Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-06-01
How Tolstoy Helped the Starving
Peasants.
From the Record OF one Of his Helpers in the

From the Record OF one Of his Helpers in the
Century for June.l
Besides the eating-rooms for grown peo-
pie, 1t was soon found necessary to estsb-
lish special eating-Iooms for little chill
dren. These were the particular care of
the count. shall describe later some of
the difficulties he had to overcome In this
work. In Russia, as q general thing,
nearly hall of all the children born die in
infancy, and during the famine the NOR
tality was terrible. The eating-rooms for
children were provided with food made
from milk, oat meal, millet, buckwheat,
etc. At the time of my departure the
count had established about seventy Eve
such eating rooms.
After the new year the count opened q
new branch of his work, to provide fuel
for the distressed population. About
four hundred cords of wood were distribu-
ted during the winter, either gratuitously
or for q small compensation in the form of
work.
A fourth branch of his work was to feed
the horses of the pessants. For this pur
pose the count established large stable in
which three hundred horses were fed; and
through his agency a large number or
horees we're sent to parts of the country
where there was plenty of fodder, to be
fed until spring.
A ffth branch of his work wns to dis
tribute lax and bsst among the muzhiks,
to give them sorne work. The ba.t plays a
very prominent part in the clothing of the
muzhik, who rarely can afford TO wear
leather shoes. From this bast they make
kind of low shoes, and they use rsgs
about their legs instead Of stockings.
Some of the peasants obtained these mate
risls grstuitously, while others paid trihs
fer them. All the shoes which were not
needed by the muzhiks who had made
them the count bought at full price, and
distributed among the needy.
The sixth branch of his work consisted
in buying sowing -seed-wheat, rye, pota-
toes, oats, millet and hemp-for distribu-
ton among the most destitute. The need
of this help was very pressing, not only
from the fact that the majority of tho
peasants had no possible means of pTovi-
ding themselves with seed, but also be-
cause of the fact that about one-third of
the autumn sowing had been destroyed by
ice, which covered the fields for Thousands
of versts. The help voted by the govern
ment toward providing seed was altogeth-
or insufficient, and often went to the kul-
axis c'fsts;" l. e., peasant usurers) instead
| of to the muzhiks. OF course a very small
number of the destitute millions could be
reached by this help. This seed was dis
tributed on condition that 1t should be
paid for at q moderate psi ice after the next
harvest. The income from this was to be
used toward establishing homes for desti
tute children.
There was still another branch of the
counts work, the buying of horses and
distributing them TO the very destitute
Besides the large number of muzhiks who
had never had horse, amounting in many
villages to forty per cent most of the re
manning number had lost their horses OF
were losing them every day, and must oi
necessity be reduced to the greatest misery
or complete slavery, II they were MOI
helped. During my visit arrangement
were inside to buy one hundred horses a
an average price of thirteen dollars apiece
but many more were bought and distribu
ted later on. The horses were given away
on the following conditions: Every on,
who received q horse must till the coil fo
two other peasants who were without
horse, or for widows and orphans. Th.
count and his family also helped the starve
lings In other ways. Several bakeries wer,
established, where bread was baked ani
sold at the cheap rate of sixty kopeks pc
pood (forty pounds) Small sums of mon
ey were also given for pressing needs nkt
burial expenses. The count and his help
\ ers did all in their power to render spirit
usl aid. In a kind and loving way the,
encouraged and counseled the people
They always had on hand a large stor'
of suitable tracts, which they distributed
among the muzhiks- who could resd
They also tried to establish schools fo
peasant children, which, under the oir
cumstances, was exceedingly difficult