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MATHIES GENEALOGY

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REMEMBERANCES OUT OF RUSSIA

FROM JOHANN J MATHIES, VINELAND, ONTARIO, 1965

[Johann - brother of A. J. Mathies]

[Interviewed by Annie Krause]

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[1916]

In 1916 I was in luck to work in 202 B. Z. C. together with my brother David, and many Schöenfelders such as Abram Dueck, Henry Enns, Peter Fast, Dav. Baerg, Henry Riesen, Peter Thiessen, Isaak Sawatzy and later Kor. Neufeld. We always loaded up in Moscow in the north and continued on southeasterly over the Wolga. Our relationship here was good. Most of the cities resembled one another as did the markets. We went from Baku to Kasanj and Jaroslawl. Once we stayed at Samara, having left our sick there and so were free for a while. My cousin Dav. Baerg and I were going throughout the town garden on the tracks of the electric train when we became aware that a car was coming up close behind us. We jumped to the side, but the bumper caught Dav. Baerg's boot on the heel so he that he was thrown thirty feet minus the heel.

Once in the Kavkasus when it was very hot and muggy, we found a handy place on the roof by the chimneys. You had to be very careful near the bricks and telegraph wires. We had to sit down real fast. But accidents don't sleep. It struck comrade Krause who with some broken shingles fell between the box cars through an open bridge thirty feet, and landed in a small creek. The Russian guard saved him and he was taken to the hospital. After several months, Krause was back at his post again. 

In 1916 many older Generals were dismissed and replaced with younger ones. These older ones were given other places such as hospital trains as did the ones on the sanitaet trains where not so much was expected of them. We got such a one on our No. 202, who weighed 350 pounds. On the first trip he already had us all in order. At his door was a watchman. We were all to cut our hair. All orders we were to be learned off by heart. \The driver of the locomotive was not to let the teakettle [samowar] be taken from the table. All of the Personal were now against  him, and that was to our advantage. 

Our Dr. Eugenia Stepanowa together with the rest wanted to leave. It didn't take long till before till all of those who had been given orders were freed from them. We no longer had to cut our hair to look like a Bubi-Kopf. The old one became our best friend and sat together with us. He apologized very much saying he had not known that he was dealing with adults. Through him we were given more leave.