Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-21


horses of Washington. They are Orion
stations, as black as coal, with fine action
and great speed.
There are splendid horses all over Rus
sia, and indeed the empire has more horses
than any other country in the world. Ac-
cording to the statistics of our AgricuI-
tural department all the horses on earth
number about 65 100000. Russia alone has
100000, or. estimating four persons to
each family, about one horse to every
family in the whole empire.
The most of the Russian horses belong to
the peasant farmers, but vast number
are found on the steppes or high plains and
in the lowlands. The steppe horses are
speedy and have unlimited powers Of en-
durance There is a breed along the River
Don produced by crossing the native horse
with the English thoroughbred, which is
famous for it's riding horses. The czar
takes 5000 of them every year for the
cavalry.
And then there are the Kalmuck horses
bred by the wandering tribes of southeast
ern Russia and beyond the Caspian sea in
Asia. They number about $1,000 in mares
alone; they are noted for their cavalry
qualities The KirghIz, who live over in
Asia, but are governed Ly Russia, have
something like 4COO 900 horses, and the
peasant farmers of Russia have horses
which will serve in time of war. Even the
commonest of the plow animals are good
trotters and they are made to go like the
wind.
The chief racehorse here Is the Orion
trotter, breed originated by Prince Orloff.
who imported Arabian and English stal
lions and crossed them with Dutch and
Danish mares.
The czar spends vast sums in the Inn
provement of the Russian horse. He has a
board of horse breeders which takes charge
of the government studs The finest of
Arabian and English horses are imported,
and also British, French and Prussian
draft horses The best of these are sent to
different parts of the empire. In addition
there are thirty-one state stables under the
management of the chief of this board
which furnish stations to the farm dis
tricts free Of charge. There are many pr
vate societies for horse improvement and
about 2,3OO private stables.
Many of the cavalry horses are bought at
the horse fairs, which are held every spring
and fall in different parts of Russia, and
especially In the stock-raising centers. The
horses as rule are cheap, an ordinary one
for general purposes bringing $50 or $35.
The Russian empire Is well fortified
Poland is defended by four strongholds and
European frontier. Finland has many for
tihcations and there are great forts at
Kronstadt guarding the capital. I passed
the latter forts 1 came here They are
on an island at the end OF the St Peters
burg and Kronstadt canal, and near them
are the headquarters of the Russian navy
From this island TO the mainland are a
number Of smaller islands, each with a fort
upon II, forming a string of fOrtihcations
rising as it were out OF the water The
islands look like mighty floating batteries
Within the last few years Russia has
been building great forts in Asia I was in
eastern Siberia just before the war with
China and Japan. There were something
like $1,000 men there at that time and enor-
nous fortifcations had been erected about
Nladtvostock. Port Arthur is now strongly
1ortlned. 1t is about ten miles from Dalny
the Russian commercial metropolis at the
manchurian end of the Transsiberian road
ana Is the cars naval station in the far
east There are forts about the Black sea
ana In the Caucaus. go that there is littIs
uahger or the empire being surprised
EVERY one fears the Russian police. and
the average tourist who comes bara
lmagines that spies are always tagging AZ
his heels. AS far as can see neither ths
police nor the army are anything like 81
prominent or officious in st. Petersburg os
they are in Berlin. The German noIican,a-
Is everywhere. The Russian noIioan,a-
provided you have a passport and roo,stn'
IL properly does not bother Won. He 20 .
very accent Fellow and minds his own bust
Continued on Page sixteen.)