APPENDIX
Medicine Lodge Cresset, November 5, 1885
In the southwest part of this county there is a large
settlement of Russians, Hungarians, Danes and other
foreigners. They have, as a general thing, good claims which
they are improving rapidly. These people are industrious,
and economical and will make good citizens. Probably the
most influential man in the settlement is Mr. Sclar,
formerly of New York. For names, this settlement heads off
any other section of the county. We learned one that we
think will take the cake anywhere in this section; it is
Gedaly Rachmilewitz, a very intelligent young Russian who
has only been in this county a year or two, yet talks and
writes English fluently.
Medicine Lodge Cresset, November 12,
1885
Why I Left Russia
Most of the Russian educated young men, nearly all the
tribes of Levy being tired out with the absolute will of the
autocrats, constantly continue to appropriate the
peculiarities of cosmopolitism. They never feel sorrow, as
dreadful as their condition might be in the world,
remembering their standing at home.
A good many Russian people enjoy their sweet corners of
the poor dwellings erected on the desolate fields of Barber,
finding them much more comfortable, lovely, pleasant and
secure while inhaling the fresh breeze of freedom and
independence than the Czar in his interior chambers of the
celebrated Castle Gatchino under the flash of exposed
sabers.
I, myself, am a strict adherent to the theory of a
representative government where every citizen has the right
to exercise his opinion. I am by no means an enemy of the
dynasty of Romanoff, but that I love freedom and
independence. Who is so base that would be a bondsman? Who
is so vile that feels not a high respect for a free country?
Who is so rude that may neglect independence?
The Russian nihilist, although in some extraordinary
cases they do not neglect to play with the dynamic ball, and
at times they are disposed to use it as a blind weapon in
their hands to stir up the hearts and minds of the
illiterate class to making riot and rage, the consequences
of which have fallen upon the citizens, yet it does not
follow from that alone that they, in so doing, should be
considered as simply robbers, pirates, plunderers, murderers
and assassins; on the contrary, they all are intelligent
men, kind-hearted, open-handed, well-to-do, and at any time
are ready, for the welfare of their fellow citizens, to be
beheaded with the guillotine. They are not self-appointed
champions of a particular society, but are selected by all
the various parties not favoring autocracy, to press
persistently the rights of a citizen upon the attention of
law-making bodies. Indeed, the present condition of
countrymen is so dreadful, and to some death would be far
more welcome than being thus oppressed, but the sword of our
hero sooner or later will not fall in the aim at the point.
Then the time will come giving us a happy release.
In regard to myself I am now in the blessed land where
men of every creed live together happily and freedom is
allowed in politics as in religion, fortunately located in a
nice place near Hackberry creek, in the neighborhood of Mr.
Downing, thinking myself the Great mogul of Delphy.
GEDALY RACHMILEWITZ
Lodi, Ks., Nov. 7, 1885.
Medicine Lodge Cresset, November 26, 1885
A Night in a Russian Inn
The night's garment was spread over the world and its
eternal companions, the myriad stars, kept watch in the sky.
Men of every class started homeward to get repose and
relaxation after the strenuous labors of the day. There had
not been a sound to break the calm of Nature. It was so
still, so silent that the shadow of Death seemed to stretch
its veil everywhere.
But I, during the day, had not arrived at the end of my
affairs and being reluctant to postpone them till tomorrow,
I strolled over the gloomy and narrow streets of the city
till late in the night, when, weary and fatigued, I opened
the door of the inn, which was easily fastened. I hardly
could see the winding stairs leading up to the room of my
occupation because the shaded lamp from the edge of the
table which stood in the corridor, gradually settled down,
giving plenty of heat but little flame. Fortunately,
however, I reached my room, being happy in finding my bed
"comme il faut," of which I stood very much in need. Not
long reflecting upon my day's subjects I struck the light,
pulled off my clothes and jumped into my sweet repose,
feeling the transportation of my soul to the celestial Eden.
But one moment is sufficient to deaden in a human being his
vital powers, to appease, his sensibility and to overspread
his mind with a dim film of unconsciousness. So I fell into
a deep sleep, dreaming of Minerva being accompanied by Mars,
in full glory of majesty, with a constitutional scripture in
their hands descended from Heaven, immediately set on flight
the swings of liberty right to the famous Kremle, smashing
into pieces with a slight touch of their weapons, its copper
gates of ages, entered the mysterious chamber where on the
golden table the beautiful diamond crown glittered since the
coronation of Ivan, the Terrible, took it off and put in its
place the wished-for scripture, left all the interior doors
open free to every citizen, bid farewell to all who admire
freedom and on their way back to the spherical world, set
the crown on a summit of a gigantic glacier in the vast
Arctic region. How sweet was such a fairy vision to me none
can tell. How great was my delight none feels but
myself.
