Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-11-13
LIT. GA. BJONERUD
IN 0MSK, SIBERIA
Calmar Boy in Army in Far OF
Siberia Writes His Sister Most
Interesting Letter.
HAS HAD A
WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE
Began Writing the Letter Last July
and ut just Reached Her Home
a Short Time Ago.
Continued from first page.

any object here. On the engine, they
burn mostly wood, but at places
where there are coal mines near the
track, of course coal is used. We ar
rived at Vladivostok about ten p. m
the 9Th.
May 9Th, at Vladivostok the stores
were all closed on account of still
celebrating Easter Holidays. There
were then at Vladivostok about zoos
Czech soldiers (Bohemians) who had
returned from the Austrian front
and We're waiting to be transported
to France via America and were to
join the Allied army, and while we
staid at Vladivostok several esche-
Ions of these soldiers arrived. To-
day the restaurants We're all closed
with the exception of some Of the
very small coffee-shops, where al
lyou could get was eggs and hard
/ bread You know how well | hike
eggs, and then to think Of it, having
to eat them three times day for
two days, was the egg test. One OF
the guys one day ate 13 of the hens
fruit. Just after we got 10 Vladiv-
ostok we were told that everyone
was busy getting us lined W. to go to
! Vologda, somehow or other we had
to wait two weeks before we got
started. For a while we were busy
getting stuff to take along with us,
as at that time it was thought the
trip could be made in Two months,
but I guess we were mistaken. Cot
most of our supplies from one OF
the American ships at port, and DID
considerab BILE local purchasing.
We took several walks abort the
city, and there is about e'veryth;ng
imaginable stored about the city
along the water front. sLch as cotton,
beans, autos, etc. Also lots of tea and
sugar. Might say at ore place, en-
closed with high beard fence were
I13 warehouses 76y4So it,. eight OF
them were filled with tea and the
balance with beans. Also took trip
around the harbor III a gas launch
where they inspected the various
stores of machinery, etc One day
while we were there it was reporte d
! that the Anti 8olshevks would
have demonstration, indicating
| their strength, but the advertised
parade was never pulled off, guess 1t
was another talk-fest, and they de-
cided not to do any walking. On
Saturday, May 18th, it was finally
settled what ears they would give US
land in the morning We would all be
ready to proceed across Siberia.
NV Trip Across Siberia, Year 1918.
Sunday, May 10, was the best day
TO start off on long trip as 1t was
raining and not the most agreeaDie,
however. we left Vladivostok at S:S3
a. M, train made up of engine, bag
gage car, third class coach for the ac-
icomodations of crews, international
sleeping car 2035, Business car,
! CChinese Eastern Railway 2Olo
(which had our supplies and sleeping
quarters for kitchen and dining
crews, and business car tAmoor
Railway Line), No. Nj, which also
Ehad an observation end. This Latter
lear has two compartments
one occupied by the Colonel and the
other by myself and which is also
used as an office and catch-all. our
crew consisted of two Chinese cooks
Ia Provodnik (porter) and his wife
! (which we have later found out to DE
the best of the bunch) VINO do inc
waiting on tables, and three otner
Iporters. We got to Usuri at "a
%. m. and about two versts out OF
this station, we crossed the osuri
river bridge Of three steel spans each
$50 feet in length; this was the
largest bridge structure crossed, ana
about ten versts out of Vladivostok
We passed through tunnel 3Ooo IT,
Hong There are a number of sol
diers barracks along the line, and
which is the usual practice on all
roads. we had railway officers &C
Icompanying us all day. Country
similar to Northern Minnesota, roll
ling. praries and small underDrush'
saw a few cattle grazing, also SOME
horses; villages are large and ABOUT
ten or fifteen versts apart; towns are
! all located from two to three versus
from the depots. (Verst is about
two-thirds Of a mile.
We arrived at Habarofsk at S:oV
a. m, May goth, weather very disa-
greeable and raining. Again there
seemed to be some controversy al
first as to what cars we would DC
able to take, dispute appeared 10
have arisen about one OF the cai !,
we then had, but finally was settled
and we were permitted to retain the
cars or train intact. Tried to ge,
some postals here, but nothing couid
be found This city has population
of $4,000, wide streets and clean,
but only a few sidewalks outside OF
the main streets. Stayed over nignl
at this place and figure on leaving
about five in the morning
At 4:45 a. m. Tuesday, May zlst'
we departed from Habarofsk, ten
freight cars and an Amoor railway
business car had been attached TO the
rear of our special Two verst west
of Habarofsk we passed through q
1000 foot single track tunnel ana
then onto the Amoor river bridge
The length of this bridge Is So9o IT,
it has II spans with hve loo'
Path on each side of the main trus,
SEES; floor of the bridge is about o.
feet above level of water; work was
begun on this bridge in 1917 ana
was completed Aug. g., 1916. Coun-
try trayersed today was generaily
n n