This is from Hatzfira Issue 268, Page 1084, middle column, December 16th 1891, by-lined Brisk D'Lita:
Brisk-D'Lita: The contribution to the army in our town this year did not end well. While every year young men of second privilege stayed home, today the authorities conscript also 9 young men of the first privilege. The reason is that many of the young men that did not have any privilege were exempted by the doctors from conscription because they found deformities in them. So in their place came the young men of the two ranks.
They also they tell us from the small town of Visoki Litovski, close to our town, that over there the conscription was not satisfying. Three of the first privilege were conscripted. Over there, they hope to exchange them, as 7 of the young men who have no privilege, were sent to the castle in our town.
The cost of living in our town increases from day to day and every food article costs double and the condition of the poor is very bad indeed.
[
Signed:] A. Sobel
| Translator's notes: Brisk D'Lita: Brisk in Lithuania, referring to the former confederation and not the current republic. At the time Jewish Brisk, or Brest, was an important city in the region, and nearby. The administrative center to which Wysokie was assigned then was, however, Grodno. first privilege: to be exempted. There were three categories: these included those who were usually exempted, e.g., first sons, physically unfit, etc. |
