The morning times., 1896-09-27
He Was Driven From His Own
Land by Persecution and
Came to America.
First to Describe His Race As rlodis
fled by New World
Influences.


Influences.
give me an opportunity to close up my af-
fairs. But it would be useless for ne TO
try TO escape, they added, sine. | WAS
watched Constantly. As I did lrd yrarr
for the gailOws or the II ines, however,, |
. planned to get away. Friends To help me
werc not wanting. and that very night
startcdfor Vitrhsk, about 1870 English mics
down he river Dvina from Welsh took
nothing with me but my clothes and "A lit
tie I@oncy. | went in a boat that Luught
for twent seven roubles, Though my
friends, who all knew that my house had
just been searched and that | was under
fog | went by the river tecau>., it was
both the safest and the quickest Route.
1t would have taken ne at least two
days to go with horses, but, rowing with
the swift current Of the Inid->pr,ng fiuo.i,
| hoped To make 1t in ten or weIve hours.
Possibly could reach vitebsk by 8 In the
morning; ir | had done SC ! should have
boarded railroad train and hastcned 10
Warsaw. where | would soon have been
swallowed up In the crnwd or students.
locks, an old-fashioned cap aud elasscs,
~ as To look ike Teiig---S teacher. As
my friends had hardly known me, thus
dressed up, was not much afraid that
would be spotted by he police.
But my plans were broken up by de-
lays ON the river. The two men whom
| had hired To do the rowing were not
thoroughly familiar with the current and
IL was not until 3 the next afternoon.
after several narrow escapes from the
water. that | stepped on shore again.
once ut vitebsk | Iound shelter among
friends for a day or two. and then l,-ft the
place, and Travelled slowly toward the
frontier. BY this time news OF thy escape
had been sent broadcast, OF co.. 81. and
dared not use the railroads went 1n
foot .onhorseback and bydiliGeucct or stage
cnachl over the back country roads avoid
ing large towns. I had assumed a new
naine. and had got . passport to fit it
never mind how got il and my only real
fear was that some jealous Official woull
order me 10 take off my glasses. That
would surely have given me away. for
was decidedly cr0ss-eyed Tts has been
remedicd By expert surgery s,rcs have
been in America. but then my uccuIar eyes
weie my most striking facial character
istic.
DEPARTURE FOR AMERICA
After Spending some time in this man
Dcr got TO Moliilcff and from there vrnturet,
20 su 20 Kicff by steamer. There decided
10 come TO America and join a communiStic
colony. ItwaS my good luck that the perse-
cutlon Of the Jews was driving 50 mahy
thousands away at that time. for i. gave
nor watch every one Of us and IN due time
left kieff. slipped unmolcStcd aSross the
frontier and embarked for the new world.
/ landed in New York on June 6, 1SS2,
with the intention of soon pushing on To
Oregon where the cCmmuni>tic Cclouy of
New Odessa was beng formed But bad
not been III New York long tefore smellcd
til. American atmosphere. by " hiclI mean
that / saw how useless it would bt- NJ this
time, or for many years. to st&rt com
muniS;ic colonies in the new world. since
then New Odessa has failed.
/ cannot iell you how my "IeS were
opened by my first days in New York. We
IN Russia knew nothing Of the real -.n."rlca-
We had always supposed it to Ic q il md of
the amenities: a country where all men
We're suave and courageous aud gcutie. L
from which inferred that 1t WAS i ieau-
tifulIy quiet. though Immense city. where
there were many spreadinEtrccsands smooth
streets and spia stling fountains ana ieau-
uTuI palace like buildings. Want. hun
ger. DIRT. incquaiity-poue OF ttr>c things
were in the America of my ImI eination.
We'll. found-you know what ] found.
In the circumstances, the only thing Tor me
b,sl l..rt rtI
Gotu work. onthe east side fonnd Il fans
liz who were anxio0s that the eldest roy
should learn old Hebrew, and would give
me lodging II would teach it to hun They
world also teach me what they could of
Euclish. l got grammar AMI studied u
every hour OF the day tIll my little st"rr Of
money gave out. Then i got work as "A
tobacoo stripper and md,lc the acquaintance
Of the sweating system. After my work
was done each night would stu'iy English
as long as could Keep awa6"- Later
worked in tin shop. Then saVed 4 little
money and went to the day school with the
lttIe children. sitting alongside tcn-year-
oIds and studying the same books Every
one VII kind to me. and the principal ot the
school particularly so.
"A while after that became i teacher IN
n New York night school myself, but IT was
whiIeI wascarning my living as Il working
man that became Interested III the social
is,ic labor moveme ment. am still Il socialist,
and always expect to be. l served as u
delegate from New York To the sociliistic
congresses in Zurich and in Brussels, AM
for time wasa walking delegate.
MEETING WITH HowELLs.
1T was because Of Mr. Howeli's de