Iditarod pioneer., 1915-04-10
COSMOPOLITAN CAUCASIA

The National Geographical Society has issued the following statement concerning Caucasa, where the Turks and Russians are renewing the age-long conflict that has ex isted between the Turk and the Muscovite: ':
 "Caucasa is potpouri of races tongues and religions Nowhere else in the world can one find on a similar area so many types of peoples, so many languages and dialects, so many religions and sects thereof, as in l this corner of the Russian empire, where the l troops of the czar and those of the Crescent are continuing their generationslong but mortal feud The Caucasus, for the most part, stretch above fruitful land, and every | folk ridden stream which flowed their way has left eddies within their closed, world isolated valleys.
 ''The cosmopolitanism of New York is provincial compared with the magnificent, regardless confusion of the Caucasian peo- ples. There are some seventy dialects strange to the West spoken within it's boundaries, while business, touring, engl peering and other techniques bring most of the other languages in. In this modern Babel dwell Georgians, Imertians, Chevsurs, Lazes, Mingrelians Pshavs, Swanittan ans, Ab lthasians, Crcassians kabardians, Ossetes, | Avars, Chechnzes, Jews, Russians of several varieties, Diags, Lesghian, KazyKunyshk Tush, Ingush Greeks and others of the Oc cident. Caucasla, indeed, may be said to be place pre- -eminently devoted to language all kinds and complexions of speech being native there in beWilderlng richness
 "Caucasia IS the broad, stocky isthmus which, extending from the southeast corner of Europe to Asia, divides the Black and 1 Caspian seas Its area is about 1SO OO0 square miles, or more than four times larger than the state of Ohio It has good ports both on the Black and Caspian seas. Batum is one one side and Baku on the other The famous Apsheron peninsula is one of the richest of the worlds oil fields, and, in general, the Caucasus is the mineral treas ury of all the Russians. The grain, grazing and fruit lands of this government are very bountiful and could be turned into the richest of garden and farming spots with a little modern care. Coal is produced, and among the ores now mostly developed for commerce are copper, manganese, mercury, sulphur, cobalt, iron and salt.
 'Europe's barrier against Southeastern | Asia, the Caucasus range stretches across the middle lands of Caucasia, dividing the government into Ciscaucasia and Transcau- casla. In the mountainous central region IS to be found some of the most beautiful scenery in the world The mountains are heavily forested and upon their lodges and within their locked valleys survive some of the most primitive of all white peoples All varieties of climate occur in this land of variety, from the bitter sharp seasons of the heights to the everlasting tropical weather of the fig and date tree land. The fauna also shows wide range, from the common European species of wild animals to the leopard and the tiger.
 ''Ihe population of Caueasla is for the most part agricultural in its pursuits. It is backward, and for the most part, beyond an abundance of grains and fruits, has no other desire, Naturally, therefore, the desires of modern life have only made negligible be- ginnings. The natives make harness, rugs, woolen cloalls, leather articles trimmed with artistic silver designs, and fairly good wine. There is further large oil refinery industry The growth of industrial life is held back by an almost entire lack of trans portation facilities. While the railroads connect Titls, the capital and distributing center, with the two chief ports, Baum and Baku, the larger part of the land is neither accessible by train nor even by plausible | wagon roads "