The Washington herald., 1912-09-22

favorite drinking place for women. YOUNG
girls who wish a sweetheart make a
pilgrimage to st. Davids. First they
drink of the miraculous spring. then
they walk around the church twice. Az
ter this they take a small pebble and
hold It against the wall of the church
for q few seconds II the pebble sticks
they will md their sweetheart. II 1t
falls to the earth they must go minated.
Married women who successfully go
through this ceremony will give birth to
q child. Every person who visits tho
holy place carries stone up with them.
The stones are used to repair the church
Tartars form a very important part Of
the population Of Georgia. They do not
settle In the towns and villages. but wan
der about the country, very much as
gypsies do in Western countries. They
are strong, manly fellows, and have
beautiful women. AS I have already
pointed out. one Of their pretty girls
was the first female I met In Georgia
Their girls and women ride astrfde. and
handle their horses with as much ease
as an American cowboy.
The Lesghians are branch Of the Tar
tar race. and are notorious marauders
They. above all else. have kept Georgia
a long way down on the list Of nations.
The farmer has to have an armed guard
with him while blowing in the fields l
have often seen the meek Georgian farm
er plodding along behind his horses with
two armed men walking along behind
him. No farmer Will spend any apprecia-
BILE amount of money on his farm on ac-
count of these marauders. The great
landlords employ guards to protect the
property against them.
Make Delicious Wine.
The most delicious wine in the world
is made In this out-of-the-way place.
The country landhoiders have the most
exact" champagne ! have ever tasted.
They have the art of making II Just SO
dry that 1t touches the palate in its
most tasty spot These Georgians who
have plenty OF money are the happiest
men in the world. They. of course, do
not sell their daughters as do the poorer
country people. They live happily. edu-
cate their girls and boys in Tifis. Mos
COW or st. Petersburg.
Tiflis was founded by King Kahtvang
in 900 A. d. This was the historical be-
ginning of the Georgian nation. 1t was
Independent at first. but since then has
been dependent on Turkey. Persia. and is
now subject to Russia To what race
the Georgians belong has not been salts
factorily determined by anthropologists.
Prof. Max Mueller has affiliated them
with the Caucasian race on evidence ad-
duced from their language. While have
i made no extensive Investigations along
this line, I believe they belong to our
own race. Their features. their national
spirit, their history. all point to eau
casian affiliations.
Tifis has come TO be quite a modern
city. 1t has a new theater, which would
do credit to Paris. Tram cars run
throughout the city. The Golovinski
Prospect is among the most beautiful
promenades in the world. 1t is lined
with all sorts Of curious shops and stores
on both sides. Every afternoon when
the weather permits a military band
plays on the fashionable portion OF this
street. These events bring forth all the
grandeur and beauty of this curious city.
Beautiful Georgian, Turkish. and Rus
sian women ride slowly through the
crowded streets with their husbands.
who are officials in most cases. Pic
turesque uniforms and costumes COM
bined form a most weird scene.
Russian Military Punish ment.
must not forget to mention a MILL
tary punishment. or execution, which l
saw shortly before leaving Tifis. A
member OF the Thirty-fourth Regiment
of Don Cossacks. stationed In the city.
was punished for some trivial offense by
a beating with the knout. He was
marched down a double line of soldiers.
and as he passed each one he received
an unmerciful blow. In front of him
marched a Cossack. with a bayonet NJ
the poor mans breast. and in his rear
was another such soldier. The victim
had no opportunity TO dodge the blows.
When he had reached the end OF the
line he fell into faint. In a few
hours he died. His body was dragged
down the lane of soldiers and over a
thousand blows were given the corpse.
Georgia is a land OF wonderful con-
trasts. 1t is one Of the most sordid
lands in the world. and It is one Of the
most beautiful lands in the world. II is
a paradox
JEAN JACQUES CLEMENCEAU.