Evening star., 1919-11-30
LIFE IN CAUCASUS
OF VAR|EDPHASES
Georgia Accounted Most In
teresting in Crazy Quilt
of W0uld-Be Nations.

In the crazy quilt of newly made
boundaries and would-be nations in
the Caucasus Georgia now looms as
one of the most important because of
| it's control of important railway lines
which connect Armenia with the
world, according to news dispatches.
The National Geographic Society
has issued a bulletin on this quaint
people, based on communication to
the society by Maynard Owen Will
liams as follows:
"Of all the varied peoples who in
habit that rabbit warren Of humanity.
the Caucasus, the Georgians are most
interesting. With the Armenians.
; they form an important outpost
against Turanian dangers. The great
mountains that sheltered Shamyl and
, many another patriot have shut off
the various tribes and races in seclud-
ed valleys, where they have retained
their peculiar customs. Thus the
mountains of DagheStan have kept
that recluse among nations an island
in a sea of history
Says Georgia Has Been Fortunate.
But Georgia has been more or less
fortunate, for the same pass that is
now used by the wonderful Georgian
military road, with it's matchiess
views, has been the pathway for in
Vulnerable historic movements. and
the valley which is now followed by
been the caravan route OF countless
traders.
"A few miles south of the snow
ridge of the Caucasus there is
wretched little village whose fame
should be world wide. Mtzkhet has
claims to antiquity that make New
England towns appear as embryos.
for it's citizens assert that 1t was
founded by one of Noah's sons, who
strolled over from Mount Ararat one
day after the waters had subsided and
chose this site because of its excel
lent drainage.
Beneath it's terraced homes two
rivers unite-the clear. cold Aragwa
Fastening from its birthplace in the
eternal SHOWS of the Caucasus to the
hot depression of the Caspian, and
the Kura, sullied and dirty, swinging
! in from the west to make it's way
down the Tiflis depression and across
| the barren Transcaucasian steppe, be-
tween the mountains of DagheStan
and the highlands of Armenia.
| Damascus has verdant freshness
about it that is as deceptive as grease
| paint, but MtZkhet stands out from
green fields and pastures new like
weathered sharp-bowed fishing smack
in an emerald sea.
Kings Erect First Castle.
"On a rock cliff opposite this quiet
| city with the cat-fight name the kings
of Georgia erected their first castle
but it was in Mtzkhet itself that
Georgia was born. The Georgians
admit their descent from the Ac-
cadians and Sumerians but there is
nothing in their appearance or per-
sonality to indicate their descent from
anything. They seem to have ascend
ed from the plane of other men.
Militant of appearance, handsome
of countenance, chivalrous and un-
familiar with hard toll, these lovers
of wine, women and song are as
princely in bearing as the unwashed
Bedouin before his desert tent. Part
of them are mountainers-the most
picturesque brigands that ever carried
an arsenal at their belts. The rest are
agricultural people, whose contact
with the soil does not prevent them
from holding their chests up like SOL
diers in uniform.
1.-The Georgian women conquered the
Turkish rulers by the palace route,
but the Georgian men are handsomer
than their wives, and in Georgia the
male wears the fine plumage. But he
treats his wife and daughters well ,
and never allows them to act as serv- |
ants"