The sun., 1884-11-02
RUSSIA's GREAT FAIR.
A Moot Rtctursssue scene ~ the 9atherins
Of Nallons In NLlni.NoN aOrod.

DOWN ueTC. unu l,usslt kTou'oot hiI 10 ohSiu'-
ly at an end. though tho trade that results
from it will continue for wook or ton
days more. The fair this yoar was the most
successful Of all that have been hold In this
beautiful city. The total value OF tho goods
brought here reached tho enormous sum oi
400, 900 600 roubles. which was twice as large
US last year. The Makary fair. as 1t IL called
after its patron. st. Makary Of yellow Waters
is the greatest factor in the trade and Industry
not only Of Russia. tut also OF Persia. Turkcs-
tan. Bukharn. Khiva. and Siberia. and is OF
much importance to China and some coun-
tries OF western Europe.
Tho fair is held on n projecting point Of land
formed by the volga and tho Okla. and 1t makes
town BY itself which. though existing only
during three months in the year. far surpasscs
Mini. .Novsorod in its commercial operations
aud In the number OF It's inhabitants. Tho
regular population OF Niini-Novgorod is 5000
while the fair IL visited by u million people.
Tho volva. tho greatest rivor Of Europe. had
It's annual fair rs long ago rs the fourteenth
century. long before the river was In Russian
hands. First II was held in Bugar: tnon the
Tartars transferred 1t to Kazan where. on one
occasion. all the Russian merchants wcro mas
sacred and their goods and money seized
Thon different points on tho volga we're trioI
without success until tho monks of st. Maka-
rys convent hRrbored tho fair In the shade OF
their sacred pinnacle. For nearly two GEN.
turtles the monks reaped the harvest OF the
great fair. collecting duty on goods for thoir
own benefit. till nature and Peter the Great re-
voltsd against the non monkish business Of
tho monks. The great Gar gave the market
In the charge OF civil officers. and the duties
went into the Treasury. As the Nolga had
begun to wash away the sito OF the fair. 1t was
decided to transfer it to u botter locality. In
I'm nj nil Ant tha inn npt n NJ ha
Okla and tho volgs was chosen. The fair
buildings consist OF sixty rows OF huge brick
structures erected on u square Of $50 acres,
winch on three Sides IL hurrounded by canal
shops. two caihedrals. st. Makary's and st.
alexander Neyskys. ap Arminian church. n
sinhnmnedhn han ~ an, mosque . Governors house.
branch OF the state Bank. counting house. a
post of1'ce. m Exchange. a theatre. aud an
aIueluct The Original buildings. alone cost
about sl0.00o,0D0 H. tho course Of years the
fair spread beyond the canal, occupying the
banks OF b. b,th the vo!Ea IVA and tho oSn and
Novgor"d Hallway. Beyond the canal there
are over . 900 snois OF brick and wood perma-
Ths far is officially opened on Aug C. ~.
Mnkary's Day, but for month h"ipre that the
market piacr is ali excitement. one train after
another brings IN hundreds OF people and pies
OF goods. and GOO steamers on tho Nogn are
taxed to their utmost capacity in carrying pas
stream Ci loaded hargea. Europeans. Peisians.
Tnrtars. Armenians Bukhnr'als. Khivnns and
hIIEHhb~ swarm. tItT' IpTIullE " most PIC
tuiesu"c crowd; ihynIahdH OF i"ngshorein"n
u"o4d the goods and distribute thcm among
Elatiorm-. Everybody i busy and excited,
Thus Il large army 4. busy on the eve OF II
great battle. No songs and no laughter heard
ana the ncch ipi al jokes remain unhpeded.
the Makarv fair IL of great national i'm
portance for Russia. 1t is here that the stand
ing of every IU,lr~mnn j. carsrully balanced
aud recorded it is here that the price Of every.
thing bought and sold in ltuasia IS determinrd
for ycar., Russians say the fair is IA
Al 81 nF tlt.
