Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1891 — STARVING RUSSIANS. [ARTICLE]

STARVING RUSSIANS.

Bread Made from Earth and Sand to '* Them by tlnscrapalou* Merchant*. _s_ An analysis of bread sold inmany places by unscrupulous merchants reveals the fact that absolutely poisonous mixtures are sold. Several merchants have been arrested at Morshausk, and will be summarily tried. Many specimens of such bread, consists of 70 per cent, of earth and sand, and 30 per cent, of refuse farinaceous products. Among the many conjectures regarding the causes of the failure of the crops, it is suggested that the declinage of hundreds of versts on the vast swamp of Pinsk resulted in flooding the Dnieper in the spring, and lowness of water late in the summer, thus causing a diminution in the rain-fall in the eastern provinces. Almost all of the government officials have voluntarily contributed # portion of their salaries’ to the famine fund. The public talk of bringing bread from America and Egypt Reports here from Tamboff and its adjacent provinces announce that the Zemstvos have provided for the resowing of the land and to provide supplies of grain until January next. After that date it will be the greatest difficulty to secure food for the people. As the collection of taxes is impossible, the salaries of the local administrative bodies have necessarily been suspended. Even if tlje funds to supply grain are obtained, the distribution, which will be over wide famine tracts, will be difficult, and the maintenance of hospitals, schoolsand asylums is doubtful, The scarcity of oats and hay is compelling the farmer's to sell their live stock at a sacrifice. For instance, a horse for 2 roubles, a cow for 5 roubles, and colts for from 30 to 50 copecks. After a recent county fair in a district the skeletons of forty horses had been found by the roadside. The animals had been killed for their skins - I