The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-08-10

nation which gave him reasonable
cause to form the conclusion that at the
instance of the Indian government
cholera patients were being quietly
carried over to Persian territory from
Afghanistan and there left to shift for
themselves.
In seeking to trace the origin of the
trouble it must fairly be admitted that
the Transcaspian railway, notwith-
standing its manifest advantage, has
from the start favored the dissemina-
ton of disease. 1t traverses desert re-
gion which before its construction acted
as a barrier between Russia and Asia,
effectually shutting off the possibility
of transmitting disease Now that tho
railroad is an accomplished fact, con-
Meeting the Central Asian and European
provinces of Russia, it is perfectly easy
for infection to be carried to and fro.
Baku, the great port on the eastern
side of the Caspian sea, has proved
in the present instance the first etape
of the contagion. Being the western
terminus of the Transcaspian railroad
system, it is the entrepot of commerce
between Asiatic and European Russia,
and it's malign influence as center OF
infection can scarcely be underesti-
mated.
The writer's knowledge Of the town
suggests some interesting details, which
are especially timely. 1t is populous
city, containing a distinctly floating"
population. They come and go, sue
cessively seeking, finding and abandon
ing the employment which is there OBJ
tainable in connection with the
great petroleum springs and the rail-
road freight sheds. They are mainly
composed Of Persians, Bokharites,
Khivans, Turcomans and the most re-
pulsive description of low class He
brews. The prevailing racial character
istic there is Asiatic, and it Is super
huous to say that it carries with IT the
inevitable accompaniment OF uncleanh-
ness. There is thus confronting the OBJ
server of social conditions in Baku a
state of affairs which, apart from its
individual interest, supplies a general
key to the position Russia occupies
toward other nations in the face of
the present cholera crisis Here we
find congregation of human souls
which herds amid almost indescribably
horrible sanitary surroundings and
menaces other nations by reason of its
migratory tendency. The petroleum in
dustry subordinates all other CONNER
cial interests to its predominant claims
Even the common necessities of sanEa-
ton are disregarded in the pursuit of
gain, and the largest employers OF labor
the Nobel brothers, who principally
control the output of the oil wells, are
comparatively indifferent TO the condi-
ton of their employees Perhaps they
cannot be criticised very sharply for
this, because they are dealing with a
class of men practically unamensble TO
considerations of deceney, as under
stood By Aryan peoples The town Of
Balzu is almost destitute of drainage,
| and apart nom the few governments
buildings it contains forms collection
of poor and squslid dwellings over
crowded with their miserable tenants
| Many drastic measures have been
! taken along the Russo Persian and At
| CHAN frontiers, and numerocs fngliiFss
hare been shot down and speared By
| CoSsack co-dons In their attempts 20
Cross over into Russian SOIL The orders
/ under which these guards were acting
simply admitted of no half measures
| In the midst of such horrors one turns
with q certain sense OF relief 10 the re-
.-.-~ -id~ al Aha rnada1: Ia ntnsr ;sx<a1,1A-