Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-12-10

frequent, Tor many refugees are ut "
to me on the train, III they will have
done this vitality necessary work oy
this time next year," ...~ .r.'.
A few gangs of track laborers were
going through the motions listlessly'
Nor did the numerous gangs OF con
victs seem to be losing any sleep over
their construction efforts
For four and twenty hours we jol,ed
up The narrow groove. cleared through
primeval forest and swamp Already
there was ice In the peaty streams
meandering across our path and O
powdering of snow on the murmur'ns
cedars.
Then we emerged into district OF
stubble field and meadows. And sud
denly into the thick of great en-
trepot OF freight.
Pasture Becomes Great Quay
This was Bakareetsa. the main
White sea railroad depot from which
Russia's stores are coming. Along the
Dvina bank. a strip Of deserted COW
pasture few months ago. now Is q
great quay. Ten or twelve steamers
were alongside unloading. Tens OF
thousands OF tons Of coal lowered In
hills and massive ridges. Rows on
rows Of ,turf-roofed leanto barracks
housed the laborers. A score OF sid
ings and acres of mud were stacked
with packing cases and sacks and
bales. Freighters with the colored
painting of the bursting bomb betok-
ened shells aud dynamite within
regiments OF freighters with every
thing aboard from aeroplanes to ~
lonite; rows of freight cars piled with
great crates consigned from Cleve-
land, in Ohio. to Tiflis, in Asia Minor.
via the environs Of Spitzbergen and
the watery wilderness OF the Arctic
ocean. t,-F
A few miles farther on the train
stopped. still in a desolate region OF
muddy fields, for the Archangel ter
minus Is not Archangel. We all crowd
ed on to steamer and navigated two
miles downstream to the town, which
lies on the other}si of the Dvina es.
tuary, here couple of miles across
An odd little town is Archangel.
with a pervasive atmosphere OF re-
moteness and aloofness from the
world. In summer there is no night,
and the thawedi swamps cut of all
overland journeyings but those Of
mosquitoes and birds. In winter there
is next to no day and the quarter mile
of Troitskaja street lined with shops
Is all a-jingle with the bells OF rein
deer. Sinuous dog-sled caravans.
laden with polar bear and wolf pelts.
snake their way into the thronged ba'
zaar to barter for the summers bread.
Busy. Times In ArchanoeI.
Archangel is busy now. Archangel
has never known such goings on. Sol.
liers and sailors and millions OF tons
Of freight hav. come from the ends of
the earth.
1t Is town transformed into a
freight yard-freight piled mountain
high on the quays, waves OF freight
passing inland up the slope behind the
custom house. All over the square
there AMI overlooking into the main
street itself lie acres and acres OF
bales and rails and crates and tubs
and boxes. and tens of thousands OF
mysterious breed of reddish sack.
Archangel has original ideas about
sidewalks that would not commend
themselves to American motorists.
Streets have these raised wooden side
walks running up the center. Every
now and then along these sidewalks
pass I'd British naval officers and sea.
men. intermingling with transplanted
men of the Russian Baltic squadron.
Past the shabby town duma, one en-.
ters what has hitherto been known as
the German quarter, Ions avenue
of the best houses In town, running
due north toward the suburb OF goIomr
bola. % 4.
Motor jitney boats. ferries, dinghfes.
tugs, liners. sailing skins. barxes.
ocean tramps and long log rsfts from
the forest Of Viatka busy themselves
out in the Dvina. we'll displayed
against the low bank and nat horizon
leagues to the westward, where dainty
distant silhouettes Of monasteries and
churches :feck the rim Of the earth,
passed great red brick brewery
on the Dyina- bank. converted INTO 4
Red Cross hospital Convaiescent sol.
diers we're standing In the ward win.
dows. gazing glxmly upon about i've
acres Of boxes Of emrties piled -
high az q house. Not 20 bad for . IL.
| tie .own OF 20.O00. @.s4g, e.
~ marine departmental ONCE on
the Troitskaja WIS ! nne automobile.
The chauffeur was Z Russian naval
man. and IL do0f van openad hv =