V2
TUB SORANTON- TIUBTTJOJ -SATURDAY MORNING, MAY 20. 1897.
Aeotlher View
Coeditloes no
The Island Is Lost to Spain, but It Is
Time for This Country to Intervene.
An American who has been accus
tomed to spend his winters In Cuba,
having returned from the Island, writes
as follows to the Springfield Republi
can concerning the present condition
of the Island and the proper attitude
of the United States toward the Insur
rection: One cannot comprehend the condi
tions existing In Cuba, without going
on to the ground, and must have had
previous acquaintanceship with the
people of the Island, both Spanish and
Cuban, and have studied the political
and commercial conditions. My pre
vious winters In Cuba and my pleas
ant relations with many of the leading
citizens greatly added me In taking
a comparative view of the situation and
obtaining the real feelings of the peo
ple. Great changes have taken place
during the last year, say from April,
189fi, to March, 1SD7. An air of uncer
tainty, anxiety and discouragement
is manifest. Want of employment,
great advance In the necessaries of life,
want of trustworthy Information as to
the real progress of the war, Insecurity
of property and life, tightening severity
of police legislations, espionage lurking
everywhere and distrust even among
friends all these plainly told of the
tinhapplness of Cuba. Then business
was In a chaotic state on account of the
paper money Issue which is accepted
only by reason of compulsory decree.
Apja'chenslveness Is visible on every
hand.
The above is trua of Havana, where
conditions are supposed to be 'most fav
orable. Yet In Havana 1G.0O0 sick Span
ish soldiers ciowd the hospitals, and
in the superbs yellow flags proclaim
the small-pox. I counted 11 of these
flags in two squnies. There Is some
yellow fever, too. The squalor and
filth of the remnto paits of Havana Is
lndesci Ibable. Yet, under good govern
ment, this would become one of the
thriftiest cities in the world The
largest ships can ride In Its harbor,
notwithstanding Its 36 feet of mud.
This removed, where Is its equal? Its
population now Is about 230,000. Give It
proper sanitation and just laws and
it would double In ten years.
DESOLATION.
But what Is the condition of the rural
parts of Cuba? Desolation. Savagery
has done its work. Homeless, fleeing
people, wasti-d plantations, hill-tops
crowned with sentinel-boxes, cross
roads guarded by soldiers, beggary on
every highway, huts occupied by rag
ged women and naked children these
are the scenes you witness, and this Is
called "pacification." You ask, cannot
this carnival of blood and terror bi
stopped? Is not reconciliation possible?
My answer Is that reconciliation Is
impossible. No proposition has been
made that contemplates equality of the
races. None will be mad" that is not
based upon the supremacy of the
fipanlaul and the subordination of the
Cuban and the negro. Then the at
rocities of the war have turned the
hearts of the people into furnaces oil
hate. It has become an irrepressible
struggle. It Is not what we call doing
batt'o, it Is wholesale 'assassination.
No one may question the validity of
Spalne's title to Cuba. It Is hers by
the same title that Canada belongs to
Great Britain. But her conduct has
been most unparer.tal. Never once has
she governed with a kindly hand. No
appeal has touched her, no argument
convinced. The goaded child now flees
the paiental roof, and with clenched
flt, curses the rule that denied sym
pathy and Justice. Hatred of Spain
.has become an inextinguishable pas
sion In the Cuba.i. It has come down
from sire to so: L'm'ortunately, Spain
continues the policy of severity and In
justice, and In her bavage wroth Is do
ing deeds which shook the world. How
can reconciliation come? It Is the ex
termination of a million people which
Spain now proposes. It is resistance
to the bltlei end on the part of the
Cubans. It is an uttempt at arbitra
ment by the sword of a question which
must at last yield to the enlighten
ment of the age. It Is not revolution,
but evolution, that convulses Cuba.
WORTHINESS REFORMS.
The recently proposed reforms are
significant only in that they demon
strate the Inability of Spain to rise
to the magnitude of the situaton. It
is not a case of local irritation to be
treated by salvevi and lotions. It is an
upheaval of a great commercial centre.
Cointneice will not wear fetters, no
matter where forged or by whom riv
eted. The sword must fail In buch a
contest. It Is a battle of grander foices.
' What, then, can there be in such mim
ic reforms? Refoims which continue a
judiciary that publicly demands and
receives gratification money fiom suit
ors and advances or retards causes In
proportion to the bribe received; in re
foims that continue to Instal and sup
port at public expense a brothel-tainted
priesthood; which continue to per
mit ctowd-appolnted otllclals to appro
priate to their own use the treasure of
the rtople and parade their stolen
wealth without rebuke; In reforms
which purify no channels, lighten no
burdens, change no methods, nor give
even hope of wise and llbeial aids to
lestoratlon. Futile folly! And yet Spain
proposes to fool herself and the world
by applying such antidote to so-called
pacified districts, where the fields are
quiet, but the hedges whisper and the
darkness strikes.
This Is no fancy sketch. I could cite
instance upon Instance. With an ex
port duty on everything that Cuba has
to sell and an import duty on every
thing she needs to buy, how can con
dition bo other than unbearable? At
one time the West Indies commanded
the sugar markets of the world, but
now they have lost them and will nev
er regain them. The taxation above
referred to made it impossible for the
rlanter to produco cheap sugar, and
corsequently the cultivation and man
ufacture of beet sugar began in Eu
rope, and this industry has so pros
never again compete except under the
most liberal conditions at home. Under
the most favorable circumstances Cuba
has great problems before her, but If
she Is to be burdened by the vast war
debt that Spain Is building up, in addi
tion to her former burdens, is it not
clear that sho must succumb? It is
impossible by whomsoever she may be
inhabited. Spain's policy is self-consuming.
