The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-09-02

prepared by the National Geographic
Society, Washington, ID. CO
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 Il
dark pine forest-this is n picture that
has given many a person a 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 VladivoStok if there was any dan
ger from wolves in the city. AS a
matter of fact, one may spend a con-
siderable time in Siberia and cover
large areas without seeing a wolf, or
"a pine tree, and what little snow he
will see will probably not be more than
a few inches deep, though there are
sections where it is quite deep. And
one may meet thousands Of people
|. without seeing either exile or criminal.
One is not likely to be disillusiOned
about the climate. The American sol
der said, siberia has two seasons
July 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 60 and 20 de-
grees below zero In 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 1owers-a feature
which does not fit into the picture Of
a frozen waste-are worthy a volume
in themselves. There is a wild rose
that blooms hugely on big, sturdy
bushes. Then there Is the mauve and
gold of the Mary and john" that is
loved most by the Siberians. This
lovely flower is named after the Vir-
gin Mary and the loved disciple.
Siberia is, above all, an oriental
country. Out there the traveller sees
every phantasmagoria associated with
the East. Oriental sunsets, equal to
any and inferior to none, thrill the
senses with splendors Of color rang
ing from volcanoes of rubies to the
myriad 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
R~uSsianiZed the country. Even so,
one could easily believe the Tower of
Babel incident to have occurred in ST.
IBERIA, for IN hears so many Ian
guages and sees SO many different ma
tional customs. Chinese "sampans'
and Japanese "dainbes" ride the road
stead OF VladivOstok along with Rus
sian craft and American ~mOtorboats,
{ and on the highways and caravan
routes camels and ken are passed by
modern automobiles. mostly Of Ameri-
can make.
Native Life Fascinating.
one gets wonderfully attached to
Siberian life. There is something
charming and fascinating about it.
The natives, in spite of the scourges
of typhus and cholera, In spite Of the
hunger and cold which they have ex-
p~erienced so frequently during the last
six years, are devoted to their home
land; yet apparently they are indiffer'
ent to the rich opportunities Of theiI
country.
Siberia is a land Of rich agricultural
potentialities, In spite Of the short
ness Of the summe season. and even
American tables have been served
with Siberian cheese and butter. Blu
the most alluring opportunities of the
countr: are presented In Its miner;l