Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-03

reaches a thousand souls. The passage
from Baku to krasnOvOdsk is made M ~
hours. Here passengers and cargo are
trGnshtpped on small sailing vessels ana
river steamers, which on an AVERAGE lake
5 hours TO reach a place called MicuieIo-
Vskizal, or simply MIch1IovsHl, lying
"A lIttle below 800 north latitude. The
so-called roads" besides being very open
and shallow. are frozen durlns the severe
cold Of the Winter. thus rendering the
leading Of cargo extremely dltilcult. IN
addition, the climate is very hot and IN
salubriOus during the summer season.
The Onlv advantage which made the Rus
SLAMS choose this roadstead as the start
ing point Of the railway vas its, com
parative ne2rnes TO KIN Arvat. The
whole tract lying between the two latter
Spots is a desert without any habitable
places, butt kind OF TIL tie grows which
is much relished by the camels, aud. iD
fact, forms their principal food. XIII
Aryat Is the FIRST place where a small ran
n ng steam aud some little cultivation and
trees are meet with. On the south rise
a small range Of low mountains which
give good pasture for horses and sheep.
Formerly this place was one Of the cbiei
hating spots Of the Turcomans, where
they used to pass a part of the year. But
the Asksiansl have since The conquest,
eudeavored TO give 1t the appearance OF
a Village by erecting various buildings
and by planting trees. A force Of about
500 foot and goo horse is now stationed
there. From Mich1lOvski to XIII Aryat
iakes 13 hours by railway. Thus the
Journey from Baku to the latter village
can, in ordinary times, DO done in about
three days.
Since the beginning Of last Spring the
Russian government has been at work 10
continue and complete the XIII Aryat
and Askabad Railway, and thus connect
the latter place, which Is the seat OF the
T-ranscasplan government, with Mich
WlOyskI, on the Caspian sea. Blu many
things have |cOncurred in causing delay.
This part of the country is inInly peO-
pied, and IN general the TurcOmans are
non accustomed TO manual labor. Their
habits OF constant rowing adventure do
not agree with this Kind Of %drudgery.
Moreover, the wages beng only from 40
to IS kOpecks, or from ID. to lOd. OF En-
glish money, per day, are not sufficient
to entice them TO work. The P%er6l8ns OF
the bordering districts, though they take
10 labor with more readiness, find this
work Improbable, as they have to pay
higher prices for food han in their "
country. Thus they return home after a
few days. Accordingly, the number Of
laborers rarely reaches a thousand at a
time. The wOrkmen, moreover. besides
being new to the kind of work, 60 re-
Iuctantly to their task, and try to get
through it as lazily and slowly az they
can. The oveTseers dare not force or
press them, lest they should leave and re-
turn home en- mdSSe. For these reasons
since the commencement of last Spring,
only a fews miles have been leld out.
some 6 years ago, when the Russians be-
gan their campaign against the TurcO-
mans, the railway from MichGlOvaki 10
XIII Arvat, Notwithstanding many OBJ
stacles and difficulties, was constructed
in a comparatively short time, but then
the government spent money layIshly,
and the very high wage paid to both
mechanics and common labOrers brought
mulutudes from all parts of Caucasia
and Persia. Among the men from the
former country many wera already in
itiated or partly skilled in the work. But
now, if business be carried on in the anne
way as during this last few months, il
will probably take some years before the
railway is completed to Askabad.