Williams news., 1918-11-15
|. SPELLMIRE WRITES
 FROM COLD SIBERIA
Dr. P. A. Melick,
 Williams, Arizona. Dear Doctor:

Dear Doctor:
 1 am now in -----.------ ---------- Siberia; country somewhat different from the land of the scorpion and centipede. h. stead of the warm dry desert and bare hills of rocks and cin- ders, we are refreshed with bays and inlets of salt water on one side and tall green hills on the other.
 The country is so completely covered with small trees and weeds that from a distance it looks like a verdant lawn but when one attempts to traverse it the constant succession of hills and valleys soon dispell the idea. ...
 The weather is very temper amental. One day the sun is shining and the sky is bright and clear, while the next is dull rainy and windy. Sometimes we have all phases from serene sunshine to storm and rain within single hour.
 So far I have not seen any birds or animals but one of the natives, after a great deal of gesticulation, conveyed to me the idea that large focks of geese and ducks come this way. I think he also tried to tell me that there are some wild ami mals in the woods, but I could not determine what they are or how far away.
 When in Vladivastock 1 was surprised to see 9 number of American made shotguns and shells, trap and a quantity of clay pigeons.
 Among some of the peculiar ities of the country are China men. with chair-like apparatus on their backs on which they carry almost anything suscepti- ble of being packed from sack of flour to a book case.
 These "Chinas" are evidently the transfer wagons and the junknlen as well as the tramps of theecountry. When not en- gagged in carrying merchandise or produce, they pick up old tin cans, rags, cigar and cigarette butts and practically every thing that is not nailed down.
 There are other "Chinas" ap- parently of the same type who have boats called "Samtams" which they ply on the Cbay in carrying passengers from and to different points. These boats have flat bottoms, are square at each end and are propelled by the "Chino" who works long paddle from the rear end. In rare cases, if there is a fair wind, they hoist a small sail.
 To cross the bay in. one of these "samtams" costs from 20 kopecks up, depending upon the length of the journey and alo upon how much the Chino thinks he can get out of you.
 The money of the country is designated as roubIes and ko- pecks. One hundred kopecks are equal to one rouble. Prac- tlcally all the money in use at present is paper and varies in sIze from a postage stamp to the dimensions of this sheet (8 X Il in. ed.) and in value from one kopeck to one thousand One American dollar will buy ten roubles, hence you see a rouble has about the val ue of our dime.
 Labor is poorly paid. A Chino will carry baggage weighing from seventy-five to one hundred and fifty pounds for the distance of a mile for htty kopecks 6 cents) or he will take one on a sight seeing trip ln his boat and paddle it all around the bay for 30 kopecks { 5 cents). Common labor can be hired at about 300 roubIes per month (3O dollars) and the man will board himself.
 l am studying Russian dur lng my spare time. It is not so dlfflcult as you might imagine. There are thirty-six letters in the alphabet; the letter x is pronounced like cur h and b is g1Ven the sound Of V. When our A mer1can boys try to read it there IS one grand mixup.
 l will have to close now as