country" "a, snfo,y valve, of Industry THO
lightning rod of internal trade" and tho
principal commercial sprin. of Russia" In
deed. Russian statesmen. pulitical economists,
morchants. and men of Intelligence in Gcncrni
national pulse. Ii crops ara good or bad il
money is scarce or lenty. il Industry and
petition gains or fails. II of,lriai measures are
beneficial or hhrmIni-aIi theso aud other
"n nrs sS,Sa b. 4i ,hd ma Wna '
prestige with the growth Of railway aud steam
shin transIv9!rtati9n: Iv! But 1t proved Just tho
command. the fair gained in its control over
ne ne production and distribution of goods in
Al the olenng Of the fnir, this year Bishop
Makary. followed 10y many clergymen clad In
aronnd tho fair grounds. Shrinking with holy
water the shops the goods; and the peorlc.
ly followed the clergy Tncn after a solemn
Te ns.,n the % rer,mony Of raising tho Gags
naEstaf oi st. Mak"ry's Chnlel. whereupon Tho
bells bells, toied cannon hoom"l. steamers wh stlcd
threw their caps in the air. The nags OF
aii ail nations hnttored over tho mart. Old Rus.
srent S%n a n SEGd hn nn the
omen that If ut the first moment the nag int.
t"rs briskly trade viii be Lively. but il ii hangs
however tho omen omen lid not Prove prov" good; M there thn"
was, no particular fluii-ring of tic fluG. and yet
For few days after the opening there was
no actual deainC. The wholesale and retail
purchases did not pick up good,. Then u
dev,rish ley, excite etxc,,emeni ss%od upon tho market
From the breik of dawn hundred" OF thousands
OF h"'pn , h'EH a.! thn hr, na.snISs and snops
blocked up tho streets and I ha bridge connect
ing the market grounds with the city proper.
feuSn co" not "s By @d @ BY his nSs ss fSsln TN
livoliest Of Fronchmen. Even tho torpid ASH
she, ai1 dSss'd FIRE nni thrT a. # ruang for
divide tho goods of tho whole world. On tho
moii reached ia highest pitch The continu
GUS ronrinE Of wh"els. tho shouts of pcdilors.
by main force, tho rat 10 Of talk In all language.
made u very Babel: Evnn in The old nnd dark
many a Il. Dt,nn was peri"rmei. II heinr "I," th"
custom of Eussian merchants to pray before
hnas hmn aitSr ari Here nIHdreds of
OF millicnnres.
Abou, . O'Clock nt night the fair enmed down.
the lights wore turned oIi. and the heavy fog
from tho Inlgn and the Okla sprcad over The
fAir grounds. All was quiet, only the rattle of
tho night whtchmen breaking tho silence
Here and there detectives moved noiselrssIy
about. and the forms OF mounted Cossucks
could hardly he discorned in the dark ness
But when tho iair was over for the day tho
numerous hotels. restaurants. taverns saloons
and museums swnrmel with people. Music.
songs, laughter and dancing went on into tho
small hours. Occasionally tho widest orpj.s
occurred. with the smashing Of windows mir
rors. dishes. furniture, and sometimes of hu-
man JAWS. iicspockots. gamblers. thioyos.
sorts OF msrrymakcrs. Including bear wrsst.
lerS. soothshyers. and sorcerers. set their nets
ana renped the golden crop.
AT this date II Is inpossihle to get the exact
figures Of goods sold and unsold / c0,,
only snum.Iate the principal goods brought
ana their rces. or cotton there was brought
here from Persia. Khivn. Hukhara. ana Tnr-
kestan about ~. 900 balcs sold at from !. roubss
to roublcs = copeck, A roubs is worth about
% cents. Dressed lamb skins tAstrnk khnn we're
IN greater demand than the siberian iurs s,lch
as sabi"s. slurrels. mud foxes. OF teas there
s3li at from 40 roub IS 70 l55 roubleS per box.
~ brick tea there was j2Op0 boxes Mt so rOu-
Dies por box. fhore WAS an attempt TO make n
corner Oh tea. but the Tartar merchants could
not be Imposed upon. and 50 the corner proved