Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-06-27
-a.4 Ehe Siberian Mines.

sasss A9O SaDelasA AAhes'
The Siberian cohriets OF the richer
sort who are allowed to maintain them
selves, live in villages whose male pop
ulation neHer exceeds 300 souls. The
colonies are scattered al least twenty
versts apart and feseh is guarded bgla
company OF forty spldiers and three ofii-
GERS.
The comihander holds lieutenant col
cnel's rank and governs the colony, ad-
ministering martial law with his two
subalterns. In the event of a nSurder,
or an silempt at rebellion, he dispatches
Cassack a q nei9hborsng village 60
fetch a couple Of other officers, and so
establishes court yos FIVE, who have
power Of life and death. No COMMUNE
cation is allowed betweeH the exiles Of
different colonies, and if two brothers
or a father and son are transported to-
gether they were always placed apart.
The dwellings vary in size and COM
fort. Some are built at the expense of
autocrats in trouble, and are decent
villas, well furnished; others are mere
huts, whose principal furniture is big
stove. ~
In those terrible regions beyond To-
tnsk and still further beyond the Jenis-
sa, winter prevails during nine months
OF the year, and for twelve weeks of
that time the days are scarcely six hours
long. The colonists organize evening
parties and drinking bouts, in which The
officers and the village popes often join.
All these functionaries are men who
have got into some disgrace themselves,
and the private soldiers are the refuse
of the army, who have been sent to Si-
IBERIA as a punishment. This fact does
not give the colonists better chance Of
mutiny or escape, for commander
who allows an exile to slip from his Gus
tbdy is consigned TO penal servitude in
the mines. He also risks being de-
graded 70 the ranks if he suffers a con-
vict to send of clandestine letter, and
for this, reason the strictest watch is
kept on the caravans Of Jews who come
once o. twice year to bring goods for
sale.
The arrival OF these caravans affords
holiday time to the wretched colo
nists., -Eor, day or two the villages
are converted into fairs. and those who
have money lay in six months pro-
vision of garments, books and luxurIes
of the table. The Jews do not object
to acting as postmen il well paid, and,
possibly, "a Governor wdl often connive
for a good bribe, but if an exile is de-
.tected in having passed out letter
lds, L >S.' 9rfGlously cof.upfefi
mp @AR. p. II. J. READMosA.-s,fome
arI ~ willie, is.n9srpn as men, and if
wife who has ccme into voluntary exile
for her husbands sake, comm.ts an Of
fence, she has to choose between being
whipped or being sent back to her coun-
try and never seeing her husband again.
Corporal punishment is the Chief method
of discipline in Siberia.
In the mines, In the gangs working
on the roads, a saucy word is enough to
bring blows: but in the well-to-do colo
nies exiles are doubtless exempt from
harsh usage so long as they have mon
ev. The Governors are not bad fell
lows, though drunkards to man, and
Il is their interest to keepon good terms
with their charges. They suffer the
latter 10 roam within a radius of FIVE
versts from their villages, and to kill
time according to their fancy. Twice
d year an inspector general goes the
round OF the colonies to collect reports
and bring pardons; and then the Gov
erncrs have the privilege of recon-
mending to the Cars clemency exiles
who have committed acts of courage in
saving life or helping to quell mutinies.
Unfortunately, such recommendations
are seldom listened to, because it is no.
torious that. Governors have cflen in
vented acts of. courage for = pecuniary
Considerations
There comes fearful time in the
lives ofthe e4iles who have heir fam
lilies with them. Their sons grow up
and must 60 away to serve In the army;
their daughters, at the age Of twenty,
have 10 choose between returning to
Russia or dnarrylna On exile and re-
naming settled in Siberia. Once the
sons andsdaughters have gone their pa
rents see ~n0 more of them; but, cruel
as this separation is. many parehts pre-
fer it to allowing their children to lin
ger all their lives in The wastes where
they themselves have suffered SO much.
Sometimes a young exile falls in love
with the daughter of fellow-eolonist,
and then there is a dismal romance, for
1t depends on the Governor whether
leave shall be granted for a mar
riage, and this functIonary, acting on
orders irons Aead1aarfers, maysreiuse.
1t has happened, again, that female
exile has been courted, and has obtained
her pardon just after she had sent in
her application for. permission TO marry.
Her entreaties to be showed to stay and
share her lovers fate are Of no avail,
for pardon is often more of an act oi
osteniation than of mercys and the re-
cipient must accept IL in order that the
inhabitants of the Russian tow appoint
ed, for bis or her residence may have
the Opportunity of adEiring living ex-
ample of Imperial clemency.
Pardons are seldom granted to exlles
who have been more than ten years in
Siberia, for they would have too much
to relate on their return. They are gen
orally conceded at the end of two ol
three years; and it has now and theE
happened that al exile has found a par
don eswaiiing hin On bis arrival 10 the
eoIony. This his 'sefvea to feed thi
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