The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-06-07

Gey were uphlll ana that our base
lies 1890 meters above sea level. 1t
became dark before we were able
to reach the base. The road was bad
and dangerous. 1t became clear that
the women and the horses, as we'll
as some of the men, would not be
able to reach the base before nine
o'clock So Nikita Niciferoff and
decided that we'd start on full speed
so as to have hot food and beds
prepared for the rest of the party.
So we did.
About five versts before our place
of destination the hill became so
steep that l could hardly catch my
breath. My companion, an old
walker and climber, was making bet
ter progress than l did. Finally l
decided that it was no good for him
to wait for me, as the people in the
base might go to bed and the party
be left without hot food, and l asked
him to go as fast as he could. l
proceeded very slowly. At the 50th
verst I felt that all my strength
was gone. 1 had to rest every five
or ten minutes. Finally about eight
o'clock / reached the base. I CROSSED
myself" several times and flung my
self on my bed. 1 rested for about
an hour and then began to look for
Nikita. I found him in the kitchen
ordering food. He told me that he
only came about Is minutes before
l did. Some consolation!
AS we talked, wonderful bright
lightning flashed over the icy noun
tain tops, and suddenly rain began
pouring-a real shower. Poor girls!
AS the road is very dangerous, we
decided that one of us would take an
oil lamp and go to meet them. Nikita
said he'd do it if I'd see to the food
and beds. agreed. He came back
about three-quarters of an hour
later, all wet, but found no trace
Of them. About an hour later we
heard piercing whistles and screams.
Our whistle and our girls! I started
out in the rain, fell into stream,
and finally reached our group. They
were lucky enough to dig into my
bag and find my electric torch, which
was a godsend to them that enabled
them safely to cross all the little
shaky bridges and streams.
At eleven o'clock every body was
in and eating hot Caucasian borshch,
which differs from the Russian bor-
shch by being strongly peppered and
containing piles of tomatoes. The
second dish was stewed lamb and
potatoes and the third baked apples
and tea. Nobody was able to wash
or clean teeth before going to bed.
One girl, Sima (Simochka) is badly
sunburnt and her feet are blistered.
1 am afraid she won't be able to
climb the glacier, if we do, as it is
still raining badly.
AS we cannot attempt to climb the
glacier today owing to the rain, we
decided to climb to the "Holy
Grove" where there is still an old
eleventh century Georgian church
left from the olden days of the
Georgian Kingdom. The church is
still of good appearance, its contents
mixture of pagan and christian re-
ligions. In front of the door is an
old bell with Georgian inscriptions
presented to the church by q
Georgian king 800 years ago. Next
to it is an icon, the like of which you
can see at any Russian village
church. The whole outside of the
building is decorated with reindeer
horns, all half white from age.
The keeper would not allow US tc
enter the church, but after negotia-
lions through our clever interpreter
an Osetenian, we succeeded ia "per.
suading" him to take some money
from US to satisfy the gods needs
At first he complained that we gave
him too little money, saying, "Yor
have lots of money and can give
more" l told him that the gods have
little money and need still less
Finally we entered the church, which
was of very little interest,-somt
more horns, about ten old arrows Oh
darts, and steel hermet weighing
about 20 pounds. On the way GU
l learned the church is really tn,
outside and not the inside, which il
only a store for relics.
CTILL raining. Hard luck! W.
y have to leave tomorrow and i
the weather does not improve, wei
have to go further without climbing
up to the glacier.
A little later: Still raining. Ha,
a talk with the management an,
guests of the Sanitorium. There ar
about 700 people living here, al
Osetenians. One may call it, as W
do in Russia, a peasant sanitariun
for T. B. l am told that there is
great deal of tuberculosis among tn
native mountain people owing t.
undernourishment and bad, almos
primitive, sanitary conditions.
was most pleased to discover tina
the Osetenians discovered mountain
treatment for T.sB. long before VI
did. They go out with cots, covere,
with waterproof material, to tn,
glacier or very near it, where the.
stay for about month. In addition
tn in,nroved feedino and rnountai,