The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-05-19

New York, May 1S-A striking IL
Illustration of the conditions prevailing
among more than 10000. 900 starving
peasants in Russia is afforded by a
petition received at the HEADQUARTERS
of the Russian Famine Relief Commit
tee, 130 East 18th Street, this city. \
literal translation of the petition
shows not only the depths of suffer
ing and despair to which the famine
striker peasant have been plunged,
but also the social and educational
make it difficult for them even 20
frame an appeal TO the outside world
for assistance. II reads:
We humbly beg the Zemstvo of Sa-
mara, as receiving no aid or relief
from anywhere
"All our means are exhausted by
the famine. all our cattle and othe"
movable property are sold to keep
us from death by hunger; we are the
poorest of the poor. We are afraid
TO enter our wretched cottages be-
cause of the children. One is CRYING.
the others are grooming for food: see
ing them causes our tears To flow and
the blood to leave our hearts
AS if to mock our misery We hear
from strangers that in this or that
NllldSe d Tree hllClltn udS Btel Ollti-
ed We have nothing. nothing Can
it be that we are doomed 10 death
through hunger? How glad We would
be if We could get only bread and Po-
tatOeS-even if good people would
only give them to our children and
old women-we would not know how
10 thank Almighty God sufficiently
Yes, we pass our days together
thinking about these thinGS-bUt
what can We do? None of us knows
anything: We are quite in the dark
We go about like dead already, and
instead of the dazzling Wilderness If
the snow we see something Sreenisn
on the sound and again we wait for.
the day to pass. hoping against hope
What shall We do? Where shall
we go? What shall we say? What
are We 10 do? Go home to our huts?
The very word home makes our
hearts turn. But there is nothing else
to dove go home. enter the dark
house trying not to look at the wife or
children. pretending not to hear their
eager questioning-'W Where have You
been, father And like eveFybody's
enemy. like some wild beast, you- stink
away TO your corner TO seek forget
fulnesS in sleep. But no, sleep does
not come. something prevents It, and
bitter thoughts chase through your
head. one after the other. like the
waves of the sea. And so YOU toss
till daybreak. and in the mOrning-Set
up and fee Where to? You don't
know. What shall we do? Where
can one find bread? You don't know
Again We all crowd together, like a
flock of hungry birds and twitter
about our sorrow. All at once some
write iniv1.-
and saws. Friends. you must beg the
authorities for help And We all be-
gin entreating him. BE so kind, write
a Detition.' Perhaps il shall reach
some kind man in power, and at the
same time. our prayer shall reach
Cod Well may the Lord bless us
Speak, You begin. Bacil Cherkas-
soft
".AH my harvest was 10 pools (4OO
pnunde) of rye This lasted only till
SeDtember. because | have a wife and
six children After this was eaten,
! began TO sell our clothes and house
hold things. then | sold hOrse-and
so we lived till December. Now |
have nothing more 10 sell though !
have two starving horses yet left. but
how am I to sell them? Spring IS
coming. what am I TO plough with If
l.
COW left and that one cant stand
the neighbors help me to life it on
it's legs of a morning, and my horse
ii is hardly ANYTHING but the name OF
= horse-a puff of wind can knock IL
over can't say anything more, only
God have mercy upon us if we DO
not get help
And Won. old Peter.-what can Won
add?-Oh, brothers, | can manage
vet.-I am the only workman at home
I have heap of children and only
one eye.-so that I can see ONLY hail
tho misery that YOU do. We do get
a Bit. now and then. not from the au-
thorities. but begging.
The collection Of contributions TOT
the relief work is being carried on IN
this country by the Russian Famine
Relief Committee. 135 East 19tn
Street. New York City. Of which
Samuel !. Barrows is Secretary. No
contribution is TOO small and Inc
Morton Trust ComDany- acting AZ
treasurer. will acknowledge all The
money is to be used only for the saw
ine Of life
Five dollars viii save al adult nv
rents a dav will keep child irons
death b. starvation