The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-01-05

kWFp IA AeANENA AAN0NAse AeAt Fe.ttsNe 80
before the expedition actually Left for
eastern Asia on July 3, 1865. Scarcely
twenty years old, there were eight years
OF work behind him in which uRWeaF.
led industry and much professional
ability had already been evidenced and
appreciated -yesFs In which the bur-
dens OF life had fallen somewhat heayi'
" upon shoulders eager Tor other tasks
but as the ship aailed out OF the hal-
Dor Of San Francisco, aud he turned MS
face to Kamtchatka, the very golden
gate Of promise opened before him.
The two years spent IN the Wilds OF
eastern Siberia, with ~ camps on me
bopndless steppes, ilS lie IN the smoky
huts OF the wandering Koraks, itsaFCtic
winters, its multiplied hardships, and
its manifold interests and excltements,
proved q preparatory school toEenotheF
and vastly more important Siberian
Journey. Not the least Of it's advantages
was the knowledge Of the language
then frat acquired in those months OF
often solitary life among the wild
tribes OF Siberia. Among this mans
many qualifications for this work is an
unusual linguistic ability, Not only y
a Language very easy TO him, but, a.
most without his own knowledge, he
possesses himself Of certain inner
sense Of its use, and Q facility at its
idiom, He has been called among the
first-ii not, indeed, the best, pt Rus
sian scholars In }Allench However
this may be, a strong sense OF the gen
ius OF the language Is, his 70 that de-
gree, that those fortunate friends who
have been introduced by him to some
Of the leading noted Russian noyellsIs
are sometimes heard to express the
wish that he would give over more IN
portant work aid take TO translation.
Mr.. Remnants brilliant story OF these
strange months OF work and travel for
the Telegraph company. isl too well
known to require any retelllng OF Its
experiences, but it is only between tho
lines that we get knowledge Of the phys
ical endurance, the upbounded resource,
the nerve, the skill, that made the re.
suit possible, the high spirits and
bnoyant temperament that filled with
gayety the most tedious days. and up
held the little party OF three, or tho
lone worker In the most appalling sub
roundings. Nothing was impossible to
the man who SO successfully made that
Journey and did that work. All too
soon the brief experiment ended but
our young telegrapher was tull'tiedged
traveller now, and much too loath TO 20
home again for any haste.
Both the work Of the telegraph COM
pany and the overland journey from
Kamtchatka to st. Petersburg had
given him much kuOwledge,of the poo
pie, and he had frequently turned aside
to explore the prisons.
Thus 1t was when he came home In
the spring Of 1886, his porttolio was full
OF material Tor lectures and magazine
articles, all OF which ne mean, should
furnish him with thesii1eWs for Ger.
tain Journey into the Caucasus, 1t was
then that KEENAN, first appeared in
print. With the execution OF few
private letters printed during bis alb.
sence in tho local newspapers. his first
work as VETERINARIAN article in,i4 Put.
nam's Jfage.lns for that years called
"Tent Life with the, AYbndeting Ko-
raks," aud this and the series which
followed 1t were shortly after expanded
into the book already referred 70 Tent
Lie in Siberia" being published in
1870. I, ,ei,i -.
The story Of the occurring experieIire
is emtnently characterls,nc, PothI o. me
temper OF the mau ana o. nus u, mental
habit Lectures 70 croWuea nal!P. utter
mated with audiences o. g round aozen'
To great cities ana !lttle hallmiets, 70
church societies and female semiharl e
and dlgnlned assemblies, wherever ne
could una place, ne oueIeu ms strange lI,s
tales Of an unknown lana. " was sun
the palmy TINE Of ttte liycelln, ana wen
he improved dhia opportunity: y ial.'
Ire were }. pS 9sa,l,, on Gns lg gut
ne maze IL the eIlterlns WeugeEot SUE
cess the next Full OF industry, cour'
age, philosophy, above all possessed by
the determination. not to fall, come
what would, he laid siege TO success.
The fall aud winter Of 1870 were spent
in solitary torsssep ck Quincy through
Daghestan. Thewhole tour wastnli oil
the widest adventure, testing tho phy.
steal courage OF the man almost beyond
belief, abundantly proving once more
his extraordinary ability to adapt him.
sell to tho most 81 9dyerae eonds!tions, 70
render the least prom ~ r2nment
tributary to his ends and showing his
remarkable power Of bending men as
well as things 70 ms purpose, ana ms
success Of winning tpeir commence
whether in palace or hut;siiS 5Ha
It is pertinent to speak particularly
OF these Journeys, since they give thu
answer to the question as to what
knowledge Mr. KEENAN, possesses as a
basis pt Judgment on Russian affairs.
His passion far countries Tor TO see,'
to which q human interest had now
been added, was byno means satisfied;