Suddenly, a noisy confusion, a tumult, an uproar, a
hurly-burly burst out in the corridor and soon the clashing,
jingling and rattling of the swords and spurs of the night
police, whose individuality are behind them, "corpus sine
tectore," reached my ears. I was very much astonished at
this "coup de main" and feared to breathe, feared to raise
my head, feared to turn over. The bed under me heaved and
rocked just as if the violent paroxysm of an earthquake was
bursting out. At length I gathered my strength, got out of
bed, seized my revolver which was hanging to the wall, and
in spite of my neglige, I mounted to run out to inquire
concerning the catastrophe, but the hasty entering of the
lady of the inn interrupted my determination and in a voice
so full of tenderness as to alleviate my grief and raise my
spirit, said to me:
"Herr Rachmilewitz, do not be afraid, do not be
excited. Your life will not be jeopardized. There is a
custom in our town, Kieb, since General-Governor Drentein
came in, to be very stringent about passports. A man who
has not a document showing where he came from would be
kicked out from the town as soon as it would be learned
of him; so all you guests, 150 in number, submit to the
police and follow them to court where your passports will
be examined."
So like a lamb and like a flock of goats we were driven
to the court in the midst of the night. "O tempora! O
mores!" I exclaimed inwardly, when will come our salvation,
when will be respected the rights of humanity?
As there was some shrewd fellows, among whom I was one,
it was not hard to get rid of the police and went back home
to our repose with the heavy steps of one that feels the
weight of blood upon his head, and wishing a reform in the
-- the sun should shine nightly grand machine of the
universe and the moon daily.
GEDALY RACHMILEWITZ
Lodi, Ks., Nov. 16, 1885.
Medicine Lodge Cresset, December 3, 1885.
A False Kiss
In the Alexandria theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, a
young lady had lost a very precious diamond pin, and being
reluctant to make it known, kept still about it. She was
astonished the next day to be receiving the following
letter:
HIGHLY RESPECTED MISS:
I take pleasure in informing you that I have been
lucky enough to find the diamond pin which you lost at
the theater last evening, and I am willing to return it
to you, even without reward. Money I would not take, for
I am rich enough. However, there is one thing which I
very much desire. I love you, love to death, and all that
you may give me in recompensation for returning the pin
is but a kiss. Tomorrow, at eight o'clock in the evening,
I will wait for you at the corner of Nevsky and Prospect
streets, near the restaurant of Mr. Folkin, and where, if
you do not refuse the wished-for reward, you will receive
the pin.
ONE OF YOUR WORSHIPERS.
This intelligence was very painful to the heart of the
young lady and she was at a loss to know what to do.
Suddenly her chambermaid sprung upon a new idea. She said '
"I will represent you for a while, and will act the role of
mine mistress."
So the chambermaid disguised herself as much as possible,
covered her face so that only the mouth with its rosy lips
was exposed, and walked forth to the rendezvous. As soon as
she reached the appointed place she noticed a young man
approaching who asked, "Do you agree?" She answered in the
affirmative, and after an exchange of sweet kisses he gave
her a wrapped paper. On returning home she found, to her
chagrin, a piece of wood with the following laconic
expression written thereon: "The thing is false, just as the
kiss is. You are not the mistress, but the chambermaid. Good
bye, you will never see me again."
Translated from the Russian by
GEDALY RACHMILEWITZ
Lodi, Ks., Nov. 27, 1885
Medicine Lodge Cresset, December 10, 1885.
Gedaly Rachmilewitz, of this county, will start in a few
days on a business and pleasure trip to Paris, France. Mr.
Rachmilewitz is a member of the Russian colony in the
southwest part of the county and is a young man of
intelligence and attainments as the readers of the CRESSET
are aware, we having published several articles from his
pen.
The colony, of which he is a member, is comprised of
about fifty or sixty families, commenced settlement two or
three years ago, and by diligence and perseverance they have
opened out a number of fine farms. They have bright
prospects before them and will undoubtedly succeed. Talk
about a settlement dwelling together in brotherly love; this
one comes as near it as any we know of. They are, as a
general thing, strong and healthy, and are always ready to
help one another about improvements. We wish Mr.
Rachmilewitz a pleasant trip and a safe return.
The map below shows the locations of seven Jewish
agricultural colonies that were begun in Western Kansas in
the 1880s. The colonies were Beersheba, Gilead, Hebron,
Lasker, Leeser, Montefiore, and Touro. At their actual
physical locations, the sites are unmarked. Most are fields
and ranch lands.
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