Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-07-19

prepared BY the National Geographic
Society. Washington. -. c.
with the problems 81 western Eu-
rope looming large and news OF the
Old Russian empire confined chiefly
90 more or less Official communion
tons from Moscow. an important port
o. the world. where Tor a half cen
fury international intrigue found n
fertile field. has dropped almost com
pletely from sight. This is the region
o. the peoples who have been aptly
called ~Russia's orphan races"-the In
land Near East. embracing the Trans
caucasus and the sections east Of che
Caspian. which marked the edge OF
the gIacierlike encrOachment OF the
huge Slnv empire southeastward to-
ward India.
90 all the varied peoples who In
habit that rabbit warren 81 humanity.
the Caucasus. the Georgians are most
interesting. With the Armenians. they
form an Important outpost against
Turanian dangers. The great noun
tains that sheltered Shamyl and many
another patriot have shut on the vari-
Gus tribes and races In secluded val
legs. where they have retained their
peculiar customs. Thus the mountains
Of Daghesian have kept that recluse
among nations "an island In a sea OF
history"
A few miles south OF the snow ridge
OF the Caucasus. there is a wretched
little village whose fame should
be worldwide. Mtzkhet has claims
20 antiquity that make most towns APP
pear as embryOs. for It's citizens as
sert that Il was founded by one OF
Noah's sons. who stroIled over from
Mount Ararat one day after the waters
mad subsidized and chose this site be-
cause 81 It's excellent drainage.
Below Its terraced homes two rivers
unite: the clear. cold Aragwa. has
tenlng from its birthplace In the
eternal SHOWS OF the Caucasus TO the
hot depression Of the Caspian. and the
Kura. sullied and dirty. swinging IN
from the west 20 make Its way down
the TidIs depression and across the
barren Transcaucasian steppe. be-
tween the mountains OF Daghestan
and the highlands OF Armenia.
Original Home Of the eeorsisna
on a rock elf opposite this quiet
city with the cat-fxht name the kings
o. Georgia erected their first castle.
but Il was In Nitzkhet itself that
Georgia was born. The Georgians ad-
init their descent from the Accadians
and Sumerians. but there is nothing
IN their appearance or personality 10
Indicate their descent from anything.
They seem 90 have assembled from the
plane 81 other men.
Militant ~ appearance. handsome OF
countcnance. chivalrous and unfamil-
lar with hard toll. these lovers OF
wine. women. and song are as prince
~ tn bearing as the unwashed Bed
ouin before his desert tent. Part OF
them are mountalneers-the most pic
turesQue brigRnds that ever carried
an arsenal az their belts. The rest are
agricultural people. whose contact
with the soil does not prevent them
from holding their chests up Ike sol
ciers In Uniform.
The Georgian women conquered the
Turkish rulers by the palace route.
but the Georgian men are handsomer
than their wives. and In Georgia the
male wears the fine plumage. But he
treats his wife and daughters vel and
never allows them 20 act as servants.
Turkesfan begins In the west by
being a land o. desert. dust. and
dreariness and ends in the east In
lovely and fertile Ferghana. It's In
hahl;ants insist that IN spring there
are green spots here and there. but
IN few places Is there enough rain 20
give an annual house-cleaning 70 the
dusty tres and shrubs.
Turkesgan. including the khanats Of