Semi-weekly herald. [volume] (Durango, Colo.) 1907-1917, 1910-08-11
The most interesting of all the khan

atto AuuH tOlqutitu anu auB9xGu WuH
Samarkand, the home. the birthplace
and the tomb OF TamerIane, or Timur,
the great Tartar chieftain. who once
conquered the world and ruled an en-
the Ganges and from the Medftsrrant-
can to the Bay OF Bengal. The khan
OF Samarkand was foolish enough to
resist the Russians and lost his life
and the proudest capital In Asia ia
now ruled by Russian general
Within this immense area are var
ious climates and meteorological con.
ditions. For n larger part of the dis
lance the railway runs through deserts
but wherever water is poured upon the
soil 1t produces profusely. The hill.
sides are covered with flocks and
herds and the GASES are now producing
immense crops of raw cotton from
American seed, which has been intro
duced by the Russian government.
There are no general industries ex.
cept those introduced by the Russians
but the women of every household are
always engaged at the loom. and pro.
duce the finest rugs and carpets that
are made outside OF Persia. The Box.
hara rugs. of course, are known to
everybody. From this territory come
those pelts of fine curly black wool
SO much in favor for women's wraps,
known as Persian lamb. Charjui Is
the center of the trade. and tralnloads
of lambs skins are shipped from there
and neighboring towns to Moscow,
London and other distributing points.
The extremes of temperature are
very great. Cyrus the Younger, boast.
ing of Persia, said.
MY fathcr's kingdom extends so far
to the south that men cannot live
there because of the heat, and so far
to the north that they cannot live
there because of the cold"
This is a fair description OF the con.
trast between the torrid summers on
the Persian Gulf and the frlgid win.
tiers In the mountains of Kara Dagh
and other points In northern Persia,
and the same might be said of Turkes.
tan. In the winter the tracks OF the
railway have to be protected by
snowsheds, and In the summer the
heat is terrific and almost intoler.
able.
There was a great deal OF difficulty
In constructing the railway because OF
the drifting sand, which lies in loose
hillocks in several places upon the de.
sert and drifts about with the breeze
without regard to railway trains or
caravans, The grains are SO fine that
the sand is difficult to handle. 1t can.
not be transported in car because
the motion of the train creates such
breeze that II is blown away. And
1t cannot be shoveled because IL IA 40
light that breath will scatter II In
every direction. A similar difficulty
prevails upon the Oregon Railway and
Navigation track along the Columbus
river In Oregon and on the Southern
| Railway In Peru.
The line is a fiye-foot gauge. uni.
form with the railways of European
Russia. Most of the ties are of iron
and the rails are sixty-pound steel.
1t Is enterly a military road. 1t was
surveyed. built and is managed by sold
lers. Civilians have been employed
as surveyors, architects and engineers.
but not only was the construction In.
trusted to lieutenant general, the
famous Annenkoff, but the larger part
OF the manual labor was performed
by military battalions selected for
their aptitude or experience In rail.
way work The engineers are old sold.
iers; the station masters and nj.
tendants are veterans, officers or en-.
listed men who have been wounded
IN battle; the guards, conductors.
ticket collectors, telegraph operators
and all other employers are detailed
from the army or are on the retired
or reserve list
The unskilled labor was performed
by Tnrcomans. Bokharoits, Sards and
's'''N"' "ho Wtie PuiQ BOOu
wages, and their employment had
great deal to do with the rapid paci.
fication of the country.
The rolling stock, rails and all other
materials came from Russia, most OF
1t from Moscow. because there Is no
timber or other material to be had on
the ground and the scarcity of water
was another serious embarrassment.
Arteslan wells we're failures. Pipes
were laid from the mountains across
the desert wherever 1t was possible
and more than a thousand tank cars
are still in use transporting water
where IL cannot be otherwise obtained.
There are three tremendous rivers,
but only fifty-six bridges in all for
distance of 1900 miles. including
those over the bitches and dry water
courses. The largest bridge Is that
which crosses about mile and a half
long the ancient Oxus river, now
known as the ANU Daria, near the
city OF Charini, and there is another ut
Merry over the Murghab.