Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-21
"SENT TO SIBERIJ -

tue SheSI. PATRIOTS the Hottest drearnerS mosr
that on On, hsery year it has been calculated
cross the Ural Mountains on their Way tn This
Asla.lc land OF bondage. In 1874 nearly Is. OO0
nnm mIeI snelf way thither; and this year the
words convey to the mind of Southern Eurooe
1m tnas Is most repulslve In penal banishment.
Instlnctfvely the imagination of the neWSnaner
reader, whose eye catches the words in Pm
yer Telegram, recalls the "Exiles of Stferi. -
ne plctuIes TO himself long, dreary troC ps OF
peI1shing OF hunger and cold and miserV 1ony
before they reach the mines of the Trai or the
Jasper quarrles OF Yekaterinburg. He hears the
ana the crack Of the BaShkir Cossack,s Whin %
ne oriveS along the victim Of the 0Third Sec
Lon OF the Imperial Chancellory, to lead a
cneerieSS existence and die felon's death
amid the desolation OF Siberia. N'>''1''
EVen In Russia there is dread of the name
Is not altogether inspired by its penal ter
Car are only too familiar In reality. cur IDEAS
OF siberia are like the majority OF popular i'm
Raessaons transmitted by tradition, altogether
Desl0e tne truth. With the winters SHOWS we
should contrast the f1Ower.co nlains of
summer; the luxuriant corn fields and purple
VINEYARDS OF autumn. Mines there are, and
very rich mines, too, but there are also noble
cities, splendid mansions, and society "a noiisn
ed as any In Europe.
Siberia may be described as one immense
pam, bounded On the south by mountains hut
gradually getting lower and lower as it az.
RIoaches the north, until along the shore5tf
me FROZEN ocean it Is one dreary fiat, little
raised above the level of the sea- The region to
tne west OF the Yenisei presents one monoto.
1Ous level, unbroken by hills of any sort, COW
sdeo IN lts northwestern part by forests, though
LoL tne greater extent this province Is steppe or
upland plain. Much of this consists of dry sand.
Salt marshes and boys; but the Barabinsk ara
'SSIsppe; between the rivers Irish and Obi, has
IaIge olrcn groves and Is well suited for ayri-
culture, while the soil Of the Abakan Steppes
when lie along the river Abakan a tributary of
tne ienlsei, Is SO itch that it requires no ma
"a ic,
crops, It's fine pasture affords abundance OF food
10 lhe countless herds OF reindeer and cattle
more diversified, for In this part of the country
the plains are tntersected by ofshoots of the
Aual, Sagan and StanOvoy ranges Of mountains.
MUCH OF 1t Is suited for agriculture, and the
south is covered for the greater portion of its
extent with magnificent forests. The northern
portion, extending TO the Arctic Ocean, Is
however, can be paStured at certain seasons of
the year herds OF reindeer, though the swarms
OF mosquitoes which during the warm weather
1n1est 1t render life almost tntolerable to men;
ana the 0estrus, which attacks the deer, COM
Dineo with the recent disease which has broken
out among them, is rapidly reducing the Sam
V V OstlaAs and other tribes from affiuence
The country, from the time it was first made
known to Ivan the Terrible by yasseh Yermak,
an aDsconded Cossack criminal, has always had
smack or the hulkS about it, and, indeed 1t
was selected as penal settlement soon after
Ine russians had thoroughly succeeded in
order that its richness might be developed: for
country so far from their home could have
pr1sing serf, even suppOsing his lord cared to
send him 50 far afleld With the execution of
the mines, its trades and manufactures are few
however, produced extensively: soap-boiiing.
taIlow melting, and the making of stearne can
dies ind employment for good deal OF capital;
fabrics in some OF the cities. which. IKE r.
kutsk, Tobolsk, Tjumen, Omsk aud Tomsk
have from IL 900 to 81, 900 Inhabitants
Also soa u oIe rd gGs rVesS t ana lakes
Stberians, and at the fairs which are period
1caiiy held business Is done with the most dis
meeting place OF the Chinese and Siberian
traders, and here Is school for teaching the
young merchants the Chinese language. Large
gold mines. and, indeed, the greatest RUSSIAN Ian
fortunes have been accumulated by this
means. Silver, lead. platinum, copper (espe-
tin, columbian, zinc, bismuth, arsenic, sulphur,
alum, saiammon1ac, n1tre, natrOn and naphtha
are also found In these rich regions: The topaz,
hyaeinth, Siberian emerald, beryl, onyx, red
and green jasper, chrysolite, red garnets, lapis
lazul, bakalite and opals exist In greater or
less abundance Ii different parts OF this re-
cut In the country. The Russian peasant has
q wonderful faculty for initiating any one he
has only It Is said, to be taken into factory,
wood carver, copyiSt Of paintings; engineer,
or lapidary-and he will try his hand at the oc-
cupation selected for him: He win watch tie
or 1le; he win cautiously initiate him, doing
little by little, nothing rashly. Next day he
he becomes a frst-ciass ' workman. Hence
it Is that in the Graniloi Fabric tie
visitor Is astonshed to find men in no way
may be conVicts under police Surveillance u exc,
cutting the most beautiful carvings on jasper
and porphyry vases. or engraving beryl, anne
could not be exceeded, II equalled, In Amster-
dam, Paris or London. The travellers aston
tshment Is still further increased when he
learns that these f1ne-ar workmen are not paid
more than IS. sd, per month"; with ratiOns Of
few pounds OF black bread. Even the master
Workmen are not paid more than Ell per an
on to make fortunes for the mine owners WHO
inhabit magnificent mansions, living In great
state. No government officer Is allowed to own
mines, but It Is very generally believed that or "
mere moity OF the gems discovered and cut
nnd their way TO the imperial exchequer or into
the hands Of the owners. Everybody daooles
than formerly, but still rare-are, early after
their arrival, tempted with bargains In precious
stones, cut and nd, polished. Men, women and
with these staples, either on account OF tie
merchants who own the mines, or of Iapidarfes
These stones are set In gold and silver obtaint d
from the mines In the vicinity, though generally
with less taste than Is displayed In the cutting
But though there are many free settlers in
Siberia, both In town and country as well as
the native Siberian tribes, The ''exllesn form
the most marked portion OF the population; and
II we take into account them and their deScen.
oants, as well as convictS whose sentences
have expired and who have remained In the
couItry-they form the most numerous portion
OF the population. No traveller can have Jour-
neyed along the post route leading from Nijne
NoVgorod, over the Trails, across Siberia by
way or T1uInen, Tobolsk, Tornsk or YeniseisS.
without meeting long strings of exileS some OF
whom nave been On the road six eight or fen
months, and SometimeS-as In the case OF those
Desired for the settlements On the Amoor river
aid kamschatka-even two years. The worst
are chained, but except in the vicinity OF the
towns through which they may pass great
ieniency is usually shown to the .'unfortunates -
as with kindly tolerance the exi,es are STYLED
by the country people. The women and chr
dTen-especially when they are the families OF
the convicts, permitted 10 accompany them-ara
usually conveyed in wagons, or farther north
In reindeer or dog sledges; while political nris''
oners OF rank, once they are clear OF the laroe
cities, may be seen cOnSorting with the officers
OF the guard, and even sharing their meals in
the blOck-houseS along the route Sometimes
In passing through fanatcal village the actuaj
Sharers In a conspiracy viii be spat upon- and
even stoned by the Loyalty ignorant peasants.
but more frequently the supplemented peonIe
Will bring them presents OF food and other ne
ceSsarfes, and ask heaven to forgive and shelter
AhDw.~ .@aA e-&n a.