The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-10-18

. indeed this was the Athens Of Asi;
, nearly thousand years ago. Its con
secutive history, however, goes bacl
: twice as far as that, for 1t was destroy
ed by Alexander the Great Genghi
) Khan RACED it at the beginning of tn
thirteenth century. and Tamerlane re
built 1t and adorned it with the superb
: buildings whose lettering ruins are still
; magnificent to-day. Russia's ownership
J of it daes only from 1868.
Between the railway and the nativ,
city is the Russian town, emboweret
in trees, the governors residence belnS
, a large and handsome structure in spa
cious grounds surrounded by wall
Next in size is the club, or the casino
the only place where a decent dinner
can be had, for the only hotels for Wis
1tors are certain 'nemura,' or furnish
ed rooms where the accommodation is
Wretched and the cooking worse. The
club, on the other hand which is main
tanned solely by the officers of the gar
rison, with an official subsidy, Is spa
cious and comfortable, with excellent
cooking, perfect service by military or
deries, reading rooms, billiard rooms
and a large ballroom.
may cite my experience here as a
typical example of Russian hospitality
to strangers. When l saw how miser-
ably uncomfortable l was going to be in
the 'numera" 1 cast about for some
relief. / knew nobody in Samarkand,
but l decided to try my luck at the club.
So l boldly entered and asked who was
the chief official. l was tald that a
certain captain was officer of the day,
but he was out Was any officer in the
club? Yes, Lieutenants So-and-so and
So-and-sb We're playing billiards
Then" I said, please take my card
to one of them In a moment a young
| officer came out, and I apologized for
| disturbing him, proved my respectable
| ity by showing him my official letters,
| explained that Samarkand, outside the
club, did not afford decent meal to a
traveller, and begged, therefore, that |
might be allowed the use of the club
during my brief stay. with great
pleasure" was his instant reply, and
he at once entered my name and that
of my interpreter, a young Russian
gentleman who accompanied me every
where, in the members book, with his
o"ii fi"iiie anu aio'ii0i oiiNSi "e I'll
-rouucers'
30 ior several Gays LOOK al my
meals III company WIN Russian Officers,
waited upon by Russian soldiers, and
treated in every respect with the most
perfect and even friendly courtesy. And
this, mind you, while every Russian
paper was filled with abuse of England
ana Tying stories, implicitly peileVeu py
every reader, 10 our olscteull' l hope
that RUSSIAN stranger Would De not
less hospitaply received at remote
brltish iniiitary station'
Samafkand is large city mud Color
ed ike al the east, but 1t Is surrounded
by rolling fertile country, ana hlsh
above us houses tower the glorious
comes ana portals ana mlnarets Oh the
hahaiWork OF Iameriane' me great
market pace OF the city calieu ehe fds-
lstah' mas three OIL these LOT its tilree
sloes-the Mahometah coileges calied
ohlf oar, the Lion pearlng' ina hafl, Z
the soluen' ana that OF uiuen Beg, the i
astronomer ana grandson OF Iamefiane'
Ihe 1acaoes OF these, III the market +
place. consist OF lotty arch, Hanked +
by huted domes ana exquisite slender
tokers, the Whole constructed OF glazea
tlies IN several colors, dellclous fer-
SIAN piue predomlhatlhs-the plue Oh /
the blue mosque Oh cairo. Inc Ina
hati sun retains soIle vi the soia Witn
WHICH IL WAS spreau' anu hlsh ABOVE
.he gateway OF the Shir Oar may sun
De seen huge eh1plehls III once orlliiaht
Ties OF the Lion ana the sun OF Persia.
behfio the iacdue ol eacii Hiduia ssa
IS paved courtyard with FOUNTAIN
ana lew trees ana all around are the
leiis OIL tne schoiars ana the linafhs.
Time ana earthquakes nave wrought
iestructioh' the portals are proheh'
some Oh the lhiharets are WITHOUT tops
SQUARE yaros OF tiies nave fanen on
.upplsh heaps nave peeh formed OF the
leprls, put sun the masnilcehce or
hese great structures persists, ana
snoW no more Impressive ana pictur
'sque sight than TINS great market
roWded with STAINS ana shouting nuy-
RS ana sellers whlle hlgh above ana all
lround the human ant heap stand these ,
'ast archltecturai spiendors OF an age
ohg past tne note Oh heavenly piue
DOMINATING all Inc man VINO pullt
mem lies not 1ar on, uhder another
pleIlulu uohe' pehlnd another pofce-
ain facaue, at the enu Oh another long
venue.
on the ground leVei Is an octagonal ,