Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-07-20
THE SIBERIAN RoAu.
Description Of the Historic Highway from
the raj Mountains TO Tiumen.

Description OF the Historic Highway rom
the raj Mountains to Tiumens
Thesetransport wagons, or ''obozes,"
form characteristic feature Of almost
every landscape on the great Siberian
road from the Ural Mountains to
TIumen. They are small four-wheeled,
one-horse vehicles. rude and heavy in
construction. piled high with Siberian
products, and covered with coarse
mating securely held in place by large
wooden pins. Every horse is fastened
by long halter to the preceding
wagon, SO that a train Of fifty or
hundred obozes forms ono unbroken
caravan from quarter Of mile to
half a mile in length. We passed 55s
of these loaded wagons in less than
two hours, and counted l,445 in the
course of our first days journey. No
further evidence was needed Of the fact
that Siberia is not land Of desoiation.
Commercial products at the rate OF
1900 tons a day do not come from .
barren arctic waste.
As it gradually drew dark towards
midnight, these caravans began 10
stop for rest and refreshment by the
roadside. and every mile or two we
came upon picturesque bivouac on
the edge of the forest where dozeL
or more oboze drivers were gathered
around cheerful campfire in the
midst Of Their wagons, while their lib
Grated but hoppled horses grazed and
jumped awkwardly here and there
along the road or among the trees
The gloomy evergreen forest, lighted
up from beneath by the Pickering
blaze and family tinged above by the
gIow Of the northern twilight the red
and black Rembrandt outlines Of the
wagons, and the group Of men in long
kaftans and scarlet or blue shirts gath
cred about the campfire drinking tea
formed strange. striking and pecu-
LARRY Russian picture
We travelled without stop through
out the night. changing horses a every
post station, ard making about eight
miles an hour over fairly good road.
The sun did not set until half-past
nine, and rose again about half-past
two, so that it was not At any time
very dark. The villages through
which we passed were sometimes Of
great extent but consisted almost in
varibly of two lines of log houses
standing with their gables to the road.
and : parated one from another BY in
closed yards without sign anywhere
of vegetation OF trees One of these
villages formed a double row five
miles in length of separate houses,
all fronting on the Tsar's highway.
Around every village there was an in
closed area of pasture land. varying
in extent from 2G0 to 500 acres within
which were kept the inhabitants eat
tie; and at the point where the inelos
ing fence crossed the road, on each
side OF the village, there was a gate
and gate-keeper's hut These vii
lage gatS-keepers are almost always
old and broken-down men. and in
: IBERIA they are generally erimina
exiles. 1t Is their duty to see that
none of the village cattle stray out Of
the inclosure, and to open the gate;
for passing vehicles at ali hours of tht
day and night. From the village com
muue they receive for their service
a mere pittauce OF three or four ruble
month. and live in & wretchei hove
made of boughs and earth. whiel
throughout the year is warmed, light
ed and filed with smoke by an opel
fire on the ground George Ksnnan, ii
(er,.,l,-t