Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1917-09-07

IL little corner of land where
perhaps more customs curious
may be found than anywhere else in
Asia, and that is saying great deal.
At isa country not easy to get into.
From Krasnoiarsk, a station on the
Urans-Siberian railway, there is a river
"trip of two days up the Yenisel to
Minusinsk, which is a city of some pre-
tentions, about 100000 in population,
and in many ways not unlike a hust-
ling American city passing through Its
boom period. From Minusinsk there
IS 72-mile stretch covered by wagon
road In the curious Russian wagon
called taliega, then there is 120 miles
by trail over the mountains and then
another 1856 miles by wagon road
again.
For crossing the river a ferry is
used most surprising to the traveller on
first meeting, says a writer in Grit.
One may come up to river and hail
ahe ferryman on the other side. Imme-
idiately a boat puts out driven by
Splashing paddle wheels of which the
motive power is at first a puzzle; there
As no smoke or steam and no gasoline
popping. When the craft comes near
er, the secret is revealed. Three horses
on a raised platform pull around a
sweep attached to vertical shaft |
which is itself geared to a horizontal
shaft and drives the paddles.
( Home Of the Soyotes.
The native inhabitants Of the ex-
IRENE border region are most inter-
testing people. They call themselves
Tubanulus, the Chinese call them Urin-
Xiii and the Russians Soyotes.
The strip they inhabit was for many
years "no-man's land" its owner
ship being in dispute between Russia
and Mongolia. 1t is a beautiful, we'll
watered mountain country, rich in
and in game, including
many fur-bearing animals. Recently
Russia established her claim to the
The Soyotes are therefore
now Russian people. They are no
madic by nature, living in sheltered
mountain passes in winter, on noun
tain terraces in summer and in the
broad valleys in spring and fall. They
thus to get pasturage for
their herds and flocks.
Some among them are cattle breed
ers; such live in tents, round like a
cheese, 10 to is feet in diameter, made
Of felt an inch thick mounted on a
lattice framework. Others are rein
deer breeders who live in conical huts
made like an American wikiup of birch
bark and skins. Men and women
dress In the same way, cloaks and
Dreeches, made of furs and sheep skins
IN winter, and of cotton and Chinese
silk in summer. They are fond Of
bright colors and are picturesque In
heir pointed hats and long flowing
.loaks. They are fine riders, have ex-
.ellent horses and train and take good
ARE Of them. But horse stealing is a
virtue among them. Therefore the
Russians on the principle Of ''set a
hief to catch a thief" employ them as
cowboys and shepherds.
All Thieves and Liars.
They are a quiet people, submissive
o authority, kind to their wives, but I
hieves and liars all, and until recent
v practiced torturing as a form of
including such pleasant
PRACTICES as burying alive and freezing
if the hands and feet, while ideas Of
morality are not highly developed
.mong them. When cid is born it
j named after the first object seen by
he woman after its birth. The results
re both comical and poetic. The so
otes pay their taxes in the form Of
elts Of squirrel, sable, fox, mink, mar
en-, etc. !,
The Russian peasants here. not the
oyotes, carry on a kind Of farming, /.
the queerest in the world
TX raising. 1t seems that the Chinese
Tho still cling to the medieval system
{ medicine which is mostly supersti- !
on and not altogether unlike witch
raft, prize nothing more for their pre-
,riptions than the horn of the elk in
ie velvet. They send agents all over
iberia to buy this commodity and p
nee elk are getting scarce, the price s
going up and the canny peasants L
e chances for big profits in raising a
,e beasts for their horns. They get h
$50 pound for the horn, SO if the t
K has been shot and still has its skull
ones, and pair Of antlers win weigh g
) to 70 pounds-a fair profit, con- r
derlng that after harvesting his h
,rns you still have your elk for next 81
ears crop. e
Communal Elk Farms. 7
There is indeed a craze for elk-farm- 81
q: even villages have communal elk c!
rms. The elk are pastured In en-
osures surrounded by ten-foot fences
ID are bred like cattle while fresh fiji
I'D elk run down by peasants on 70