El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-07-12
THE GREAT SWINDLE
OF Russian Immigrants In Mexi
co.

A story of beautiful charity comes
from Russell county, Kansas, where
the great Russian colony is located.
The narrative has lis beginning in the
trip of q land sharper to Russia nearly
q year ago. He had scheme of col
onization and carried with him at-
tractive maps depicting what seemed
to the Russian peasants paradise in
Mexico near Tampico. With his glow
ing description OF the land of sunshine
and Of plenty, he induced some $50
Russians to invest fifty cents an acre
for q vast tract of land.
The colonists left the land OF the car
and crossed the sea to the new home In
Mexico. Then came the long journey
across the continent. And then the
rude awakening from the dream OF
prosperity and happiness. They soon
learned that the land for which they
parted with hard-earned money was not
theirs. The land sharper had no title.
They were left to starve. The raw
ages of the unaccustomed climate
brought disease and death, and $50
we're buried in Mexico
Many of the colonists had relatives
in the Russian settlement in western
Kansas. Money was raised and an emis-
sary sent to Kansas to acquatI t
these relatives with the condition. His
pitiful appeal brought instant and ef1ec-
tive response. The Russians and other
charitably inclined people in Russell
county raised 81, 500 and sent J. Strsck-
er, one of their NUM- Der, to Mexico to
bring the outcasts to sunny Kansas.
Meanwhile day after day the wasted
colony away off in Mexico gathered
at the depot, and with the departure
of the train each day left disappointed
that the day of salvation was again
postponed. But hope fingered. When
Mr.. Strecker came they did not know
him. The eager eyes of the emaciated
and hungry Russians scanned the
faces Of the passengers that alighted
from the train.
He has not come," and they turned
away. despair consuming them. Mr..
Strecker approached and addressed
them in their native tongue. Instant
ly the group wss about him, addressing
him as savior and deliverer, and in
the excess of their Joy they fell on
their knees and In other ways demon
strated their appreciation of the fact
that they believed the hour of deliver
Snce had come. .a~
enc old man, who had lost his wife
and all his children, stood apart and
seemed to have no share in the gen
eral rejoicing. He had no relatives
in Russell county and had no reason
to believe that he would be included.
he stated his position to
Mr.. Streoker, and his Joy may better
be imagined than described whom he
was told that he could 90 along.
The refugees are now In Kansas.
The entire population is out 10 greet
them. The doctors. storekeepers,
druggists, give of their services and
supplies freely. The last carload
arrived In Russell Q few days ago. The
disease-racked peasants
we're apporti0ned out among tho
mem bers of the Russian colony. where
they will stay until provision can be
70 ade for til cir future.
In two weeks the great wheat
harvest In Kansas will be on and the
strong and able bodied will be put to
work in the harvest fields while lighter
labor will be given the weaker ones.
And in Kansas they will live and grow
and prosper and repair the damage
by an Ubiquitous land sharper.
New York Journal