Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-12-17

and reports that all the irrigation
projects OF the government in Arizo-
ma, Colorado, Wyoming and the en-
TIRE West, are progressing more rap
idly than any railroad or private cor
pora;ions. He says great tracts of
the country will soon be pleasantly
revoiutionized
TELLURIDE. Dec. l4.-John Lund-
strom, who was injured at the Liberty
Bell mine yesterday morning, died
about midnight.
ST. PETERSBURG, Dec. "A. 49, The
acute political unrest in Russia has
diverted the attention of the world
from the fearful economic conditions
prevailing throughout large areas of
the empire. involving horrors and suf-
ierings among peasants vastly greater
than the oppression of even the most
II ruthless administrative extermlnat-
ors. In ten provinces of central and
southeastern Russia the cumulative
Il evils OF three successive bad harvests
afliict the peasant population, who are
now at the starving point. The Stoly-
pin government is doing its best to
cover up the horrors by optimistic
tales OF improving times. but the
| dreadful fact remains that nearly six
million Russians are panic,stricken
and ON the verge of starvation Near.
iy two millions are actually suffering
from the direst pangs of hunger
| Conditions are worst in the prov
ince of Simbirsk, but they are nearly
as bad In Orel, Voronej, Ala and
Perm. Nothing sensible has yet been
done by the government officials in
st. Petersburg, while the local Off
cials are at loggerheads. each accus-
Ing the other of peculation and stu
pidity. The railways which should
forward grain to the famine districts
are completely disorganized, and hun
dreds of wagon loads OF rye and
wheat have been lying rotting at way
stations for months.
| Details of the famine sufferngs are
heartrending. The aged and the
children suffer most. In one village
in Simbirsk province small quantl-
| ty OF grain arrived from some charit
able person for the children. They
lstormed the house where the meal was
being doled out and cried and moan
ed. but there was not enough to feed
Inne-twentieth of them. In other dis
tricts mothers threw themselves on
| their knees before the officials and
begged for bread, offering anything,
| themselves, all they have or ever will
have. If only their weeping children
be fed.
There are villages Of 5000 or 1000
inhabitants where there is literally no
rye or wheat TO be had at any price,
where the villagers are gazing, fam
shed and broken hearted at ap-
preaching death.
Hunger. typhus and scorbutic dis.
eases are rapidly deeimating them.
The mortality among the young chill
dren is especially appalling. Pigs
food, disgusting ofIal and refuse of
all sorts. chaff. dirty straw-all have
been consumed by the peasants. dy-
ing of starvation.
A government inspector travelling
through the province of Riazan says
he saw districts where people, mere
skeletons, were moving about hollow
eyed. fever-stricken, with rage burn.
ing their hearts against govern
ment SO inert and heartless.
The children are out over the froz-
en- steppes, where 1t is already pierc-
ingly cold, gathering herbs and licor-
ice plants for food. There Is a sort of
birch tree with sweetish bark. which
the peasants are drying and grinding
to mix with their scant remnants of
rye meal
With the famine and all that 1t
brings in its train, the people are for
getting their moral instincts. Peas
| ants with meal or grain of some sort
have frequently been offered the
| wives or daughters OF starving neigh
bors in exchange for some of 1t, while
stories are rife of rich proprietors
who are using the existing needs of
the peasants TO secure girls from their
parents. 1t seems incredible. but
these stories are circumstantially
told.
1t is declared on all sides that the
government is to blame for not Gre
ating large enough relief fund and
then seeing that the supplies reach
the famine-stricken people.
The latest scandal in connection
with these funds involves the late
Field Marshal Gourko. He was Sc
lected by the government as suit
able administrator of the funds. He
had control OF millions. He was well
known as dirty-handed gambler:
nevertheless. he had the run of the
| grand ducal nalaceg After featherIug z