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

/ stayed 40 minutes while engine
were changed. Expect you will b,
able to locate this town on the maj
as it is one of the large and rathel
important ones in Siberia. 1t is quite
mountainous all through this district
and the building of a double track
railroads must have been quite &
task. The railway is kept in the
best of condition, and surely no fault
can be found with the track. Wher.
ever tie renewals are necessary, new
ties are being put in. Found in
some OF the section gangs, women
working as well as men, so there are
jobs for all on the railroad.
On May 9th when we got to
Krasnoyarsk, trouble seems to have
arisen between the Bolsheviks and
the Czechs and the line was tied up
just little ways west of there and
OF course We could not go or get
any further. Both sides were en-
trenched ready to fight and as they
meant business what could We do but
wait, however, did go down the line
where the side were and tried to get
across, and it is such a long story
that will not make mention of it
here, however, after a little delay
We were allowed to pass from the
Bolshevik territory into the Czech
territory which they conquered west
as far as Omsk. And from that time
to this has been a continuous fight,
which / presume you have read of in
the papers, but do not suppose much
l,a
entirely without information or COM
munication with the outside world
for the past four months. We got rs
far as Omsk, and after waiting there
for a few DAYS were permitted to &C
as far as Cheliabinsk, which was only
IS versts east of the present front
and after few more days delay
there We got as far as Mace, which
was as far west as we got. The
Bolsheviks together with Germans
and Magyars were rather strone
down in that vicinity it was doubtful
if we could proceed very far pro-
viding we did cross the line. and
after considerable delay and waiting
the Bolsheviks offered to take us in
to their territory but would not
guarantee that we would get to Volo.
gda safely, so did not take the adj
vantage of the offer and came back
to Cheliabinsk and thence proceeding
eastward slowly and right behind the
Czech soldiers most of the time.
1t seems the trouble was started
due to the Bolsheviks having sent
out messages to disarm the Czechs
and have them put into prison camps
and these fellows got wise to it.
When they started out to fight they
had no ammunition or arms; as was
the case at Irkutsk when they landed
there on the 18th of May, they
simply got off the train and over
powered the BIS and in that manner
took arms from them, and that is the
way they have equipped themselves
all the way across Siberia.
We spent a whole week at Miacc,
which is a small town in the Ural
mountains, and like the majority of
the Russian villages, the station is
five versts from the town proper.
On June 18th we were invited over
to the town, the Czechs having sent
carriages or droskeys for us, which
was a, one-horse four-wheel wagon
with cane basket and not THE most
comfortable to ride in over ccbble
stone roads. The horses galloped all
the way to town and when nearing
the business section of the city, /
noticed a large gathering and from
past experiences here, thought IT
was another talk-fest going on, but
On getting closer to the ponple it sud-
denly dawned upon us that they we're
there to welcome us to their inland
city, and just as We got to the corner
and stepped out of our bIggies, the
First Regiment band rendered the
French and Bohemian National
hymns while the whole company OF
soldiers stood in line down the street.
We then were taken into Il Russian
house where we met tile hostess, all
Czech officers and Russian officer
and all were guests to tea. RUSSIAN
cakes and some very hne Cherry
Jam. After our tea which lasted
about an hour we speit some time
viewing the city and tie gold mines
in the distant hills from the balcony
of this residence which was q very
uldSSIN6 dhdll loi a. ''iA~so~ -
Russia. Just before we were ready
to leave, the Colonel received an in
vitation from the peasants. who had
gathered in the streets adjoining the
corner, and as we stepped 20 the
sidewalk an old white haired man,
dressed IN a black Prince Albert,
greeted us and expressed his regrets
for being unable to give us a better
reception: nevertheless, he wished
us to understand that they had much
faith in America and 'Hurfahs'r for
America and Allies by the whole
crowd and we in turn "Hurrahcd
for Russia. On leaving the peasant
presented the Colonel with large
loaf of white bread. with a small
salt cellar forced into the top, all
ON a silver tray. This is a Russian
custom to show appreciation III
general when all are greatly pleased.
There is no doubt but what the en-
tire population. of the village mad
gathered by this time as 1t was nee
q ssary for mounted police and trafi'c
officers to be on hand to prevent the
blocking of the street. On our re-
turn we were provided with uphoi-