Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-05

Written for The Evening Star
1t is only short journey from the civil
lied cities of southeastern Russia into the
rugged wilds of the Caucasus, that noun
famous boundary land between the orient
and the occident. where the manners and
customs of medieval times still prevail and
mans daily life is still chock full OF
thrilling adventure and stirring romance.
Now that parts of the Caucasus are linked
by railroad with European Russia, it is
possible to pass in few hours from TWEEN
tieth century civilization to an environment
that might have been compounded out of
the days of Robin Hood and the Thousand
and One Nights"
Though they are nowadays policed by
the Cossacks, the brave and hardy noun
tain tribes of the Caucasus are still the
freest of all Russias subjects. After more
than century of war with them, Russia
has found 1t best to drive them with a
loose rein and wink at a good deal. of their
brigandage and internecfne warfare.
There are many old men now living
among the tribes in Daghes;an who took
part in the wonderful fight maintained
against the cars hordes by Prince
Schamyl from 1881 to is D. They speak with
pride of the frequent victories they won
over Russian forces which outnumbered
them by ten to one. Naturally, they do not
feats. Listening to these stories told round
the camp fire. the young men become pos
sessed of a spirit of unrest; and that is
why tribal fights, small insure ctions
against the Russians, and isolated acts of
brigandage are 50 common all through the
region.
Russia handles this awkward situation
cleverly. The sons of the tribal chieftains
are frequently lured away from their
mountain villages by the offer of comms
sions in the Russian army and large grants
of money They are taken young, and
trained In civilized ways at the military
academy. They take to their profession as
a duck takes to water. and advance with
remarkable speed Thus it comes about
that some of the highest officers in the
Russian army today started in life as bare
footed little barbarians in mountain VII
lagos of the Caucasus
Best and Bravest.
This is particularly true of the Ossetes.
whom the Russians call the gentlemen of
the mountains because of their fine quail
tiles. They are the best and bravest of all
the Caucasian tribesmen An Ossete on
his mountain heath is fine looking crel
ture. He usually stands over six feet, and
has a stalwart. martial bearing. He looks
every inch the comic opera brigand, with
his picturesque eastern costume of at least
half dozen colors and his sash full of
silver-mounted pistols and daggers. He
would rather fight than eat. At the least
affront to his honor dignity, he is ready
10 engage in deadly combat. If you look
at him he may take it an insult: and If
you don't look at him he may be equally
enraged at the neglect.
But though he is so difficult to get along
with. he has his good poins. He is a chival-
rous foe and a stanch friend. with SPLEEN
tiful stock of the primitive virtues. LAS
brave as an Ossete'' and LAS honest as an
Ossete" are common sayings throughout
the Caucasus
Russia takes care to live on the best of
terms with these warlike mountaineers,
and there ere dozens of Ossete cheftains
In the commissioned ranks of the cars
army. They take to civilization readily
and are lions in society. They cut US out
alike in the ball rooms and the boudoir,"
said a Russian officer to the writer 1.-The
Russian soldier Is famous as dancer all
over Europe. but the Ossete beats him He
is famous. too. for his ability to make
himself pleasant to ladies. but there, again.
he is beaten by the Ossete, who was an
ignorant barbarian only a few years ago."
Primitive Customs.
The sOssetes who stay at home in the
Caucasus retain their primitive tribal Gus
toms and pagan religion. Until few years
ago they practiced deadly family vendettas
like those Of Corsica-'blood revenge they
called the custom: but the Russian authori-
ties stamped 1t out after infinite trouble,
and tribal crimes are now atoned for by
the payment of cattle to the injured parties
on cast-iron tariff drawn up by the Rus
SLAMS.
The aueerest custom Of the Ossetes is