The record-union., 1898-05-12
"A TRIP THROUGH RUSSIA.
LECTURE BY COMMISSIONER
MANSON LAST NIGHT.
Interesting and Instructive Ac-
count Of What He saw
on His Trip.

The lecture by Hon Marsden Man
son, Commissioner of Highways, given
under the auspices of the Iroquois Club
of this city last night, was an intensely
interesting and instructive one. and
those who did not hear it missed
rare treat.
Mr.. Manson makes no pretGnsions to
oratory, and the lecture was Il descrip-
tive talk upon what he saw III his late
trip through Russia and Siberia. illus
trated by stereopticon views of the
various scenes and places he saw,
couched in plain but choice dction. 1t
was entitled "A Trip Through Russia" ="
He stated that when the recent Con-
gress of Biologists was held at ST.
Petersburg he was invited TO attened,
being a member, and as the Car had
extended an invitation for the body to
take tour through the country and
Siberia, furnishing passes to them he
accepted. The trip was through Rus
sia and part Of Siberia, as we'll as the
preliminary trip across the ocean and
through Europe, and in all he Travelled
$4,000 or 26,000 miles by all the modes
of conveyance generally known, some
of which were the reverse of comfort
he said, the immense area Of Russia,
which comprises about one-seventh of
the land area of the world III climate
it covers every variety except the tor
rid. There is a wide variety OF ma
tionalities, and many languages are
used, in one city alone forty being
spoken
The people of Northern Siberia are
the Great Russians, large and fine,
courteous and obliging and generous
South of them are the Little Russians,
a very different people, dark and not
very friendly to Americans. They are
the Tartars. Between these two dis
tinctive races there are a tumble of
other races. In the portion in which
he was the climate resembles much that
of the United States. One thing is very
noticeable. It is a large, fat country.
| The Russian songs are said to be sad,
and he thought it was because the in
habitants never saw anything but that
| dreary, fiat, level plain, with only a
change from green to snow, always
with q great depressing influence.
When he got to the Ural Mountains,
where the ground is broken, the same
people with the sad songs become quick
and cheerful, and sing at their work.
He thought their natures were due to
their environments.
The two most important cities are
st. Petersburg and Moscow. The for
mer is at the head of the Neva. and it's
great naval superiority of advantage
gave Peter the Great the idea of build
ing it up. He brought stone and sand
and built a beautiful city. Then he
brought beautiful things from the
Greek colonies. 1t is a queer sight to
see barns and pigsties constructed of
beautiful cut stone from the ancient
Greek palaces. He conquered the
Greeks, the Tartars and Chinese, and
brought the beautiful things from their
countries to adorn the palaces. In ST.
Petersburg is the celebrated statue of
Peter the Great, and in the south are
many rare monuments
Moscow is remarkable in history At
one time it was held by the Tartar
hordes, as were other capitals in Eu-
rope. Europe owes him a debt of graf
itude for holding back the Tartars from
the other countries. When those coun-
tries had grown strong, however, they
became jealous and combined to hold
back the young country. It was not to
be held back, however. There is a
fertile region as large as California
and Oregon combined. Here are the
grain fields Of Russia. If we could
farm it with our appliances we could
supply all Europe with wheat.
The Volga River resembles the Mis-
sissippi, thought not so large, but the
commerce carried on on it is vastly
greater. You cannot get out Of sight of
the steamers and barges, some Of which
! will Of y1-ha a
etc. 1t is impossible in a short talk
to touch on all the points Of interest
in the country The manners of the
Russian people are pleasant, generous
and polite and the Great Russians are
very fond of Americans. He gave an
account of a banquet he attended at
| Kazan and the esteem and respect
shown to him. It would astonish
Americans to go into Siberia, which
they have considered cold, big desert,
and find there cities, clubs and palaces
much like our own. They showed in
every way their preference for Ameri-
cans, and it made the Germans in the
party angry. The speaker gave an
amusing account of the warmth of feel
| ing with which the Mayor kissed him
at the banquet and how he responded.
He showed some fine views of the
great Siberian Railroad, and said the
| Russian engineers were careful stu
dents of American road work. He also
showed various types of the roads of
the country, the dredgers used in the
river Volga, which are like our pump
dredgers, and said that the way in
| which the river is improved is mar
vel of skill. The great military road
built by Prince Michael Koraskoff over
the top of the Caucasus mountains,
| when the Russians captured Tiblis,
showed some interesting phases.
He said we laugh at the fondness
for titles manifested in our country,
but he thought it was fully as much
manifested in Europe by the wearing
| of badges and decorations. The views
of the University at Moscow, which
| he found to be the second city in Eu-
| rope, ranking next to London, the
Kremlin with it's 800 cannon captured
| from Napoleon in his retreat, the mag
| nificent scenery in the Caucasus, the
| snowsheds on the road over them, the
| Black Sea, representations Of the peo-
pie of the country and their customs,
| all made a most attractive and instruc-
| tive lesson, and the speaker was heart
| lily applauded at the close Of his lee
| ture.
/ NOT VET EEAny