The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-08-02

prepared by tho National Geographic
Society. Washington. D. C.)
With the problems of western Eu-
rope looming large and news of the
old Russian empire confined chiefly
to more or less official communica-
tons from Moscow, an important port
Of the world, where for a half CEN
fury International intrigue found a
fertile field, has dropped almost COM
pletely from sight. This Is the region
of the peoples who have been aptly
called "Russia's orphan races"-the in
land Near East, embracing the Trans
Caspian, which marked the edge of
the glacier-like encroachment of the
huge Slav empire southeastward to-
ward India.
OF all the varied peoples who in
habit that rabbit warren of 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 off the vari-
GUS tribes and races in secluded val
leys, where they have retained their
peculiar customs. Thus the mountains
Of Daghestan have kept that recluse
among nations ian island In a sea of
history
A few miles south of the snow ridge
of the Caucasus, there is wretched
little village whose fame should
be worldwide. Mtzkhet has claims
to antiquity that make most towns ap-
pear as embryos, for its citizens as
sert that 1t was founded by one of
Noah's sons, who strolled over from
Mount Ararat one day after the waters
had subsided and chose this site be-
cause Of its excellent drainage.
Below it's terraced homes two rivers
unite: the clear. cold Aragwa, has
tening 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 to make its way down
the T1ftis depression and across the
barren Transcaucasian steppe, be-
tween the mountains Of Daghestan
and the highlands Of Armenia.
Original Home Of the Georgians.
On a rock cliff opposite this quiet
city with the cat-fight name the kings
Of Georgia erected their first castle,
but it was in Mtzkhet itself that
Georgia was born. The Georgians ad-
NIT their descent from the Accadians
hut
in their appearance or personality t.
indicate their descent from anything
They seem to have assembled from the
plane of other men.
Militant of appearance, handsome of
countenance, chivalrous and unfamil
lar with hard toll, these lovers of
wine, women, and song are as prince
y in bearing as the unwashed Bed
ouin before his desert tent. Part Of
them are mountaineers-the most pic
turesque brigands that ever carried
an arsenal at their belts. The rest are
agricultural people, whose contact
with the soil does not prevent them
from holding their chests up like SOL
diers 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 well and
never allows them to act as servants.
Turkestan begins in the west by
being land of desert, dust, and
dreariness and ends in the east in
lovely and fertile Ferghana. Its in
habitants insist that in spring there
are green spots here and there, but
In few places is there enough rain to
give an annual ouse-cienning to tire
dusty trees and shrubs.
Turkestau, including thu khanate Of