Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1920-01-23
SIBERIA AS SEEN BY
A MONTPELIER BOY
First Instal1ment Of An Interesting Article from
the Pen Of Forrest Stuart, Who IS Now
Lieut.. in Russian Railway Corps.

Forrest Stuart, kson Of the late d.
c. Stuart, who is now lieutenant in
the Russian Railway Service Corps,
writes the Examiner an interesting
article on Siberia, the first INSTALL
ment of which follows:
Siberia! The mere sight or sound
of the word brings to the minds
of many who have not been here a
vision of a vast bleak wilderness
of drifting SHOWS and terrible bliz-
zards-of polar bears and walrusses
crawling over icebergs of bands of
rowing, hungry wolvesand OF shiv-
ering half-starved Russian peasants
in exile. But what is imagined is
oftimes quite different from the real.
That is SO in the case of Siberia. 1t
is winter here now, the middle of
December, yet some of us are still
wearing our B. ". DIS. underneath
wool lined Arctic overcoats. The
weather is clear, cold and bracing,
about the same as 1t is in Salt Lake
city and New York at this time of
the year, and there is very little snow
on the ground. Perhaps there are
no icebergs or polar bears or wal
russes this side Of the Bering strait,
and we have listened in vain for the
bark of the wolf. The Siberian ex-
lie is thing of the past. He, she,
and their descendants are now the
principal residents of Vladivostok
and adjacent territory.
Vladivostok (Lat. 43 degrees and
seven minutes N. Long. 131 degrees
and 81 minutes East), situated on
the sides of high, U-shaped range
of hills, overlooking the zolotoi Rog
or Golden Horn, zone of the finest
harbors in the world, is an attractive
sight to the observer of an incoming
ship. From distance, with its
white stone buildings 1t has all the
appearances of a modern American
city. But the impression first ac-
quired gives way to less favorable
one when, upon landing at the apex
of the Horn" one goes for his first
sightseeing stroll through the streets
of this strange town. Near the point
where the transports dock are num-
erous small dirty houses and shops
on both sides of a crooked, untidy
iIl-smelling street. One hurrfes thru
this section toward Svetlanskays
Ooleetsa, the main street, and within
half an hours time encounters more
agreeable surroundings. Svetlanska.
va is practically the only paved street
in the city, and it boasts the only cal
line It has two or three care, which
are small and always overcrowded
There being practically no automo
biles here, with the exception OF the
few owned by the foreign military
diplomatic and Red Cross organiza
tions, the place Of a taxi-cab is fillet
by the drosky, typically Russian
conveyance, consisting of a low
wheeled carriage drawn by two small
horses, hitched beneath by a biz
curved yoke. and driven by a be
whiskered Russian or Chinaman
konwn as an "eesvoschick. At thu
present time ride in one of thes'
rigs costs foreigner. especially al
American in uniform, anywhere from
500 to so rubles, depending upon tn
passengers ability to "Jew down
the driver. The latter invariabl,
asks for more than he expects Z
get and will in most cases shade tn
figure very materially IL the passen
ger will argue earnestly and lon
enough.
The better part of vladivostok, tn
business district, has some goo
buildings, from one to four storie
high. Some of these and occupie
by banks and other business cor
Germs. Others, erected before tn
aJwar and intended for naval and sol
sdier's barracks, are now used as hoi
pitals. as headquarters by the Re
Cross. the Russian Railway Servic
Corps, and administrative organizi
tions. Then there are the headqual
ters OF the various military and dil
lomatic representatives An impreI
sive feature about Russian archite'
ture is its durability. Many Of Ii
buildings just mentioned are Of stor
and have walls from two to four. fe'
thick. The windows are double an
are usually sealed so that they ca
never be opened. The city's sew,
system-if It can be called syste
lis of the most primitive type. Bas
: in the hills are numerous springs
good water. but the city has no wa
er works. Water is hauled to TOW
In tanks and sold to the resident
1t has been piped from wells I'm
most Of the buildings occupied by Il
Americans.
The population Of Vladivostok
approximately 10000. About tw
thirds Of this number are Russian