The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-04-22

refused by the Russian government ant
shortly afterward began that active op
preston which Is driving the Hebrew
peasants out OF the car ) dominions and
TO the four quarters OF the earth Baron
| de Hirsch was not only Jewish by birth
but ho was orthodox Jew In his religion
Here was work for him do. and he sci
about the task with the same brave spirit
that he took 20 his railway enterprises.
How could he help these people thu,
forced from Russian This was much
more serious problem than any of those
he had had 10 solve In his railway career
inadequate for the Demand.
Large though his fortune was. Ii was
entirely inadequate To provide for all OF
these people. He therefore saw that he
must enlist the assistance Of other rich
Hebrews in the cause. About this time
he met in Constantinople wealthy
American Hebrew, Oscar $. Straus then
United States minister to Turkey. After
many and long conferences it was decid
cd that as many of these Russian refu-
gees as could be provided with homes and
made self-supporting should be assisted
To come to the United States To this
end Baron de Hirsch gave fund Of az
1000. TO be paid In monthly install.
ments Of slO,0OJ.
OF this scheme the public in America
has heard much. lt has had successes and
failures. OF the general result it Is too
early to speak. TherS were very many
American Hebrews who did not think the
scheme a good one because they knew
that every form of assisted emigration
previously tried had failed They saw no
reason why this should be an exception.
But when the refugees began TO arrive
and these American Hebrews saw the
pitifulness Of their general condition.
their poverty, their lack of health, their
Ignorance and debasement. they did not
hold back, but have given O genuine and
hearty support TO the plan, even though
they had not approved.
Effect Must Be Good
Schools were established both for young
and old and agricultural colonies found
ed. Whatever may be the result Of the
experiment as to the grown men and wo-
men who have been forced from Russia
and brought to the United States, the ef-
feet on the children, the men and women
Of the next generation. cannot be other
than good. But Baron de Hirsch learned
from the reports of his agents and coll
leagues in the United States that It
would be very easy to overdo the thing
In bringing out Russian Hebrews. IL
would be unwise. they thought for them
to come faster than they could be pre-
pared To support themselves. So the ba-
ron sent agents to South America and
Mexico to negotiate for the purchase Of
large tracts of land
In the Argentine Republic negotiations
were concluded and the government
looked favorably-upon the colonization
scheme. But tho people were bitterly op-
posed to 1t and made such manifestations
of angry hostility that the plan had to be-
abandoned. Then Mexico was settled
upon, and President Diaz promptly gave
his assurance Of cooperation. These are
the large benevolences that engaged the
recent years of the Jewish millionaire
Letters OF Appeal.
But outside Of these large charities he
has been for ten years past the most be-
sought man in the world. 1t has taken
all the time of two clerks to open. read,
classify and answer the letters of appeal
that were sent to tho baron from all over
the world He and his wife have also
had social ambitions At Vienna there
Is great prejudice against Jews, and
lhcy were rdreiy receiNeu AZ court. Az
the clubs in Vienna and Paris member |
ship was declined TO him In London he |
was more fortunate.
Having gained the friendship Of the |
Prince of Wales no was elected to mem.
)ership in the Marlborough. Whites, and |
several other swell clubs. This shows a
peculiar phase OF Baron do Hirsch's char
,cter. Why he should have subjected
himself to the probability of the mortif-
'ation of being black balled by lot OF
yilded idlers who frequent these clubs
passes comprehension. He had many
plendid houses, and the shooting on his
states Is the best in Europe. He was
lso a breeder and racer of thoroughbreds
nd fond of sport generally.