Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-10-11
The Fair at Mimi Novororod

| A writer in the U7aiuerSe publishes as.
account of the Russian fair held every
year at Mimi Novogorod. from which
| is extracted this description:
Mimi Novogorod is the name OF q
city in European Russia, built upon q
beautiful promontory where the Okla
River unites with the Voloa, so that on
the north of this city flows the Volga
and on the east the Okla. and both riy-
ers are navigable for vessels; and so
excellent is its situation for business that
Peter the Great at one time, SO it is
said, intended to make this place the
| Capital of Russia.
| From the high elevation upon which
the city is built, you behold Il vast ex-
tent Of fine farming country, mostly
level, very fertile, and as far as the eve
can reach the prospect is delightful
| But casting your eyes in an easterly di-
rection across the Okla, you see n large
city built upon the flat between the Okla
and the Folga-a city with substantial
and durable buildings, many of them
elegant and costly, with hospitals, bar
racks, churches, mosques: stores 'front.'
| ed with light arcades, supported by
thousands of iron columns, where Gus
toners can walk about out OF doors in
rainy weather; here are regular and
! handsome streets, vet al still as the
forests Of Siberia. What can it mean?
Mimi Novogorod is Il " of about
twenty-five thousand inhabitants. where
all is life and activity; hut what is this
| city far to the east, acrOa lie Okla. up
on the fiat between the Oha and the
| FOlga-a city large as seven or eight Of
Mimi?
oh" says the stout Cossack at your
side, chat is our fair ground. where we
collect from al parts of the world, and
do up our trading for the year"
There, from July LIST to the last Of
August, a period Of eight weeks, all is
hustle and life and activity.
During those eight weeks. those
streets are frequented by TartarS and
Chinese. There are Persians with per
fumery; there are droves of Tartar
ponies, which have been for months on
the way; bankers from England; dealers
in jeWelry, wines and fancy goods from
every part of Europe. There are near
" two miles Of streets devoted to the
sale Of Siberian iron in all its forms,
such Us would be found in any European
city.
These long, wide streets, with hand
some shops frOnted with arcades, are
many OF them devoted wholly to the
sale Of tea (each article has u sale of its
OWN. In the tea quarter OF the city
you may see the broad shouldered Chi
| nese selling their teas, brought from
China by land and river conveyance.
There is part of the city where
furs are sold OF every kind, from the
seal-skin cap, worth few shillings, up
70 the costly fur pelisse, worth five hun
dled pounds; furs from Siberia and
Lapland and from North America.
Those streets, SO quiet now, are, dur
inc the fair, crowded by business men
from almost every town and province
in Europe and Asia. buying manufac-
lures OF every kind OF wool, cotton and
silk; manufactures of wood, iron, steel,
copper, brass, silver and gold, and food
OF ali kinds Of grain. : A bridge
OF boats connects Mimi with the fair,
on which 4 countless number of vehicles
| are passing and repassing to and fro,
| like an endless stream of busy life.
Both rivers seem covered with boats,
vessels and barges, and more than thir-
| ty thousand men from all parts Of the
world are busy upon them in unloading
and loading at the quays on both sides
of the fair.