The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-06
LIFE IN COLD SIBERIA.
RUSSIA WANTS IMMIGRANTS FOR
THE SOUTHERN PART.

A Railroad Is Being Built Through South
Siberia, from the UraI Mountains to the
Pacific Ocean, as an Inducement for
Settlers to Go There.
The railroad which the Russian govern.
ment is building through south Siberia
from the Urai to the Pacific ocean will
open an immense country hitherto almost
unknown to the world for foreign culture,
and it may be Of interest to see what the
condition of the land is. Generally, it may
be said Siberia, by the hand of nature, has
been endowed not less than other coun-
tries.
1t produces almost every kind of Euro
pean grain and fruits, even grapes, and has
an abundance of all metals, iron, gold, sill
yer, copper. lead, zinc, ETC., coal, graphite,
porphyry and precious stones, and it is, or
has been, the home of all kinds of man.
mafan animals. The rivers and lakes are
crowded with all kinds of fish and the
arctic sea abounds with whale and seal
The area of Siberia is about Il, 600, 600
kilometers, but the northern and greater
part of it is almost waste, inhabited only
by few thousands of Samojedes and Es-
kimos. Snow and ice cover the earth
in the north almost all the year round,
only melting in two or three months in
the summer, when the sun never sets.
This country is then visited by large herds
OF wild reindeer, coming from the south
and returning there as soon as winter sets
in. The polar bear and the black fox live
here constantly, and hunting these and
the seals and fishing are the only occupa-
ton of the northern people.
The Ssmojedes and Eskimos seem TO
be related TO each other. Their languages
are not so different that they cannot under
stand each other. Their manner OK living
and culture, if it can be named so, is almost
the same, They are all nomads, going
north in the summer and south in the win
ter. Their clothing is made of sealskin,
and both sexes wear the same style OF
dress.
In the summer they live In tents nsde
of skin, and their only furniture is OF skin.
They cover themselves with skins and sleep
on skins. The tents are heated with open
fires in the middle of the tent. and az the
pine never here becomes tree, only a
shrub, the natives use the blubber of the
whale and the oil of the seal for fuel.
PEOPLE OF SIBERIA
The people are chiefly small, filthy and
indolent. They do net provide for the
morrow, and IL seems incredible that a sin
gle man is able 10 eat from sixteen to TWEEN
y pounds of raw salmon DAY. The Sa-
mojed can ConBt only to seven \ larger
number Is "a many"
In winter they live in huts, made Of turf
and moss and covered with snow. The
entrances to these huts are long and low,
and one has 20 crawl through them Three
and four families live in one hut. where the
beat l. intense Their food IS fish and seal
meat. which they wash down with train
oil. and they 90 not leave the huts in cold
weather. except when they have nothing
10 eat They have neither preachers nor
authorities
The strongest man IS the most respected
and ne decides ali quarrels- The men have
only one wife. but wedding ceremonies are
unknown. Wives are commonly gained
by bargain. and often exchanges are made
in good rscured way. Dogs are the only
domeStlcstsd animals Each party has a.
least SIX or eight or them aud treats them
well keeping them IN the general living
room
In the long winter season the weather
besieEed people make or repair their lTnp.e-
meuts and weapons. They sleep = great
deal and tel. legends, these varying only
slightly. IRE Ssmcjed. howeveg- has good
commoa sense and almost mother WI. ard
often eutsTssins ms company extremely
with MS TaIeS
Money * unknown among fae people,
al trade oeIug carried on by bz-Tsr- Ae-
coriI ngIT rhere are 70 poor people. - they
ssy. szd tb@ -aEneseics consider t5eFa-
selves a Happy fox Thsx lose Iaelr cid
homes and IN eIls-r countries Aiw4gs arr
homeSic< ard take Ike first opportunity
10 return 20 ;ae.r native lana
eooB LAMB POE sEIT1EEs
Costa. Siberia las susvsle lzuc ard
co5d winters. which make il Eaft fus agvi
-alfare In talz part Of IKE ccEntry ara