American Tewish Archives - American Jewish Archives

A COLONY IN KANSAS - I 8 8 2 I35
can to ameliorate the condition of the poor Russian refugees, as well
as the condition of their own poor,and from the geographical location
of Kansas City, this must be a herculean task indeed. Mr. [B. A.]
Feineman, who is the third parmer in this worthy trio, was absent,
having gone to the Cincinnati Convention [of the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations]. Calling also upon the gentleman who, so
to say, had put a damper on our enthusiasm on our arrival in Kansas
City, we met in his store three of the families from the colony, who,
having heard of our arrival, were looking for us. These were Messrs.
Zuckenvasser, Liebersohn, and Mr. and Mrs. Gidanzki, all of them
anxious to return to the colony. Mrs. Gidanzki begged us, with
tears streaming down her cheeks, to take them along, all claiming
that they left through a misunderstanding. Our Board having pre-
viously taken action on these deserters, we, of course, left them as
we found them, but it is my opinion they will eventually all return
and reclaim their land, and become farmers without our assistance.
Having had a good day's rest, we started on the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad at 9 o'clock Saturday night, arriving
at Cimrnaron, Kan., Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock. We immediately
hired a team to drive us to the colony, a distance of twenty-six miles.
Before starting we met young Cohn, son of one of the colonists,
who, although only eighteen years old, works on the Santa Fe
Railroad, receiving one dollar and thirty cents per day, and whose
ambition is to save money enough to buy five cows to start a cattle
ranche on a small scale. That young man's success is assured. After a
very tedious drive of four hours over a very dusty prairie, we arrived
at our destination, and surprised our worthy superintendent, Mr.
Baum, and his estimable wife, by suddenly landing in his camp, and
had the pleasure, for the first time, to lodge in a Western settler's
mansion - a dugout.
I do not intend this report to be a descriptive one, but merely
one of facts, otherwise it may become too lengthy. I therefore refer
you for description of scenery, Western life, etc., to my friend,
Mr. Isaacs, who, no doubt, will report in fill. After a good night's
rest we proceeded to make a thorough investigation, and what we
report is what we saw, and that which we know to be facts, and
not merely information.