, Sa-
mara and Ufa. Fifteen officers of the
guards were placed under his orders.
and Il, 100000 of rubles were given to
him for purchases of corn. According
to him the reports of the famine have
been much exaggerated. The mayors
tour. says Russian correspondent, will
last three mouths. His authority is
greater than that of the governors of
prOvinceS-a deserved mark of conf
dence in the capacity and probity of
simple Moscow tradeSman. He can buy
compulsorily, at fair valuation. grain
stored up by persons demanding eXor-
bltant rates. In Ufa he found a Tartar
possessing several million pools, for
which he wanted monStrouS price. M.
AleXelef, however, induced the man to
give it up at a reasonable figure, the in
ducemeDt being telegram of thanks
from the czarewitch, with which the
Tartar was enchanted. Such men as
NJ. AleXeief are rare in Russia, and
when circumstances call them forth we
may be certain that they will be Sum-
moned to high councils. No doubt there
is something arbitrary in his proceed
ings, but the time is not yet come in
Russia when man invested with au-
thority can shake off the autocratic
spirit. ---- -
The contributions of grain from
America will be sent to. Libau on the
Baltic. Thence the grain will be for,
Warded by railroad to tine distressed dis
tricts. From Libau to Moscow is only a
nights travel; from Moscow TO Nijny
NovgOrod another night; thence the
grain must be distributed by sled. Much
of the grain will go south from Moscow
to Samara and Orenburg. The furthest
point will be reached within a week
after the ships land their cargo at the
Baltic port. Already Secretary Rusk
has dispatched a representative to st.
Petersburg to confer with the authori-
ties there. Though the government,
that is to say the czarewitch central
committee, will take charge of the con-
tribution, it would be we'll that some
American be sent to Overwatch the
work. Miss Clara Barton, who has
done such magnificent work in her life,
will, we trust. be sent with the contri-
buttons and represent the generous
and the rich East in the distribution of
the grain.