Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-21

TRAVELLING WITH AN EXILE rARrY-ExPIoRA-
TioNs IL THE MINING REGIoNs-ARREsrFn
AS NIHILIsr WONDERFUL JOURNEY
WITH NOTE BOOK AND CAMERA.
Mr.. George KEENAN,, of the Associated Press
VINO ieft Washington about fifteen months ago
Tor Journey through Russia and siberia, with
the intention OF making q careful and thorough
investigation OF the Siberian exile system,
returned TO the city last week. aud was found
oy reporter OF The STAR to-day at his house
on massachusetts avenue. In reply TO questions
as 70 the extent and scope OF his Journey, Mr..
KEENAN, said that he had travelled I'm all. since
leaving Washington, about twenty-seven thou
sand miles, eight thousand miles OF which were
made with horses. The farthest point which he
reached was the convict mine OF Kara on the
head waters Of the AMOR river In Eastern
Siberia, where he spent twelve days In October
and November OF last year.
Upon being asked II he would not give the
readers OF THE STAR an idea OF the route which
ne followed through country so little travelled
81 Petersburg I'm May OF last year. and crossed
the Ural mountains into siberia at the town OF
erineburg was at that time the terminus of
the Russian railway and steam boat sy stem and
siberia. MY frst stop was Al Tiumep, 300 miles
east OF Ekatertneburg. In Western siberia,
wnefe there is large and important exile-ior-
waroing prison, and where all the exiles virtu.
ally begin their Siberian journey. This prison
wished TO visit, and was DESTROYS also OF see
ing the emoarkation OF exiles I'm the convict
barges on the river system OF the Oh. there
lore spent In Tiumen ten twelve days"
rsr,or a You not have difficulty" inquired the
convict bargeS9"
mo. not As a rule carried open letters Of
OF foreign affairs and also from the mi mister
OF the interior, who is AT the head of the Rus.
sian prison and exile administration and the
siberian authorities, who had been f,rwarned
OF my coming, received me generally with
cordiality and showed . disposition 70 faciii-
late my investigations. i was arrested once
with my travelling companion In the streets OF
Perm by some police aud gendarne officerwho
Thought we were looking with suspicious At.
tention and curiosity at one of the prisons but
after being escorted with amusing ceremony TO
our hotel, followed by a crowd of the popuIace
who thought the police had caught two danger.
Gus nihiiists. we were released with rn.ny
apologies from the gendarmes for what they
saio was iamentabe MISUNDERSTANDING. In
Iiumen We had no trouble. We went through
the forwarding prison, saw and photographed
Wet barges for transportation TO Tomsk and
began our Investigation OF the working OF the
exile system.
TRAVELLING IN rARANrAsS
in Tfumen," continued Mr. KEENAN,. sve
boughta Tarantass or siberian post carrtase
and started southwark and eastward for the
city or Omsk, which we reached after I've dsys
and nights OF continuous travel over terrible
without being able to celebrate the day II, any
appropriate manner without danger OF being
q
post across what is known as the great Kirshis
steppe, through the chain OF Cossack villages
along the river Irish, visiting aud being ire.
quentiy entertained In the gray felt tents Of
the kirghis nomads. AT Semipalatinsk on the
frontier Of Central Asia, we made another stop
OF ten or twelve days To visit prisons ana study
the kirghls and Tartars who make thai civ
thelr headquarters. We reached there lust In
Time to see the closing ceremonies Of the
great Mohammedan fast OF Ramazan and
the games and feasting which succeeded
IT. We then turned to the eastward and as.
gorsk, where We inspected anpther convict
prison, and then went 10 a Cossack picket In
the mountains of the Altai kno the Ataa
station. Beyond this point there were no roads,
but We organized a sort OF exploring ex pedition
with native guides, and in the course Of two
| the most rugged Businesses OF the Russian Altai.
reaching wild Alpine region on the Mongolian
frontier never before seen 10y any foreigner
The scenery in this part OF siberia surpssses In
wiidhess ana grandeur anything that L have
ever wltnessed-even in the Caucasus. We
were nnally forced by lack OF provisions to re-
turn TO the Altai station, from which place,
alter a short interval OF rest, we proceeded
August
MARCHING WITH AN EXILE PARTY.
In Tomsk we saw the Decentralization Of
exiles from the convict barges, went through
the exile forwarding prisons, barracks and hos
pitfalls, and then started eastward along the great
SIBERIAN road with q marching exile party
about Jour hundred strong. The life and ex.
perience OF this party on the road We studied
beside the exiles talking with them, eating
their 1000 and photographing them from time
to time at their halts. As they were marching,
however, only 15 or 20 miles a day, we soon
left them and proceeded by way OF Krasnoyaryk
to Irkoutsk, the capital OF Eastern siberia,
passing ten or twelve other parties on the road,
| and stopping frequently To examine prisons
and etapes. In Irkoutsk We were over.
o takeh his by Lieutenant schuetze who was
ents for the natives ana officials who rendered
assistance TO the survivors of the Jeannette.
steamer across Lake Baikal and then Travelled
by post to Selenginsk, in the Trans-Baikal
where we visited the largest and most Important
BUDDHIST lamasery or monastery in eastern Sc
beria,saw the annual sacred dance OF the monks
in masks and costumes, and impressive
temple service, In which seventeen laInas and
q large number of acolytes participated We
then went on to the town OF kiachta, on the
Chinese or Monaghan frontier, and visited the
or nve thousand Inhabitants, but
WITHOUT A SINGLE WOMAN.
In kiachta lay sick two weeks with fever.
but as soon as 1 was strong enough to sit
up we went on 70 the eastward by way OF
Nerkhne, Udinsk, Chita and Nertchinsk 10
Stretinsk, the head OF AMOR river navigation
which we reached in October. Winter had by
that time set ia, and ia order TO reach the con-
Wet mines of Kara We had Ia ride on horseback
four days over slippery icy mountain trails, In
temperatures ranging from zero u twenty-five
degrees below. We reached our destination in
safety, but were greatly exhausted by hardship
and exposure. We remained there twelve
QdyS, a careful examination the
mines, which are gold placers, photogra phinE
the exiles at work in them, and going through
all the prisons. We then made a circu lar
journey of 900 miles around the Nertcninsk
silver mines, which he scattered over the coun.
try between the Shilka river and the Mongoiisn
frontier, and are all worked 10y convicIs.
went through every mine and every prison in
that whole mining district. In December we
returned 10 lrkoutsk, and the remainder Of
the winter We spent I'm getting back To European
Russia, making frequent detours irom the main
road 10 visit prisons and penal settlements
and studying the life OF the exiles under win
ter conditions.
We reached St Petersburg in March, and
went directly through TO London, and my tray
cling companion, Mr.. Frost, returned 10 Ameri
Ca then went back 10 European Russia with
my vile. who had met me in Englan and we
visited ST Petersburg, Moscow, Mimi. Novgo
rod and kazan. That In brieI, is an outline q,
my movements since 1 LETT Washington 10
1855"
Mr.. KEENAN, is looking as well as usu al and
says he does not think that the severe hard
ships and exposures OF the past year have
In any way injured his health. lie is already
engaged in working up the mass OF literary
terlai which he has brought home, and whici it
is understood In destined for the Century mag.
azine.
LAKE MlNNETONkA.
where Folks In the Northwest 0eeh
Recreation I'm the Summer.