The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-03

[ :
THE FoR1R
from Wladikawkas toGeorgia' 5. capital. and
It is wildly romantic, but extremely we'll
kept read, which leads into the Trans-Cau-
casns. =. .-..>-.-.
What a gay scene The. little post station Of
Wladikawkas presents early in the morning,
Just before the departure Of: the stage
coaches, writes a correspondent to the st.
LOUIS Post-Dispatch.
People of all nations are gathered there,
and one can hear all the tongues Of the
world spoken in this queer little spot By
the side of tile official from st. Petersburg
or Finland stands the Caucasian ON er In
his knightly uniform, with the sheep-skm
cap on his characteristic head and the
dagger with gold iligree in his belt. Here
some crafty Greek enters into business rela-
tions with an Armenian even more skilled
IN the art Of merchandising. a group OF
= KirghiZ from the OTenburgeT heathS crouch
upon the ground, running race seemingly
with q troop of Kalmucks close by as TO
which Of the nations can produce the diEtieSt,
ugliest types. Turkish traders discuss the
topics of commerce with the harRltS from
the CTimea. Among this more native ele-
ment | noticed Americans comfortably
lOuugag about, proud E1gllshmen bae-
decker and binOcle in hand, Germans,
Frenchmen, Italians, and large contingent
Of women from every mans land Inc
emaucipated Russian dame, smoking ner
cigarette, the COQuettish French demolseile,
the Kalmuck, the wife Of the Burlak, VINO
labOrs along the shores OF the Nolga, the
consGrt of the river pilot. the spouse OF
Eome foreign ambassador; in short, people
from all the walks OF life and all the knoWn
zones in motley confusion.
While we were still elb0wiug our way to
the buffet, over which q "hand-painted"
French Hebe presided, the signal OF the
GtaEe-uaster was suddenly given,
- The lTOikas are ready!
Loaded with baggage; everybody rushes
forward and scTamDles for seat IN one OF
the largeSehicles, to which three horses are
htehed, for lthe- ride lasts at least twenty
four hours and. goes through lnhospitapie
regions coveted with perennial Snow.
The command is given and the h'asoS
start; A small detachment Of COSstchs pr
cede the eGraKaB, another fnp0"' SS Ieai
guard. Z =. :, .-, o,5 b.fo-.
The twilight nists sissperSe' an. ana -- before
the enchanted gaze spreads out the wonder
en- 5lrra,}s 9f me Caucasian mountain
Iorja- : Ifl,IofE.d IN dazzling white, the mon
,ter eunTl rs aspire heaYenward, bathed IN
r. rosydoOd of the rising sun, now gteam-
Inc iise polished crystals. then heTalding
the 1ppT0ach of day like giant torches The
MAINTAIN ridges tTemble Ia softly swaying
lotion in this sea of molten light, and
,euried by lightly stirring breeze, the net
4 like masses Of snow glitter IN thousand
varied tiuts.
In an easy trot the horses carry our troika
over the Grusinan high road.
What magnificent well-kept road" l
remarked to my neighbor, an old Tcherkes-
TiEn officer.
Yes" replies he, with manifest pride,
there is not another in the world like it.
But it is quite new and was laid out undert
Grand Duke Michael. Formerly riding owe
this road was far from good. and not atsl
safe. It's but few years ago that Jne
risked his life on trip from WladiksfKas
20 Tiflis. ! could tell you of many oven
lures, which sound almost ike fair tales.
Look out yonder. Every third q 1onTtn
Werst pole is marked with crps erected
In memory of some harmless trayeier VINO VINO
. was murdered by brigands. 2hefe are SUN
some brigands at the present dag out ttney
are rarely successful in msklnga maui.
The road leads hitter ayG thlt1e5 IN
manifold diversion: te the flght and left,
up and down. Below Us bolS tle tuIpuient
mountain river. ABOVE uYsmlles the blnest
of skies in prnuS sereniB. The stops be-
! come more frequent, foThere and there an
avalanche Las rolled down and. mighty
beulders * rock Obstrict the way.
The path grows yarFow and dangerous.
and on both sides o. 1t little embankments
Of stone have beep erected 10 protect travel
ers and horses frgn aprecipitous plunge into
the 93yss.
N the Afternoon small station Is reached
where we charge horses. WeteHrists stroll
into the WaEpg-rooms, two pleasant, neat
looking apatnents;a stout liUen clotlc car
pets the floor, along the whitewaShed walls
cheap prints are hung-reigi0us and mill
tsTy subjects, portraits Of the Cars. the
imperial family and the most popular Cen
erals. In one corner stands q stove, which
diffuses peasant warmth in another is an
old-fashioned cupboard. In the larger of
the rooms a table stands before the sofa,
laid with a cloth as white as SNOW, and the
obligatory samoWar aud tea+seIyice a few
wooden benches and cHairs complete the
furnishings -: r. Z
After brief restthe journey progresses.
The evening shadows grow darker and night
comes rapidly. A violent, dTiZzlng *sn9y-
storm sets in, the wiDd.blows sfrightful
gale, the cold becomes intense, t,anbeaTab BILE;
and we draw the ample folds of the B0Hka,
our wide Caucasian. cloak, more tightly:
around US. Through the profound darkness:
the journey goes on. uninterTgptedly, for the
horses md the way as safely as IN the day.
Suddenly we come TO a halt. the soldiers
alright from their animals and lead them by
the bride The triggers are put on. the |
wheels, and besides this preeaution the !
tToikas are held back with ropes n. the |
bands OF men, to keep them from rolling |
too fast. The path seems almost perpen- |
Qlculafs ana IL is very narrow and SLIPPERY, |
On one side there is an endless mass of pre- |
eipitous rock, on the other yawns abysses |
Of meaSureess depth.
The darkness is densely black, and the |
drifting snow Is binding. The soldiers |
have lighted the torches, and step by step
we move slowly onward
Suddenly there come piercing shrieks |
from one Of the troikas.
Halt 70
"Whatis it?
The triggers have come of, the ropes are |
tearing, AMI wagon ana inmates are rolling |
Inevitably down the dreadful precipice.
Throw the door openP
They try, but in vain: 1t is frozen tight
With utmost painful and self-sacrifclng
exertion, the Cossacks succeeded in holding |
the trOika with. their hands and breaking in |
the wall, thus liberating the passengers. A |
moment later wagon and horses plunge |
down into the Deep.
Thus the highly romantic and dangerous
Journey continues for hours. At last morn |
Ing begins to dawn, and the first rays Of the |
sun announce the approaching close of this |
wonderful ride.
In strange contrast with the snow-clad |
mountains Ia their terrific splendor, bloom |