Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-07-23
MIsNll.NcycoRop.a 81


Prosperity u Il~s.tn 81
The fair has just begun AcSks.s
TO the traditional usage. the na8s H.
announce the opening have beSn
hoisted on their poles and blessed with
grand ceremonies. A naval ofElcer
presides over this ceremony II Il
solemn moment According to the
hereditary superstition OF the Mini
merchants. II the flags mount without
hitch and float ut once bravely ia
the breeze the success Of the fair n
certain; but if they get entangied In
the cords 1t is useless to hope
to do good business. The level
Of the waters of the Volga is also
anxiously consulted When thu
waters are too low in consequences Of
the excessive heat the heavy boats
laden with metal stuffs and cereals
run aground on the sand banks III the
river and Can not get up to the fair,
which is limited to the triangle 81 al
luvion formed al the confluence OF the
Volga and Okla rivers. On this
sandy plain. bare and marsby in
spring-time, large city rises for
the space Of two months, with ia
wooden houses, its long streets with
names established by ancient custom,
Its Chinese quarter with pagoda roofs
bristling with dragons and bells. The
municipalities Of our proudest West-
ern capitals might learn much b.
studying the problems which have had
to be resolved in order to insure the
administrative service OF this ephc-
neral town, and its provisioning in
food and in water. Two things are
particularly worthy OF attention; tho
system OF sewers and the organization
OF the tire-brigade- Fire is the great
enemy OF the fair: every year ii de-
1t oys shops to the value of a consider
able sum. Everywhere there are
towers for watchmen. and stations
whe powerful engines are always
ready under steam with horses stand
ing beside them. The firemen 81
Mimi surpass all their Europ Fan coll
leagues in skill and rapidity General
lgnatief. the Governor of the town in
1881, left here traces of his activity.
and marked his passage by useful re-
forms. To him is uue the foundation
of night refugees, immense dormito.les
which give shelter to d floating popu-
lation of sweepers and dock laborers
who formerly slept in the doorways OF
inns. and did not contribute much to
the security OF this vast agglomeration.
The population of Mimi is formed
OF types OF the whole universe. You
see there all the costumes of Asia, and
hear all its tongues. The Chinaman
from PelSin rubs elbows with the Mus
sulman from Constastinople. Khiyans
and Bokharians and Persians have ar
rived in company on the Caspian
steamboats,; the German fur-trader
from Leipsie bargains for sables with
the trapper from the borders of the
Lena 1t would REQUIRE a
correspondent of the Pail Mall Gazette
to trace the realistic pictures which
may be seen in Mimi in all their
pitriarchal candor. You may study
here the most abject misery and vice.
and at the same time the most incred-
ible foliies of wealth. There in a few
weeks a Russian merchant will drink
more champagne than "a whole provin-
cial town in France consumes in year,
and spends fortune such as Paris rare
ly sees squandered within the same
lapse of time. These great business OPP
orators seem to be seized with vertigo.
In good years every thing is out of all
proportion-their profits, their liber-
Some of them ruin themselves by ded-
icating church to St. Macaire,
the patron OF the fair. The total
amount of business transacted at
Mimi is the surest barometer of the
public fortul lie and commercial vigor
of Russia. The Eicomte Eugene Me-
chior de Vogue, in Harper's Magazine.