The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-10-25
FOREIGN NOTES.

FOREIGN NOTES.
Tho London court journal has the following
about the railway race to IIerat "IntcrcstIng par
iicuars continue to arrive from Russia OF the pro.
gress OF the railway that Ia being hurried TO the
new position Russia has acquired on the Afghan
frontier The electric light having broken down ow-
Ing to an accident to the apparatus sent, the men are
working Mt night by the aid OF hundreds OF lanterns
and huge fres fed with petroleum refuse Az far as
Askabad tho road has been evelcd, and is expected
that the final rail- Will he laid by the end ofihe MONTH
but much win depend on the completion OF the nnu-
merablc stone bridges, which constitute q peculiar
feature OF the line. From the Caspian sea to sarakns
distance OF over i've hundred miles, the railway
does not cross single large river but from the time
" quits the Transcaspan desert and travcrscs the
oasis OF Akhal the country, which IL dat and ciayey
IL intcrsectcd by small rivers, growing more aud
more frequent as the line approaches Askabad. All
these streams most OF them dry In summer and tor
rents IN the rainy season, have To be brdged."
The London Times says: 1--WE are almost ~ far,
II seems, from the final settlement OF the frontier
as We were year ago, but In the meanwhile the
Transcaspan Railway proceeds apacc. The section
to Askabad Is expected to be ready In November,
and workmen have already been sent forward to
begin the extension to Mcrv In these circum-
stances, 1t lsat any rate satisfactory to know that the
Indian government is at last equally active in Its
prosecution OF railway works on the other side OF
Afghanistan. In May the Indian government antlcl-
pated that the Quetta Railway might be ready for
trailic as far as Sharigh, nlncyfour miles from Sib
IN the course OF tho present month, and as far
Durgai, twenty miles further, by the end OF Novem-
bcr AT the same time II has been considered expe-
mlent TO continue the more direct line through The
Bolan Pass TO Quetta. The main line to ShebO, on
Tue Pishin plateau, passes to the north OF Queta,
from which 1t is separated by ranges of mountains;
to he constructed TO uetta where will Join the line
passing through the Bolan, and from Shebo the line
Will he further continued to the westward far as
the loot OF the Amran range When both these
lines are fully constructed there will thus be two al
Tentative routes starting from Sibl, one traversng
taking longer route through IiurnSi, Chappar, and
Bostan, the Junction being effected on the Pishn
plateau. From the Pishln plateau the line can, In
case OF necessity, be continued TO Candahar, though
Tor the present It Is not Intended to carry II further
than the foot OF tho Amran range. A glance at the
tenn OF railways ana the account which we give else.
where Will enable our readers to realize the physi-
cal and engineering difficulties to be overcome In !ts
construction. The cost Is great, and the commercial
value OF the line must for the present he quite nsig
ni0can But the sccuiity OF india is not 10 be esi
way ss OF value e
OF execution on the northwest frontier give us the
required security, we may well he satisfied with the
india"
"Wherever Spain has truly dominated" says the
Week, "she has left manners stationary and tradl.
lions untouched. This Is more evident still In the
mother country itself, where Spaniards unite all
the miseres to ali the Rrandcurs 1t is still full mid
die age In the Iberian Peninsula. The houses are
built the same AZ under Philippe H. AMI the windows
are protected with ratings OF the same model as
during the domination OF the Moors. But In the
past the manners OF the people were in harmony
with It's institutions; now that harmony exists no
more; there Is a permanent antag0nlsm between
what spanards wish to be and what they can be.
SO thinks NJ Quesnel. II Is not In sitting under the
orange trees at Cadz or the laurel roses Of Seville
that Spain can be known. The towns everywhere
are at all times an imperfect mirror OF nations
social life. truer test is to mix among the agri.
cultural population, the artisan and the small-pro-
eut 10 re- te sor
changes are so sudden, and revolutions coups detat
and RESERVATIONS succeed without end-and without
regular as drama by LOpc de Vega. Spain is not q
Kingdom, but n combination OF several provinces
r I 81 sS e anS
OF other capitals; 1t is one OF the Spains within
Spain, centre for intrigues, pacehunters and all
nil parts Of the provinces. Pleasure, smoking, and
making love are the chief businesses In Spain.
Every Spaniari who has neither Jewish nor Moorish
blood In his veins Is an hldalgo; hence why the
shepherds of Catalonia are proud OF their birth.
