Identifier: russiathennow18900reev (find matches)
Title: Russia then and now, 1892-1917; my mission to Russia during the famine of 1891-1892, with data bearing upon Russia of to-day
Year: 1917 (1910s)
Authors: Reeves, Francis B. (Francis Brewster), 1836-1922
Subjects: Famines -- Soviet Union Soviet Union -- Social conditions Soviet Union -- Description and travel
Publisher: New York, London, G.P. Putnam's Sons
Contributing Library: MBLWHOI Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MBLWHOI Library

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f disease.This nursery was under the constant supervisionof Countess Bobrinskoy. Next was a storehouse,where the American wheat flour and the rye flourpurchased with government money, were mixedtogether, as the peasants were so used to dark ryebread that they did not care as much for plainwhite bread. Next day, with Count Vladimir Bobrinskoy, Iwas taken upon his official monthly house-to-houseinspection of the village of Tovorkova, ten milesdistant. Arriving at this village of about threehundred straw-thatched huts and five thousandinhabitants, at four oclock in the afternoon, wefirst secured the company of the two elders of thevillage. Leaving our carriage we started on atramp afoot through black mud, going from doorto door interviewing the head of each family, theCount noting in a book, systematically, therequirements of the household for the nextmonthly distribution, facts as to the number nowdependent, how many at work, the number sick,if any, etc. The elders were supposed to give
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a rt a ri K< VIS ITING THE POOR PEASANTS 59 the cue if any doubt existed as to the peasantsstatement, and in such case we all visited the barn,uncovered the meal barrel or untied the bag stringthat we might see for ourselves what remainedto tide the family over to the next distribution.In every case, save one, we found the pitiful storyonly too true. The condition of these people was deplorablymiserable. In their earthen-covered hovels oftwo rooms lived families of from ten to fortyhuman beings beside cattle of the ordinary kind.Entering one house in which lived forty people, anaged father and mother, nine sons with their wivesand children, I was met just within the door bytwo cows. Opening the door leading into theother room a third cow challenged my progress inthat direction. She had been called into theparlour for milking. Where do these fortysleep? I inquired of the Count. The ready reply,applicable to all such peasant dwellings, was, Inwinter on the brick enclosure of the oven

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