The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-06

become Of great interest to Ameri- /
- - cans We are looking forward
to see how this vast empire our
one economic rival in all the world,
viii solve her many problems; when
her vast resources viii ind ample
outlet: the energies Of her people be
given full play; and Russia take her rank
as a world power, not from count OF her
armies and battleships. but on measure Of /
her almost Iimitless resources. For in the /
Industries Of Russia lies her salvation.
That the death Of the old Russian auto /
cracy must come no thinking man can for
q moment doubt. But its coming Will be |
led up TO by the growth and spread OF the
industrial spirit, and the birth In Russia
Of that intelligent middle class which
forms the cornerstone and foundation Of
all national greatness.
This land Of the Car Is In extent twice /
the area Of our own United States. It /
stretches from the Baltic to the Pacific, /
and from the Arctic to tn, Black Sea,
and embraces every variety OF soil and |
elimnte, and IS rich in every known !
mineral
Russia's religion and religious develop
mene8 ere g faseiaaeing study 60 the
philosophers and eheolosiani her astuto
diplomats, her government, her social and
economic conditions invite the attention
Of nations, But it ls from q commercial
neandpoint that Amesleaas and her Of
most absorbing interest. And well NO
may. BOs Ia Russia we suooEnlna q prob
able dangerous rival ln the not distant
future. Already we are drawing largely
on Ruasla foe raw materials. win not
the time come when Russia viii enter the
world of trade with these uams produo.
lions % manufactured fern, no tonEar the
feeder Of our Industries bue O competitor
whose natural resources are svsn more
bounf1aui and abundant thaa our own9
Russia LACKS aggression commercially.
Nations must so 20 her for wares rather
than that she present her goods Tor OBJ
aoFvatl0n, &c d the trade that cones 70
her rather than that she reaches out 60
grasp that contributes has commerce.
Thus, the United States takes eus Of har
chief products, hiueB aad skins, ana con-
varts ie Into ga article of trade, thereby
inCruaBing lee value % fpla. And all be.
cause Yankee Ingenuity has discovered q
process OF finishing leather that the world
q fashion approves, ana Yankee agEraaa
sion has sought aad established Q re.
lati0aship whereby the steppsB OF Rus.
Gin feed our New England shoe factories.
RuaEiu'u trade and commerce, while
crude Ia methods. are powerfully oatab.
iinhea Ia the ancient market place Of
NovRorod, Mint Nnvgcrod. literally and
really tho New City" counts back a
practically uninterrupted series Of annual
fairs for upwards OF six centuries. Mini,
as It "a Familiarity called. iu logically and
geographically the meeting place for
all the Rua8ias. Bqul6istnne from Nos
COW. st. Petersburg and the foreign
frontier, and easily accessible to the
WfnMf Gan M
srn Europe. and by way Of the river ana
mountain passes from the Trans-Uralian
country, Mini Is the natural point Of az-
change for the merchandise Of this vast
territory. Il lies near the confluence Of
the Okla and Volga, two OF the greatest
rivers Of Russia; indeed, the Voiga is the
great river Of Europe. and may be said
TO rank second to no river OF the world Ia
natural importance. Mini Is situated In
regard to the two rivers much as our own
st. Louis Is IN regard to the Missouri
and Mississippi. On the nat, marshy
sands. IN the small triangular space
formed by their Junction, for six weeks IN
the fail Aslatic wealth meets European
Industry.
A fair IN cur minds Is closely auso.
ciated with improvement, with advanced
methods, with novelties and Inventions.
But hero e e g fair that makes no pre-.
tenc9 whatever az any Of those. It offers
nethlug new, nothing novel. Ita wares
maize no pratencs Of showing Improve.
uasne over those OF last year. It Is a
town Of shops, q community OF shop
keepers. Il springs into lie almost IN a
night and disappears quite as quickly at
the end Of the six weeks. Yet the vol
ume Of trade which is covered by the
elk weeks period Of the Mini Fair Is OF
a size that makes even our great trans
actions pale. And this In the heart OF
a country and a nation which we are
wont to consider barbarous and uneivii-
fEed.
The Fair city itself Is built upon the
fats across the river, or, rather rivers.
for Il 10 here that the volga and its
tributaries the Kara and Okla, meet.
pontoOn bridge connecting the two towns
Oh built every summer and taken down
90 the fail, so that It may not be IN
iured By the winter foods. The govern
ment has erected buildings to accom-
modate the vast variety OF merchandise
that Is offered, and here the governor Of
the province resides during the time Of
the fair.
Mini is n city in itself. having its own
churches. its own theaters, It's own hotels.
The great bankers Of the world establish
branch Offices there. and all the great
commercial firms OF Russia and even
France are represented, often by junior
partners, young men Of pleasant manners
and easy habits, who take life com
fortably in this babel, yet accomplish
great transactions during the six weeks
Of the fair.
The merchandise OF the fair Is widely
varled-metals and ores from the siber-
ian and UraIlan mines, precious stones,
especially turqu0ises from Russian and
Persian mines, grains, textiles, hides and
skins, horsehair. iaces, iron ore, dsh,
rnaiaehite, lapus azuH. gold and silver
and precious stones from the Caucases,
Turkish carpets and Persian silks-ail
are exhibited here in vast quantities. OF
recent years occidental ways have had
their influence on oriental conditions.
ana many traders bring their samples
only. exhibiting them in Offices and clos
ing great sales as Of yore with less than
the oldtime labor.
The fair Is open the latter part Of July,
but can scarcely be said TO begin In
earnest until the middle Of August Two
weeks later 1t Is al its height, and from
-. rL-.----n. san-a-.na- Is on