The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-09-24
RUssIA's UNLIMITED DOMAIN
War Primer of the National Geo
graphic Society.

Unlike the other belligerents, vul-
nerable in every part, Russia has un-
limited reaches of territory where no
wounds of war could be inflicted,
where no invaders would ever come,
and where, if they came, their COM
ing would be to no purpose, as it
could work no damage. Such a Sc
curity from the perils of war. is en-
joyed by the north of Russia, by the
wild, thinly-peopled governments of
Archangel and Olonets, which are de-
scribed as follows in the latest bulle-
tin of the National Geographic So
ciety:
I'm the north of European Russia
stretches a land of endless forests,
of immense belts of moor wastes, and
of greyish tundra which blurs as far
as the eye can reach into uncertain
horizons. Here mighty, unfrequent-
ed rivers cut their ways to the
northern waters, some drowsy and
reed-cluttered and others swift and
strong and cascade-broken. Here are
innumerable pleasant, wooded lakes
and huge inland seas, and through
out all of the royal reaches of this
north are good hunting and wilder
ness.
"Archangel is the only city in this
region whose name is known in the
outside world, and, the only place
that has been able to achieve an in
dividual distinction in the midst of
the vastness, the desolation and the
congealing winters of Russia's north.
There is much economic value in the
north, the forests are filled with valu-
able fur-bearing animals, the low
er forests are rich in pitch and tar, the
tundras in reindeer herds, and great
sturgeon are caught through the ice
Of the rivers, which produce large
quantities of this delicate fish meat
and caviar
THE English established a trading
factory near the present Archangel
during the reign of Ivan the Terrible,
and since their coming the region has
been exploited by pioneers, by adven-
turous traders, trappers, huntsmen,
and fishermen, but the country has
never passed the pioneer stage. The
roads, for the most part, are barely
marked trails, narrow, unleveled rib
bons through vast forests, indiffer-
ently-corduroyed causeways through
swamp and marsh lands, and uncer-
tain tracks through the northern tun-
dra. Post stations are scattered over
the governments, far apart, where
hardy little horses and prehistoric
types of conveyances are kept for the
occasional trader, the occasional let
ter and the rare visitor The villages
are small and poor and forgetful OF
the modern world and all that it con-
tains. Between them are leagues of
solitude.
"The northern Dvina and Pechora
are the two great rivers of the country
and, before the railroad penetrated to
Archangel, they formed the CONNER
cial outlet of the land to the Artic
sea. The famous and fabulously
wealthy monastery of Solovetski an
nually attracts $4,000 pilgrims into
the far north, to the wooded island
fourteen hours sailing from Archangel
in the Gulf OF Omega on which it is
situated. This monastery was founded
in 1929. 1t was bombarded by the Eng
lish fleet during the Crimean war, and
the marks of hostile shells are still
proudly shown.
The northern peasants are very in
bSpCudClll, lIIlt lllC ulOSl independent
of all Russians. They have the self
reliance and self-respect Of true pio-
neers, and, as free hunters in the for
ests and prospectors of the undra, they
share many of the characteristics Of
the free, careless people of our own
early west and of the present Canadian
Northwest. Lacking even in the rudi-
ments of education, picturesque in
their costumes, primitive in their Gus
toms, they are simple, straightfor-
ward, stalwart and hospitable people.
Some of their songs linger long in
memory. Their tales are stirring, of
privitation and of adventure. Their
woods are full of game. and their riv-
ers are lavishly stocked with fish
! Woodcock, capercaiZie, partridge
! and blackjack are to be shot in album
I dance among the trees that infringe
each village. In the forests are foxes,
wolves, and sombre Russian bears,
nursing their peculiar, perpetual
! grouches. The peasants sometimes
hunt the bear, armed only with long
| knives. Wolves, however, are the most
thrilling quarry. They are hunted in
summer and autumn on horseback; the
hunters aided by trained hounds, drag
down the wolf and stab it to death.
This is exciting and dangerous sport.
| In winter, they are hunted by parties
in sleighs, and often the quarry hunts
the hunters, the pack racing by the
side of the sleigh, swapping at the cold
rifle muzzles and at the horses. This