Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-08

from this point. Everybody is engaged
in doing something. There is no idle
class, except the dervish beggars. The
wheat fields are large; much barley is
the Russians and extensive rice fields
are to be found on the lower levels, al
though tn eRussian regulations will not
permit them near the villages or towns,
because Of mosquitoes and the miasma
which are bred in stagnant water.
1 notice that the bales of cotton are
bound with steel wire instead of bands,
as in the United States. which, l am told.
IS very much more economical. There is
a cotton compress at every railway sta
ton and on the larger plantations. all of
them from the United States. 1t seems
good to see the names of American firms
printed in English letters. Russian signs
and inscriptions make one giddy. The
Russians use all of our letters and ten
more, but some OF them are reversed, and
the signboards over the shops look as if
the alphabet were on a strike.
Wonderful Irrigation System.
|. There is nothing more wonderful in all
the world than the irrigation systems
which have existed in Turkestan since
this corner Of the foot stool was inhab-
tied by mankind. Without them no liv-
Ing thing could have survived. Traces Of
ancient canals in what is now hopeless
desert inaccessible to water from any
source. convince the scientists who have
made Investigations here that several rich
ana populous cities and a large area OF
cultivated soil once existed where there
Is now no human habitation. Russian en-
g1neers have sought in vain to find means
to bring water back to spots which were
once under cultivation and to adapt the
canals and bitches which were a part Of
the irrigation system of the ancients, but
have found it impossible to do SO, and
the only explanation Is that the levels Of
the plateaus Of the steppes have been
elevated by earthquakes.
The province Of Ferghana Is watered
by the Syr Darfa. the River Jaxartes, fire.
quently mentioned in ancient Greek his
tory. 1t rises in a stupendous glacier in
the mountains OF China and Is fed by
innumerable little rivers and brooklets
from similar sources. The Zeraphan (also
spelled Zarafshan), which waters Samar-
kand and Bokhara. comes from the same
source.
VIII Soon Rival Kokand.
Margflan, another new town, is push
ing ahead SO fast that it will soon be a
rival Of Kokand, and many civilians pre-
fer it as a place Of residence because the
military element is absent. 1t lacks inter-
est, however. except for claim that old
Margilan. the native town five miles from
the railway station, and formerly called
Takhala, was the home Of ISLANDER Mace
donsky-the Russian name for Alexander
of Macedon. That enterprising gentle
man undoubtedly came here on his India
campaign. There is tradition that the
citizens, fearing he would loot their
homes. sent out delegation to offer him
a hen and a loaf Of bread which are the
Sart symbols of hospitality. Alexander
who was in the habit of fighting his way,
was SO pleased by this politeness that he
asked permission to take the town under
his protection, and he renamed 1t Margi-
lan-which means bread-hen. That anna
BILE incident may have happened, but the
people impose upon human credulity when
they tell you that Alexander lived and
died here and show you his grave