Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-09-08

(Prepare0 by the National Geographic
Society, Washington, D. c.
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 a
dark pine forest-this Is 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 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
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
dier 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 go 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
Manageable American winter.
Beautiful Wild Flowers.
Siberia's wild flowers-a feature
which does not 1T into the picture of
q frozen waste-are worthy 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
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 e1e 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 OF
Babel incident to have occurred in ST.
IBERIA, for one hears so many Ian.
guages and sees so many different ma
| tional customs Chinese "sampans'
and japanese "dambes' ride the road
stead of Vladivostok along with Rus
sian craft and American motorboats
and on the highways and caravan
routes camels and oxen are passed by
modern automobiles, mostly Of Ameri
| ran make.
Native Life Fascinating.
One gets wonderfully attached tC
! Siberian life. There Is something
charming and fascinating about 1t
The natives, in spite Of the scourge'
Of typhus and cholera, in spite Of the
hunger and cold which they have ex
perienced SO frequently during the las
six years, are devoted to their home
land; yet apparently they are indiffer
ent to the rich opportunities Of theil
country.
Siberia is = land Of rich agriculture
potentialities, in spite of the short
ness of the summer season, and ever
American tables have been served
with Siberian cheese and butter. Blu
he most alluring opportunities of tn,
country are presented in its minera