Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-11-13


with heavy virgin timber of oak,
pine, larch and birch; in places
country rolling with no timber on
, the fiat, but hills in the distance
covered with heavy growth of timber,
track goes through several large tun-
nels, largest $500 feet and across
some large bridges, largest across the
Zaya river at Aleksevosk, which is
six $50 TT. steel spans with one IT'S
TT. deck, span approach on each end,
length of structure 2450 #. long We
spent the night at Gondatti; inquiry
developed there is no shortage of
food stuffs in this district, however,
none was exported into Siberia. We
We're informed that the peasants have
increased acreage about 1909 this
year, as they have been assured
crops will not be taken away from
them. Principal crops, wheat and
oats; -four mills OF several of the
stations doing on an average of 1900
pools (35lbs.) business daily. Heard
that winter weather very severe, as
cold as 60 below Fair.
We left Gondatti at $50 a. M,
May 23rd. At Godatti we passed a
train of 1867 German and Turk
prisoners, returning to Germany,
they were captured by the Russians
nearly three years ago and were held
at Blagovestscnensk for the past II
months, these being exchanged for
| Russian prisoners; country at in
Itervals more billy and followed the
| Khengan Range over the divide;
considerable timber, saw several
| forest fires which are of daily oc-
curance during the dry spells and no
attempt is made by anyone to pre-
vent the forests burning. 1t was
claimed that gold could be found in
all these streams through this coun-
! try, were informed at some of the
| larger towns miners were bringing in
as much as two pools (72lbs.) gold
a day. The next day we passed so
to rs camels early in the morning,
understand they were caught on this
side of the river when the ice broke
in the spring and presumably will
have to summer mere until winter be-
| fore returning to Manchuria. Were
| told that the frost was all the way
| to 2 Il TT. deep and deeper in the win
| ter, saw some snow and ice in the
/
mountains.
Saturday, May 25th we got onto
the Trans-Baikal line, which is a
double track line, important towns
passed during day were Chita where
we called on the American Consul,
but he was not home, having gone
| to Irkutsk. At Chita left letters
with the Consul to be mailed should
he have an opportunity to do 50, did
you get them?
In regard to the customs Of the
people so far, would say that every
one seems to have sufficient clothes,
and at the larger towns, all the
women, as would term it, are we'll
dressed, and during ordinary tilues
in this country, there surely has been
or was some style to the clothes they
wear. At all the depots along the
| line, are what | would term snail
booths or stands, where the women
as well as the men, come with their
produce and sell to the passengers
on the trains, they sell eggs milk,
tobacco, cheese, butter, meat. salt
pork, bread, sausage, any thing that
you can eat cold that they happen tc
have. Have small pigs roasted and
they sell them by the halves or
quarters, prices vary according 20 the
locality and evidently to the scarcity
of the food, however there has been
enough of everything to be gotten so
far. In most OF the places taey do
not have any white flour, bur the
flour makes a dark bread something
of the sort of rye bread, and when
| it can be gotten fresh and baked
we'll it is not so bad.
We have, however, gotten the
Chink to bake baking powder bis
cults, so we live on them most OF the
time, at least as long as the lard
lasts; do not know what quality CT
lard can be gotten here, as we nave
not bought any so far. Here in Omsk
we can get small variety or green
stuffs, but no berries of any k!nd,
only radishes, cucumbers, onions,
and saw the other day that they had
new potatoes in the market, anG no
doubt will have some of them later
when they get little cheaper and
little larger. All the milk we get has
Ito be boiled, why don't know, on
account of germs | suppose, the same
with the water we use. Have to cool
our water in bottles, as the ice IS
not of the best either. Well have
seen all kinds of sights as we nave
passed through the country we
have been here at Omsk now FOR
nearly three weeks. Most OF the
women go down to the river and do
their washing. They stand along the
banks or out on little platform
built into the river and there they
get busy with their clothes. They
use some sort of soap, but no WASH
boards. After they finish washing
their clothes they usually go In Tor
swim before returning home. On
Sundays all these carriage drivers
| (droskeys) take their horses down
to the river, and man, woman, klds'
and horse, all battle in the same
| spot. They sure have fine horses
here, the best / have seen any place.
and the Russian prides himself on
his horse, and ne surely tries to keep
him clean and in trim. Will have TO
continue with my story again.
Sunday, May 26th, had another &C