Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-07-05


Are Poles, who have grown gray 10
exile, and In most cases have become
established in trade or have some use
full occupation. The Poles are the
gentlemen" among the exiles; they
are the most cultivated men 10 the
country, and are deserving of all SYM
patty. Groups of them may be met
at dinner or supper every day at the
hotel where | stayed, fine specimens
Of their race, but grown old and
weary, despairing of ever being able
to get back to their own country, net
for lack of permission, but the neces-
sary means of transport. They are
dreamers still, these aged patriots,
dreaming ever of a grand future for
Poland, but helpless as children In
rendering any assistance to gain that
end. 1t seems terribly cruel thing
to have done with these men, to have
wrested them from the country and
home they loved and fought CALAMITY
for and to have condemned them to
this more than useless life in the
Siberian wastes. No one can grasp
the terrible meaning of exilation to
Siberia unless he has seen these men.
grown old and desolate in this far off
place, their poor decrepit bodies thou
sands of miles away from the place
where they have left heart and soul. |
would curse heaven and humanity
we're | condemned to live forever 10
this soulless country, away from all
that is beautiful and good and healthy
in the world. away from the life where
tenderness and love reign sweetly
over hearth and home. And there is
no escape from this land made hell for
humanity, except pardon, tardily
granted, or, more frequently death and
grave that is frozen all tho year
round. These thoughts aiise when
think of the fate of the Polish exiles
| still here. For the ordinary criminals
have no sympathy, nor yet for the
Nihilists, and only think it sad that
any country, however wretched, yet
capable of any future at all, should be
burdened with their presence. OF the
former, droves may be seen on the
roads every day; of the latter large
numbers are constantly arriving. On
the 9th Of March the notorious DR.
| Weimar, who was implicated in the
| Nihilistic attempts on the late En-
peror's life, passed through Irkutsk OF
his way to some place still further re
moved from the world, but his desti
nation did not learn, but probably
somewhere in the Amur province
where he will be enabled to make in
teresting studies in the villages filled
with diseased and rotting humanity
One of the most interesting exiles
met in Irkutsk was, as you may b.
, surprised to learn, an American, blu
voluntary one, an American dentist
{ DR.. Ledyard, who, with his wife ant
/, child, arrived only a month or tw
ago from China, intending to make
: home and fortune for himself i
> Eastern Siberia. But | am afrai
the doctor will not stay long on tn
Angara, having inherited too IRE
pressible desire to travel from hi
{ ancestors, to think of settling any
j. where for long time together d
: Ledyard, who halls from the Pacif
3 slope (San Jose, | think is,the CRANE
i son OF one Of Captain Cooks officer
e John Ledyard. who had the mo
Il romantic enthusiasm of any man
his time. He conceived the proje
ID Of travelling across Europe, Asia al
or America as far as possible on foe
I'd aud to this end set out from Londt
" with some $3.50 in his pocket.
III reached Yakutsk, where he met Ca
ct tain Billings, an Englishma
is who, after sailing with Coo
Q: was employed by the Empire
III Catharine Ii to make discoveries {
the northeast coast of Siberia al
es among the islands in the Eastel
is ocean stretching to the Americi
Id coast. At Yakutsk, however, LIE
It, yard was arrested on suspicion
IS being a French spy, and was sent ba
c. under escort to Europe. Aiterwa
40 he was commissioned by the Lond
d. Geographical Society to make explo
es atoms in Africa. Dr. Ledyard, b
tt descendant, is an inveterate wandert
too, and | trust that before he leav
% Eastern Siberia be will make &
Al Journey up the Lena, as | have ju
~ done, to Yakutsk and make a speci
ID study of the wonderful teeth of &
10 Yakuts he will see along the road, al
" tell the world the reason Why th
al aboriginal race can boast Of the mo
he beautiful teeth in all the world. Thr
ar hundred versts from Yakutsk | ha'
i seen old men of sixty and seventy wi
N sets of teeth small and pearly viii
! and polished and healthy as those
= the handsolnest American girl
81 sixteen. Decay and suffering al
unsightliness and loss are actual
unknown. A physician of Y
ne kutsk tells me that he believ
u the reason of this phenomen,
vi is to be found in the habits and Il
LLe kind OF food eaten by the natives,
Lhe we'll as to certain care taken by the
q! !S from childhood up. In the first plaC
IN the Yakuts do not touch sugar in a.
ue form, for the simple reason they c
w not afford to purchase it. Second
ne they are in the habit of drinking dai
er large quantities of fermented SO
70 milk, summer and winter, which is
9g antiscorbutic and is very beneficial
~ preserving the teeth. And last
~, they have the habit of chewing
,a1 preparation of the resin of the fir trt
"o piece of which, tasting like tar, tn
vi masticate after every meal, in ord
'e specially to clean the teeth and gul
u Of particles Of food that may rema
Sso after meals. The gum or resin is pl
ar pared and sold by all apothecaries