The Ordway new era., 1921-09-02

wealth-gold and silver and precious
stones.
There is so much in Siberia that re-
minds an American of our wild
Vest of earlier days, whether it be
lawlessness, freedom, opportunity, a
place to live life over again, great dis
tances, vastness and gloriousness of
scenery, or barrenness such as is seen
on the Cobb desert, where the camels
Craze.
And there are many features that
may be described in typical American
superlatives. VladivostOk has the fin
est harbor in the world; the rail-
road connecting Vladivostok with Pc
trograd Is the longest in the world
thus the Siberians rave, and not alto
gether madly. But they cannot rave
about their roads. The Russian word,
"dOroga," meaning road" literally
means bad road" and it would be
redundancy to- speak of bad 'dO-
rcga." 1t merely means place where
you may get through.
Cities Handsome but Dirty.
The cities of the Russian wild
East" are not very populOus, but each
one boasts of sufficient beautiful
churches, government and private edi-
fees to give 1t n noble aspect. First Is
VladivOstok, combination Of Gotham
and Chicago. At the other end of the
country is Omsk, the capital. In be-
tween and top and bottom are Tomsk,
Ekaterinburg, Cheliabinsk, Chita,
Xabarosk, Irkutsk, Hardin and Mix
DISK. One Of the most Objectionable
features about these beautiful cities
is their filth and the attendant odors.
T0msk has an unusually beautiful
cathedral and great university that
has produced more than one famous
name, Metchnikoff. the great bacteri-
ologist, being one of them.
Vladiyostok, the largest and most In
teresting city of eastern Siberia, owes
much to Russia's loss of Port Arthur,
for that misfortune increased the
tsar's interest In the more northerly
seaport until he had made it worthy
of its name, "Ruler of the East" The
one disadvantage Of VladivostoK ~
that its harbor is frozen during sew
eral months of the year. In spite OF
this drawback, VladivostOk probably
possesses the second finest harbor IN
the world, and 1t is claimed that from
a military standpoint the city was sec
opd only to the Dardanelles.
The city spreads out at the FOOT OF
many hills and rises into beasltlful
and sudden spectacle as ones steamer
makes II turn in the approach from
the sea. A cathedral with many gold
en- domes occupies place OF vantage,
and everywhere rise huge stone ana
brick barracks, mostly white, with an
occasional pile in red brick for con-
trast.
All around the city are barracks
barracks everywhere. 1t Is SAID that
there are sufficient barracks In ana
around ValadIvostok to house an army
of half a million men. These barracks
are substantially built and proViae
protection against the heat OF July as
we'll as the cold of winter.
The outstanding characteristics, OF
the Siberian Russian are MS phys-
ical strength and stamina anu nlS
geptleness of nature. Most peo-
Dle will be surprised at the
second part Of that statement, on ac,
count of what has been puphsneo
about the Bolshevist cruelties. 1t is
true that the peasant went from the
extreme Of an absolute monarchy "
the most fantastic socialism the wolio
has known. Nevertheless he Is gent'e
and forgiving by nature.
OF course, Siberia did not taste .ne
full bitterness Of Red Bolshevism. Ine
extreme elements were present, Dus
they never had full swing. Red Boil
sheyism In Siberia never was more
ihan .pink," and that pink is becom-
ing paler every day.