1t explains also why the Andalusans are 80 proud
his slouched hat cooked over one chr ana his Iaja
or red Silk scarf round his waist feels himself to be
prince. II he met lady he would, like Raleigh
spread his mantle on the ground for her feet. The
Spaniards contempt for life makes him brave
soldier, but cruel, pitless man. He Is cruel to.
ward animals from his cradle; he will often bile the
gets stubborn. lie replies, 'They are not Chris
tians no son Cfistia'ios. 1t was this spirit made
Senior burn Jews and ieretcs The Spaniards are q
brave people. but paradOxica; the immortal type Of
Don Qux0ie lives in Them sill. The most consian,
preoccuplton OF the labOrer and the artisan Ia Il
escape the conscrpiion; but once soldiers they are
brave. Few Spanish women know how to write cor
reetly; hut they make good mothers and faithful
wives; are so brave, SO good -humored and merry
that look but In their pretty laughing faces and you
forget all defects"
A st. Petersburg correspondent of the New York
Times finds In the poverty OF the educated classet
the secret of Nihilisic agitation In Russia. And
fresh war w0nld render this state of things still
worse. He says: cit must be admitted that the
RnssIan people are almost wishing for war; that O
proclamation of hosiili,ies against Turkey-and pos
sbly Austria find the people willing to endure
again all sorts of prlvatiOns order 10 strengthen
the hands of the government and insure anal victory
But Ia the country In lit state 10 endure the strain Of
another great war? The constant emptiness Of the
Russian eXchequer IL so well known that to rcasser
the fact il almost TO state trusm; hut then, where
AMI Mt what time was popular war ever averted
solely from want of hard cash? Somehow or othel
the necessary funds Will always be forthcoming In
such country so rich In natural resources as Rus
sa. Thus, If war there has to be- no lack OF money
will prevent the breaking out of hostillties at any
given time, the more SO as the Russian army has
been Kept OF laie 10 most splendid order of read
ness In the hourly expectancy of decided quarrel
with England In Central Asia. OF course the sup
plies for the army in case of q sudden mobilization
Will be backward in forthcoming, the soldiers will
Oiteniimes have go on short ratons will again be
provided by thevIng officials with shoddy shoes
etc., FOR when was there war OF Russia during
n n
grand scale? But the Russian soldier seems to be
made OF q different stun than his English and French
brethren, who would not go to battle without pre-.
vous emp of hot coffee; the Russian will light for
months ungrumblngly on biscuits and water and
for him by Napoleon /, who said that CO nest pss
assez de tuer I'm sollat Russe: II faut Ie renverser
But how about the great mass of tax paying people
How VIII they view the situation when they awaken
the present intoxicating excitement for war il
the assertion that the hand Of is RUSSIAN govern on
ment Is weakened by the undated vg0r OF Nihilisn
at home. II must be borne In mind, however, thai
whenever Russia has had foreign war ON her hands
the Nihilists havo Invariably kept quiet, giving nc
trouble to the government at that time and proving
NIhilisis aferwafd. AS to the speedy extension Of
the ranks OF the eycr.growing army Of disconnected
In Russia, none can deny 1t. great change for the
deadly struggle OF Russia for tho liberation OF the
Savs 1t Ia well admitted that the Nihllists recruit
laee Of e c
ten years or 80 ago, consisted mostly of young me
OF middle education and students OF unlverstei
who had no regular means OF Hustenance, having
failed to enter or achieve success In any OF the
liberal professions, and knowing trade by which
10 earn living. Nowadays the intellectual proie
tariat Is by no means restricted TO this class Into
iis ranks arc speedily and irrcslstibly drifting great
many professional men OF good social standing, but
limited income. The average earnings OF o moder-
ately successful physician, professor, architect
engineer, lawyer, journalist or ofical are generally
restricted to the paltry sum of 1000 or 5000 roubcs
q year, which means but 81 900 or ff 500 yearly
Ten years since II was easy 10 live In comparative
comfort on that income, hut since then the cost OF
living has Increased threefold all the burden OF the
new taxes, introduced during the last decade,
Inns been put on the shoulders of the city pOpu.
lat0n, beginning with the tax on the passenger
rates, on contract stamped paper, and so
forth, and ending with the artificial Increase OF the
cost OF sugar, paper, and fuel. The new taxes have
affected comparatively little the rural population of
empire, since Its requirements are simple and few,
The village always beng more OF producer than a
consumer In the economic constitution OF country
AMI then sthe acknowledged policy OF the present
government 10 concilae the landed proprietors and
the peasants, who produce mostly oil they need at
home and sell their grain besides. Different Ia the
present position OF an educated earning his lIy-
Ing IN town. Getting the aforementioned yearly
pay, the head OF an average family OF four or 1--we
people has to restrict himself 10 the very necessarIes
OF HE, living from hand 10 mouth, never having an
extra bveronbe hill IN his pocket In order to meet
some unforeseen payment. Highly educated and
refined families OF Woodworking Oclals, Journalistic
professors, live crowded IN four 1--WE small rooms
In fan nj nlslftf uEn lntll