The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-02-10
TWO REFUGEES
REACH KENOSHA
Samuel and Oscar Kali
Tell Story of Harassing
Adventures.
WERE WAR PRISONERS

Kenosha's list of refugees from thc
war SCARED land of Poland was in
creased Thursday with the arrival o.
Samuel Kslb and Oscar Kalb after
journey of six months. Contrary t.
the usual story of the refugees tbs
Kalb brothers experienced no distress,
ing adventures in their attempt t,
reach the homes of relatives in Amer.
ca other than the rather more thar
ordinarily tedious delays in securin,
passports. The memories of horror.
lived but not forgotten which are mir
rored in the wide, incredulous eyes
are all in q. past antedating the star
on the journey to America.
The story of Samuel and. Oscar Kali
dates back to pre-war days when thei
father, Ephriam Kalb, left their HON,
in the little village of Rogi, Austria
Hungary, to join relatives in Kenosha
He was to secure sufficient money t,
enable him to bring the other mem
bers of his family. Then came tn
war and the destruction of his cherish
ed plans
Various members of the Kalb famiI
of Kenosha have had almost incredibl
adventures which have been publishe
from, time to time. But Samuel an.
Oscar Kalb have lived through year
of horror far greater than these
There is some reticence on the part
the refugees and a necessity to rea
between the lines in order to vizu
alize the adventures through whic
the brothers have passed.
Fought in Austrian Army.
In 1916 both brothers entered tn
Austrian army. They saw heavy fight
ing for a year and a half. Thei.
troops were driven from Chernowitz
Bukowina, to the town of Koloma
During the terrific fighting Samuel was
captured together with five hundred
other Austrian soldiers. Oscar Tough.
through that battle and the other bat
ties until peace time without ex-
periencing more than the ordinary
wartime Incidents.
Samuel Kalb, with the other Aus
trian prisoners of war, was taken into
the depths of Siberia. For two years
the men were under control of the
Russians. They were kept at the con-
tinuous labor of laying railroad tracks
and at the end of their period of cap
tivity they had completed one hundrel
and fifty miles of single tracks. The
Russians fed them one regular meal
day. For the other two meals, those
who had the money ate, those who
were unable to purchase food suffered
He remained a prisoner of war until
1919 when he returned to his home
which was now Polish territory.
His arrival was anything but pleas
ant. Sections of the little village were
in ruins and his family and their
brethren had been compelled to flee
for their lives to the neighboring town
of Tukle. There, because of increased
numbers, there was degree of safe
ty. However, conditions were any
thing but tolerable with the uncer-
tainty Of how they were to fare and
the added anxiety of hostilities with
the Bolshevists. The brothers had
finally got into communication with
their father and other relatives IL
Kenosha and it was decided that the
two would join their father in an e.
fort to establish a home here.
There was a joyous reunion at the
little home on N. Pleasant street or
Thursday and now father and sons
are determined to work desperately
that the mother, three sisters, and the
wife and child of Samuel may b
brought here the new future.
AS for general conditions in Poland
they don't like to recall the horror
from which they have just escaped. Blu
they do tell of the pitiful condition
of thousands of people who barely are
able to exist. Thousands of people arc
living upon potatoes alone, for, while
they cost 200 marks bushel, there fz
more sustenance for the least expe
diture. Bread is go marks a pound.
A suit of clothes is priced at from
5000 to 10000 marks. Now there is
the fear Of renewing of hostilitiea
with the Bolsheviks as there were per
sistent rumors before the brothers left
their home that an extensive spring
campaign was being planned.