The Falls City tribune., 1910-06-24

seed oil and Is IN great and lnereas-
ing demand.
At Hardin We had a wait of several
hours. and joined the through ex-
press. Others well known to us
are now on the train, as Bishop Har-
ris OF Japan, Mr.. Hoste of China In
land Mission, and Mr.. Orr-Ewing al
SO of G. |. NJ. at the town of MAN
ehuria' and We had all our baggage
examined, and since then have been
whir'ing along i'll Siberia, which
proves to be a most interesting coun-
try-at least in the south portion,
and still waiting for agricultural de
velopment.
We patronize the dining car part
of tho time. 025 kopecks for a good
meaD but mostly draw on our ample
lunch basket, assisted often by D..
"3Gh. Oar alcohol stove is a bless
ine, and fresh milk may be bought
most anywhere of bare-footed Rus
sian maidens~not to mention the
case with which one may get bread
and plenty of hot water.
The children enjoy travel quite as
much as their parents and are really
very good. William solemnly ans
wers Mrs. Bashford that William is
very carefult'-for he never uses
Tie :'rst personal pronoun.
About this wonderful railroad. the
Highway of the Bear" | may have
more to say later. 1t is certainly a
great feat. Tunnels. horseshoe curves,
steep grades, signs of battle with wat
er, with bandits, and with ice abound.
Two days ago a tunnel nearly two
miles long vas passed. The road par
allels North Mongolia for 1000 miles,
at a distance of a days march, and
ii is not possible TO think this is
mere circumstance. The Portsmouth
treaty does not permit the use of
the M|anchuria "cut off, for military
or stragetie purposes, so the Bear is
1926 miles, at the great cost of $780,
600 a mile. In her 300 years of
ownership of Siberia, Russia finds
but one and one-fourth million in this
land that is three times the size of
France. But advances are now com
ing, and already begin to show,
What scenery we now have, The
biches and fis ae mirrored in the
waters of the far-famed Lake Baikal,
and the snow peaks are reflected in
the placid surface of this largest
body of fresh water in the Old world,
400 miles long. The scenery reminds
one Of the Yellowstone Lake, and the
of tunnels but enhance it.
The mountain streams sparkle in
the bright northern sunshine, and
God is everywhere,
1t is curious to note that our bills
in the dining cars are dated thir-
teen days behind the dates we use
still using the old calendar. We
find wraps most acceptable-a great
relief from the heat of the Shant-
ing Lain. The Russian settlements,
ever in the rolling uplands, are few,
but the neat log cabins, most attrac-
tive. The village church is of course
the principal building and usually the
only one at all painted. Yesterday we
passed the important rail center of
Chita-the home of a Russian friend
among the frs at the foot of the
mountains. Here We passed thirty
ears of immigrants-the crudest and
fiercest lot of humanity we have
going to the Amur River
region. | neglected to say DR.. Sid
ney Gerliek of Japan is ON the train,
also Dir. Hykes of the American
Bible Society and others. But this
is getting lengthy. We soon reach
Irkoutsk, beyond the lake and change
there for the week of travel TO Mos
COW, and will write again from
there.
Love and greetings from all.
f. f. TUCKER.