The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1905-12-29
A RUSSIAN IN NORFOLK
HERE TO REMAIN WITH
HIS UNCLE.
LEFT RUSSIA FOUR WEEKS AGO

Comes From the Town Of Chweidun In
Western Russia and Knew But Little
Of the Troubles Of the Cars EN-.
pire at the Time He Left.
A little personal in Saturdays News
| announced the arrival in this city of
Max Gordun from Western Russia, to
visit his uncle, s. NJ. Rosenthal.
A personal of the arrival of Rus.
sian In this city at the present time is
Of more than ordinary interest, when
1t is considered that the cars coun.
try Is now land Of revolution where
brother fights brother, and no man Is
safe, whether he Is for or against the
government, and an interview was
sought with the young man.
He Is of Hebrew parentage, who
were born in the German empire. Mr..
Gordun is a young man Of seventeen
years and speaks good German as well
as the Russian tongue Of the West
Russia which has a dialect OF its own,
as is the manner in most Of the Euro.
pean countries. He also understands
Hebrew.
When asked what he knew of the
troubles in the land which he has hith-
erto called home, he had but little to
say, thinking at first probably that he
was being followed by one of the
czar's secret police who are popping
up all over the world at unforeseen mo-
ments. When assured, however, by
his uncle that he was at liberty, in
this country, to talk as he desired on
the subject, he still hesitated and f.
nally said but little had tr anspired in
his native town of Chweidun to make
1t uncomfortable before he left, except
that there was considerable excite
ment as some brief news came from
the interior parts.
He also said he had read more of
the troubles since he left the Russian
soil than he had heard in all his life
while living in that land. He further
said many were prepared to move
away in event of the troubles becom-
ing local, and that there were many of
his own countrymen who would only
be too glad to come to America of
which he had heard so much.
He left Russia a little over four
weeks ago when everything looked
much more promising than it does to.
day, while thousands are being killed
in Moscow and South Russia. When
told that the papers today reported
that thousands were being slain in the
revolution now in progress in Moscow
and other cities, he said that he
wished that his parents were here
West Russia has many German col
onies and it is the cause of the Ger
man language being spoken almost as
much as the Russian tongue.
He was asked to write the name of
his native town in Russian and Ger
man, and as it appeared in Russian. it
was about like this, "Xbudanr," which
in English is Chweidun, pronounced
"Shadon," with a broad sound on the
90" The Russian tongue is one of
the most difficult, being partly Greek
and mixture of dialects They have
no letter "h' in their alphabet, but the
sound of that letter as we pronounce
it is most commonly used
Mr.. Gordun is very much impressed
with this country, having come via
New York where he was welcomed by
many people of the Hebrew race. He
is also surprised that so many speak
German, thousands of miles from his
home and in a land called America.
where he supposed that only the Eng
lish tongue prevailed.
For the present he will remain with
his uncle, Mr. Rosenthal, at the Bee
Hive store, and study English and be-
come acquainted with American ways
and customs, and it is to be hoped |
that he will prosper in Norfolk and be |
pleased with his new home