The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-07-13
1HE SIBERIAN RoAL.

Description of the HIstoric Highway from
the raj Mountains 10 Tiumen.
These transport 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 train OF fifty or n
hundred obozes forms one unbroken
caravan from quarter of mile to
half n mile in length. We passed b38
of these loaded wagons in less than
two hours. and counted !, 40 in the
course of our first days journey. No
further evidence was needed Of the fact
that Siberia is not land of desoation.
Commercial products at the rate OF
l.500 tons day do not come from
barren arctic waste.
As IL gradually drew dark towards
midnight, these caravans began To
stop for rest and refreshment by the
roadside. and every mile or two we
came upon a picturesque bivouac on
the edge OF the forest. where dozeL
or more oboze drivers were gathered
around n 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 flickering
blaze and family tinged above by the
glow of the northern twilight, the red
and black Rembranlt outlines of Tie
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 peeu-
liarly Russian picture.
We travelled without stop through
out the night, changing horses a every
post station, and making about eight
miles an hour over fairly good road.
The sun did not set until haif-past
nine. and rose again about haif-past
two. so that IL was not 1T 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 81 parated one from another By in
closed Yards without a sign anywhere
+ of vegetation or 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
c.osed area of pasture land, varying
] in extent from 200 To 500 acres. within
which We're kept the inhabitants cat
tie; and at the point where the ineios-
F ing fence crossed the road, on each
side of the village. there was a gate
and gate-keeper's hut These VIII
lage gate-keepers are almost always
+ old and broken-down men. and in
/. :. IBERIA they are generally criminal
exiles- II is their duty to see that
none of the village cattle stray out Of
the incIosure. and 10 open the gates
/ for passing vehicles at all hours of the
day and night. From the village com
mune they receive for their services
mere pittance of three or four rubles
/ month. and live in wretche1 hoyel
made of boughs aud earth. which
throughout the year is warmed. light
ed and filled with smoke by an open
fire on the ground. - George Kenndn, In
I