The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1921-10-20

prepared 10y the National Geographic
Society, Washington, d. CD
A sled drawn over the deep snow by
terrified horses, a driver wildly beat
ing them, and a pack OF ferocious
wolves breaking In pursuit from
dark pine forest--this is picture that
has given many person faulty idea
of the Siberia of today.
An American woman who had
laughed at an Englishman when he
complained that during his ten days
in New York city he had not seen a
single Indian asked upon her arrival
in Kladiyostok if there was any dan
ger from wolves in the city, As 4
matter Of fact, one may spend con
siderable time in Siberia aid cnyer
large areas without seeing a Wolf, or
"a pine trno. aud what little snow he
r will seosavili~ rToba elyan0t begBeIe than
! al Jew aimches deep. thoughgtherc are
!. sections Where Il is quite deep, Ana
one may meet thousands Of people
without seeing either exile or criminal.
One Is not likely 10 be disllusionel
about the climate. The American sol
dier said, siberia has two seasons
--Jnly and winter" This Is nearly
true, for there is practically no spring;
the foliage does not appear until June.
July Is as warm as the winter Is cold
The brief fall is beautiful indeed, and
there is something very thrilling about
the intense cold of the winter, when
the temperature goes to GO and 20 de-
grees below zero ii some sections.
Everybody dresses and prepares for
the cold. and on the whole It is pos
sible to be more comfortable in the
steady winter of Siberia than in the
changeable American winter
Beautiful Wild Flowers.
Siberia's wild flowers--a feature
which does not ct into the picture Of
a frozen waste-are worthy volume
in themselves. There IS a wild rose
that blooms hugely on big, sturdy
bushes. Then there Is the NATIVE and
gold of the MARY and john" that is
loved most by the SiberianS This
lovely flower is named after the Nir
gin Mary and the loved disciple
Siberia IS. above All. an oriental
country. Out there the traveller secs
every phantasmagoria associated with
the East. Oriental sunsets, equal TO
any aud inferior 10 none, thrill the
senses with splendors Of color rang
ing from volcanoes of rubies to the
nlyriad mysteries Of the Kaleidoscope.
Then one sees all the peoples of the
Orient-Chinese, japanese, Tartars,
Manchus, Koreans-men and women Of
every color and condition.
For the most part the Russians have
Russianized the country Even SO,
one could easily believe the Tower q
Babel incident to have occurred in ST.
IBERIA. for one hears so many lam
guages and sees 81 many different ma
tlonal customs. Chinese "sampans'
and Japanese "dambes' ride the road
stead OF Vladivostok along with Rus
sian craft and American moi0rhoats /
and on the highways and caravan
routes camels and oxen are passed by /
modern automobiles, mostly Of Ameri- /
can make.
Native Life Fascinating.
one gets wonderfully attached to I
Siberian life. There Is something /
charming and fascinating about it. /
The natives. in spite Of the scourre>
Of typhus and cholera. in spite q the /
hunger and cold which they have ex- /
pericnced so frequently during the last /
six years, are devoted 70 their ho'ne-
land yet apparently they are indiaer-
ent 10 the rich opportunities Of their |
country.
Siberia is a land Of rich agricultural /
pesentialnIes. in spite of the short /
ness Ct TIE summer season and even 4
American fables have been served f
with siberian e,lc,Sc anl batter. 1915 /
the most alluriF- opportunities ~ uae /