The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-07-26
NIJNii-NoVGoRop's FAIR
sure Barometer of the Commerc,v,
Prosperity of Russia.

sure barometer of the Commeri.,
Prosperity of Russia.
The fair has just begun. According
to the traditional usage, the flags that
announce the opening have been
| holsted on their poles and blessed with
grand ceremonies. A naval officer
presides over this ceremony; it is a
solemn moment. According to the
hereditary superstition of the Mimi
merchants. If the flags mount without
a hitch and float at once bravelv in
the breeze the success of the fair il
certain; but if they get entangled in
the cords it is useless to hone
| to do good business. The level
OF the waters of the Volga is also
anxiously consulted. When the
waters are too low in consequence of
the excessive heat the heavy boats
laden with metal, stutfs and cereals
run aground on the sand banks in the
river and Can not get up to the fair.
which is limited to the triangle of al
luvion formed at the confluence of the
Volga and Okla rivers. On this
sandy plain, bare and marshy in
spring-tine. a large city rises for
the space of two months, with it's
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 proude,t West
ern capitals might learn much bv
studying the problems which have had
to be resolved in order to insure the
administrative service of this ephe-
neral town, and its provisioning in
food and in water. Two things are
particularly worthy of attention; the
system of sewers and the organization
OF the fire-brigade Fire is the great
enemy of the fair; every year it de-
stroys shops to the value of consider
able sum. Everywhere there are
towers for watchmen, and stations
whe e powerful engines are always
ready under steam with horses stand
ing beside them. The firemen Of
Mimi surpass all their European col
leagues in skill and rapldity. General
Ignatief, 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 dormitorles
which give shelter to a 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
see there all the costumes of Asia. and
hear all it's tongues. The Chinaman
from Pekin rubs elbows with the Mus
sulman from Constantinople. Khivans
and ROkharians and Persians have ar
rived in company on the Caspian
steamboats,; the German fur-trader
from Leipsic bargains for sables with
the trapper from the borders of the
Lena. 1t would require q
correspondent of the Pail Mall Gazette
to trace the realistic pictures which
may be seen in Mimi in all their
pdtriarchal candor. You may study
here the most abject misery and vice.
and at the same time the most incred~
ible folies of wealth. There in few
weeks Russian merchant will drink
more champagne than whole provin-
cial town in France consumes in wear.
and spends a 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--thei profits, their liber-
ality and also their pompous piety.
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 fortune and commercial vigOt
of Russia. The Vicomte Eugene Me,-
chior de Vogue, in Harper's Magazine.