Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-23
GEORGE KEENAN,.
HE TALKS ABOUT SIBERIA AND
THE ExILES.
over Half a Million Expatriatec People.
Instances of Cruelty-Railroad and
Agricultural Possibilities of Russia.


Mr.. George Kennon, the Russopho-
bist, who is to lecture soon in this city,
on Siberia, is in San Francisco. The
Examiner of Saturday contains the fol-
lowing talk with him by a reporter:
Mr.. Kennan is q man of medium size,
slightly inclined to spareness, and with
his face just little thin. He appears
to be about 45 years of age. His eyes
are black, and at times flash, as he
grows interested in his theme. He talks
pretty fast, and ne shows that nervous
energy which prompted him to under
take his labor and dangerous trips
through Russia.
One of them was from st. Petersburg
to Minnsinsk, in the valley of the Yeni-
sci, Eastern Siberia, involving trip by
sledge of over 5000 miles. During his
| trip he secured more than fifty pounds
OF manuscript matter, pictures and doc
uments from political exiles. He also
bore letters from exiles to other exiles,
as we'll as government passports. Much
of the matter in his possession was as
dangerous as dynamite. He was fire.
auently searched, yet by circumstances
strangely fortunate, he managed to get
through without detection.
There are now about 100000 of the
exiles," said Mr.. Kennan. ''They oc-
cupy the most desolate regions of Sibe-
ria, and are scattered far and wide in
colonies over those wastes. About 49,
600 or e, 900 are exiled every year. OF
course the vast majority are low Grimm
ais, not political exiles. The latter
number only about 3 per cent of those
that are exiled. This, however, is
something terrible to contemplate, es-
pecially as the political offenses in num-
beress instances amount to mere suspi-
cion. Women are also exiled in large
numbers, and there is fearful brutal
ity about it all that is terrible.
There are very few exiles on the
Siberian coast, opposite Bering sea.
They are kept more in the interior. The
reaeon is that if they got out on the
coast they would escape in whaling and
other vessels. The government looks
out for that"
In far Eastern Siberia, at Minnsinsk,
5000 miles from St. Petersburg, lives a
learned political exile, N. M. Martinez,
graduate of the University of Kazan.
| His wife is also exiled with him. When
they went out there three years ago Mr..
Martinez, who had a great taste for
science, made botanical and other col
lections, and gradually interested other
exiles thereabout, till now the collection
is the most noted in Eastern Siberia and
is known as the Minnsinsk museum.
1t is a gathering place for all the
educated exiles of that colony.
81 had at the special invitation of Mr..
Martinez called several times at his
home" said Mr.. Kennan, "and had
drank tea with himself and wife and
discussed the sufferings of the exiles.
Mr.. Martinez had again invited me to
come on another evening, and l had
made preparations to do 80 when / met
him and he told me that Mrs. Martinez
was sick. In fact, that she was soon to
become mother, and that the visit
must therefore be postponed.
"Word was also sent to the Russian
authorities that Mrs. Martinez, because
of the illness, would be unable to ap,,
pear and sign the register, as is required
once a week of all'exiles.
"Then next day after this word was sent
Mrs. Martinez was persuaded by her
husband to walk few steps before
| OT.
They had Just but stepped outside the
door when they were seen by one of the
authorities, and promptly came an
order from headquarters that the lady
must appear at the Office some distance
away and sign the book.
Two alternatives were presented. One
OF journeying at once to sign the rol
and endangering her life by so doing
and that of her child, sthe other of hav
ing the child born in prison, probably
there to die, as might also the mother
This, as we'll as countless other In
stances, might be recited to show the
studied cruelty of the brutal persons in
charge of the exiles."
The great Siberian traveller had much
of interest to say concerning the rail
roads now under way and projected
) Ex-Governor Gilpin, of Colorado, is now
r in Denver interesting himself in {
I mighty enterprise to construct a roaC
-. from Vancouver down the shores of the
British Columbia and Alaska mainland
T. to Bering sea, and from there on ovel
8 the Bering straits and down through
{ Siberia.
q Mr.. Kennan talked about it. ''Idon'
think it is feasible" said he. "To Brit
ish Columbia and Alaska, all right; but
down through Siberia, no. There ISM
: anything to warrant it. There is nc
; business. And it would cost immense
!. sums. What is the use of building sucf
/. a road if it won't pay? 1t wouldn't fol
; years and years in the future.
+. SIN Siberia there are hundreds ant
hundreds OF miles where there is not 6
stick of timber. You fret strike an Arc
tic desert and after that stretch of say
Q 500 miles where there is no timber, ex
: cept in the valleys of the rivers.
e "Then there is another serious obsta
Gle. Much of the distance is covered
with moss, which freezes to depth o
e about couple of feet. II would be hare
J, to build road over that; but the mos
!. serious difficulty would be encountered
in the mountains beyond. 1t would no
/ be justified in our time.
}. "But as to the transiberian railroad
i OF which General Amelekof is chief en-
gineer, that is an enterprise that is al
right. 1t cuts through an immense
!. wheat country. 1t will produce whea
l. equal to the Manitoba country. Their
|. will be plenty for the road to do there.
Z. Look at Mullen, Bluett & Co.'s show window
for an endless variety Of sensible holiday goods