The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-07-09
MURMANSK IS
MUSHROOM TOWN
i. OF NORTH RUSSIA
City Is Not Unlike a Min
ing Camp In The Amer
lean KlOndiko

London, July 6.-(Correspondence
| Of The Associated Press -Mur-
mansk, the northern terminus of the
great Russian KoIa -Petrograd rail-
way, is a mushroom town which has
sprung into being on the shores Of
the Arctic ocean since the war. When
The Associated Press correspondent
visited it on his way out with the
American Red Cross mission to Ru-
mania, 1t contained about 5000 in
habitants, moro than half Of whom
were refugees.
The houses in Murmansk are little
more than frame shacks and the con-
struction Of the whole town resem-
bles that of q Klondike mining camp.
During the winter the temperature
drops as low as 80 below zero, for
Murmansk is $50 miles north of the
Arctic circle. The most picturesque
feature Of the town in winter is the
abundance Of reindeer sledges which
jingle up and down the struggling
streets carrying supplies Of food and
freight.
There is one American among the
permanent population Of Murmansk.
He is q young army man, Lieutenant
Martin, Of Meridian, Miss, who
bravely flies an American flag from a
staff on the rof of a railway car
which constitutes his office and resi-
dence.
Lieutenant Martin is officially des-
ignated at the United States Pass
port Officer" He is a person of great
Importance in Murmansk. He speaks
Russian fluently, and is not only
highly regarded by the French and
British officers Of the port, but Is
also spoken Of by the Bolsheviki as
zone. of our leading citizens" He is
actually officio adviser to the local
BolsheviIIi and attends all the meet
ings Of their soViets and committees.
The Murmansk Bolsheviki are not
q bad sort, and are on good terms
with all the Allied military and naval
men. This is perhaps in part &C
counted for by the fact that they
secure nearly all their food supplies
from the British admiral. For many
months they have been eating flour,
sugar, canned meat and condensed
milk--an from America.
Every Murmansk Bolshevik wears
American shoes, and Murmansk is al
most the only place in Russia where
shoes are cheap. A pair Of good
shoes in Moscow or Jasy costs about
sixty dollars. In Murmansk the cor
respondent was offered an excellent
pair, made in Lynn, Mass, for five
dollars or five pounds Of sugar.
Money Has Little Value.
Money has little value in this far
northern port. The citizen of Muir
mansk shifts at a handful CT ruble
notes, but he is willing to talk busi-
ness If you can show him a few
pounds of sugar, q can of tobacco or
bottle Of whiskey. A fine fox fur
for which the owner refused five
hundred dollars rubles changed hands
instantly for a bottle Of whiskey and
six ounces of tobacco.
A live reindeer highly priced alike
as a draft animal and for food, sells
on the Murmansk curb market for
about four hundred rubles, but a man
with five or ten pounds of sugar
and a pocketful of cigarettes can go
home with as good reindeer as
there is in the town.
The ship on which the American
mission left Murmansk lay at one of
the naval docks. Not far away were
several Russian warships and de-
stroyers, almost entirely abandoned
by their crews A large Russian
cruiser which lay out in the harbor
had only twenty-one Of her crew left
after q series OF Bolshevik disturb
ances.