The Jewish outlook., 1908-01-17

There are about siXty-five families
settled round Hirsch. Very few, say
fifteen. of these are original settlers.
A succession of bad harvests, bad
management and illiberal treatment
frightened away the majority. They
have drifted into Winnipeg and Van
couver, and others of the booming ci-
ties of Canada. and to judge by the
number of Canadian synagogues.
must be getting at least their share OF
Canada's prosperity. Some have
crowded into the United States and
settled in Minneapolis and elsewhere.
The farms we saw showed signs of in
telligent farming. Quite "A number OF
acres had been plOughed for summer
fallOw, but at least half dozen colo
nists had suffered greatly from two
serious hailstorms which had almost
ruined their wheat. The Canadian
government insures against hail at the
rate of 10 cents for So per acre, but
only one man we met was insured, and
he only partially The colonists were
Just about making both ends meet
when this calamity occurred. 1t has
set them back very seriously and it is
to be hoped that if they apply to the
Jewish Colonization Association for n
loan to replace their cash deficiency
their application will be favorably
considered. Most of the farmers had
up-to-date agricultural implements.
but these lay somewhat untidily about
exposed to the weather. Their owners
were not yet able to afford to build
outhouses in which to store them. One
of the original colonists. who gave us
''chai" (tea). was quite prosperous.
In addition to his free homestead OF
16O acres. he had bought half section
(320) for So 900. and owned six head
of cattle. three oxen and eight horses.
and employed two Jewish hands at
monthly wages of thirty and twenty
dollars. He grows wheat. oats and
potatoes. and sends his little ones to
school in a pony cart. Like all farm.
ers, he is rich in the possession of a
large family. About couple of
miles from the station is the nearest
approach to village. Four or fixe
houses. of which one is the school
house and synagogue, are pretty close
together. A young Englishman. who
lodges with one of the cOlonists. is the
teacher, and to judge by the maps on
the walls and the intelligence of his
young people, he must be competent
man. 1t was Friday afternoon when
we got there. A strong wind was
blowing, which we found disagreeable.
but the colonists pronounced it intol-
cradle even to the prevention of work
And so there were "quite few" col
Onists cOngregated there in a sort of
informal meeting. A rabbi. recently
imported by his brother-in-law from
Russia, was teaching Hebrew to three
little boys and was very anxious to
show us his certificates. It was a
pity that he was there, for he is not
needed. The Rev. Marcus Berner
once of Hanley and since of the Tai
mud Torah in Great Garden street,
London, and for eight years a colo
mist, is quite capable of acting as
rabbi teacher, and indeed continues to
do so, for the congregation, but one
man-the brother-in-law above refer
red to, who, by the bye, bears a name
highly honored in Hebrew literary
circles. And so there are two SER
vices on Saturday, one at the school
house and one at Mr.. Berner's. We
were guests of the latter and privil-
eyed to hear the portion read out of
beautiful scroll, the joint gift of Mr..
Claude Montefiore and the late Mr..