50 RUSSIA THEN AND NOW 



and were travelling over the neighbourhood to 

 find more. 



From The Evangelist I quote as follows: 



With the help of a few English friends residing there, 

 Dr. Francis organized a Relief Committee, whose 

 members made a house to house examination of the 

 condition of the peasants in three villages and a care- 

 ful estimate of what it would cost to keep these villag- 

 ers alive. It was found that five dollars a month, 

 judiciously expended for food, if carefully distributed, 

 would keep alive eight persons. His own church then 

 undertook to save 400 people from death by starva- 

 tion for eight months. As soon as tidings of what Dr. 

 Francis was doing reached this country through pri- 

 vate sources, an appeal for aid in extending this good 

 work of his church was made in the columns of The 

 Evangelist. The work so begun rapidly outgrew its 

 original limits. His energy, devotion and capacity for 

 organization soon attracted the attention of the 

 Russian Government, and every facility was afforded 

 him for the prosecution of his work. 



Hon. Rudolph Blankenburg, 1892, wrote the 

 following about Dr. Francis: 



It is but just to say here that much credit for the 

 good work done is due to the Rev. Alexander Francis, 

 Pastor of the Anglo-American Congregational Church 



