The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-05-11
FAMINE HORROR
TOLD IN LETTERS
STRIKING ILLUSTRATION or THE
WANT PREVAILING AMONG
100000 PEASANTS.
DREAD CH|LDREN'S CRIES


New lulk, Md4 ~. StiihtaS ~
lustration Of the conditions prevail
ing among more than 20oo0000 starry.
ing peasants in Russia Is afforded by
! a petition received at the headquar
ters OF the Russian Famine Relief
committee, 1856 East Fifteenth street,
This city. A literal translation Of the
petition shows not only the depths of
suffering aud despair to which the
famine-stricken peasants have been
plunged but also The social and edu,
cational conditions of the sufferers
which make it difficult for them even
to frame an appeal to the outside
world for assistance. 1t reads;
We humby beg OF the Zemstvo Of
| Samara, as receiving no aid or relief
I from anywhere.
"All our own means are exhausted
! By the famine, AN our cattle and
other movable property are sold to
| Keep MS from death by hunger; we
ore the poorest OF The poor We are
lafiaid to enter our wretched cottages
because of the children One Is cry
ing the others are grooming for food
seeing them causes our teas TO flow
and the blood 70 leave our hearts,
Go About Like the Dead.
AS if 10 mock our misery we bear
from strangers that in this or that
village a free kitchen has been
oEened. we have nothing. nothing
Can it be that we are doomed 10
death through hunger? How glad we
would he if we could get only bread
ana potatoes even if good people
would only give them TO our children
and old womenwe would no know
hoW TO thank Almighty God sufficient
" Yes we pass our days together
thinking about these things but
what can we do? None Of us knows
anything, we re quite in The dark /
We 80 about like dead already. and 1
instead Of the dazzling wilderness Of 4
The snow We see something greenish I
Hi the ground and again We wait tor 4
the day to pass, hoping against hope
What shall c do? Where shall we
gor What shall we say? what are I
We to do? Go home to our huts? The +
very word home makes our hearts
tain But there is nothing else to
tho We go home, enter the dark
house trying not to look al the wife
o. children, pretending not 10 hear
.feir eager questioning Where have
yen been, father And like every
)ody's enemy. like some wild beast
you Sink away to your corner to seek
in sleep But no. sleep
does not come. something prevents It.
and bitter thoughts chase through
you head. one after the other. like
BE ave OF the sea.
Only Hope Lies in Begging.
And SO You toss till daybreak. and
n the morning ger M and fee
Where to- You don't know What
Shall we do? Where can one find
bread? You don't know. Again we
at crowd together. ike a flock Of hun.
.ry biis and twitter about our sok |
row All at once some man WHO can
cad and wite Joins MS and says.
Friends. you must beg the authorities
'oI help and We an begin entreatine
him. BE so kind, write a petition
Pcthap. fl shall reach some kind
nal ia power and at the same time
cur prayer shall reach God Well
may the Lord bless us Speak, You
begin. Basil Cherkassof.
AN my harvest was 10 pools 40l
lounlsl Of re This lasted only till
Septembc-. because have a wife and
.lX children After this was eaten. /
began TO sell oar clothes and house
.old things then sold horse-and
20 We lived until December Now
have nothing more TO sell though +
have two starving horses left. but
low am ! TO sell them2 Spring t.
'omine what am | to plopueh with IL
sell them2 And I have only one
cow left and that one can't stand
ne neiehbors help me To lift it on its
egs Of morning. and my horse-it
s hardly ANYTHING but the name OF
l0rse-a pun Of wind can knock IL
'ver ! can't say anything more only
iod have mercy upon as if We do not
.et helm
Five Dollars VIII Save a Life.
And you. old Peter-what can you
i'd? on brothers. can manage
-ef--I am the only workman at home.
have 4 hesp Of children and only
ne eye so that 7 can see only half
he misery that you do, We do eat a
in. now and then not from the au-
horities. but begging
The collection Of contribution for
hc relief work IS being carried on in
his country by the Russian Famine
Relief committee. Of which Samuel J.
ion is too small and the Morten
ION is ttoo small. and the Morton
trust COMPANY. acting as treasurer.
,in acknowledge all The money g.
q be used only for the saving Of life