CAN CUBANS RULE?
But have the Cubans, if left to work
out these great questions, the creative
faculty, the pruning hand, the self
denying Integrity and the broad, delib
erate Judgment necessary to the work?
This Is a serious question. Their ways
are not our ways and it-is difficult
of the
Cmlba.
for an Anglo-Saxon mind to fairly com
prehend them. Their long environment
must be considered, their Latin' blood,
their habits, the climate of the coun
try, the Inroads which necessity for de
ceit has made, the passions which
unavoidable resentments have culti
vated and the indisposition to
bo self-helped and consequently
self-dependent. All these must be an
alyzed and weighed. There cannot bo
a doubt of the Cuban's love of country,
but whether It will prove to be of that
higher sort that lifts the man above
himself and above all that stands in
the way of his country's good, remains
to be learned. Government Is said to
consist ,of a balancing of Interests. So
long ns'thls process Is confined to pub
lic Interests alone, It is well; but, un
fortunately, statesmen who do not put
DR. EUSEBIO
Candidate for the
Now York, May 29. Dr. Euseblo Her
nandez, one of tho three prominent candi
dates for tho presidency of tho Cuban re
public, Is lesaided with favor by his coun
ttymen In America. Dr. Herrandez Is a
natlvo of the Province of Matiinzas and
is 44 years old. When tho revolution
broke out he went with Garcia, on the Ill
starred Hawkins expedition. He reached
Cuba, with Garcia on hi& second cxpedl-
lift!'1
their private interests behind them are
not unknown even in our own master
republic.
A woman In Cuba to whom I was
condemning the lottery, exclaimed with
much emphabls: "Why the lottery Is
the poor people's only opportunity."
There are threads of history in this
sentence. Excluded largely from leg
itimate opportunity they are taught
from childhood to play-the lottery and,
In many cases, they appeal almost to
divinity to rule the chances In their
faor. They save for It; they pray for
It; they take defeat almost as a visit
ation from some aflllctlng power. Many
times I have watched the crowds that
gather to read the posted lists of the
latest drawing men and women aged
and patched, middle-aged persons well
dressed or seedy and sad, and children,
little tots, as young as a half-dozen
years. When watching their counten
ances, the conviction waj forced upon
me that here was an environment th'at
could not be overlooked. It diverts the
Cuban mind from the stern purpose to
win by honorable endeavor. Has this
became unconstitutional?
THE CHURCH.
Another important element in the en
vironment of the Cuban is the church.
The exclusive religion of Cuba is the
Roman Catholic. Much as I respect
the grand sweep of the Roman Catholic
church, which raises the Te Deum In
every land, I am bound to say that In
Cuba It is to administered as to fall
to impart spiritual and liberal mlnd
edness to the people. The lives of
many of the priests are licentious in
the extieme, and the weight of the en
tire clergy Is against the correction of
existing conditions. Cock-fights and
(until poverty caused by the war sus
pended them) bull-fights are prohibit
ed except on holidays and Sundays;
prostitution Is legalized and patronized
unblushlngly by members of the priest
hood, gambling In every form goes on
openly, and the cry of the lottery ven
der Is heard in eveiy quarter of the
cities and villages. As a consequence,
religion Is rejected by many and re
spected by few. The church, instead of
being an Inspiration to wider sympa
thies and holler lives, cloaks crime,
champions oppression and absorbs
many millions of the taxes paid by
the people, besides enormous sums re
alized from special resources. It has
also landed estates said to be worth a
colossal sum. The chuich alone could
redeem Cuba, but It sits in regal apa
thy content with evil.
Emancipation of Cuba! Can It come
and this remain? Never. Has this not
entered into tho Cuban character and
tended to deprive it of that sublime
faith which works wonders among the
children of men? Add to the foregoing
environments all the passion engender
ed by frultlesb resistance to a galling
yoke, all the deceits made necessary to
circumvent the schemes of the task
master, all the vices fostered by years
of vulgar license, and you have obtain
ed a point of view necessary to a true
appreciation of the Cuban people. It
Is not an encouraging picture. Yet a
people who havo endured so much may
not be adjudged as wholly unequal
to the work of constructing a batter
government. Against almost like con
ditions Mexico has become a successful
republic. Tho American schoolmaster
has abridged the gulf of Mexico and
the pollen of our Inetttutlons has found
a lodgement on Cuban soil.
CLEVELAND'S COURSE.
Mr, Cleveland has been sevejely conr'
demned for not having taken afflrnW
tlve action In behalf of the Cubans. ' In
the Judgment of the writer, his course
was a wise one, Tho American gov
ernment cannot afford to intrude Itself
Into every struggle and must respect
the legal title of other nations as we
expect our to be respected. It was
right and proper that Spain should
have tlmo to demonsrate her ability to
J
remedy tho evils complained of and to
restore public order. It was duo to the
great nations of Europe that we dem
onstrate our good faith to all friendly
powers and especially that we had no
dlsirosltton to grab Cuba, however
tempting the prize. It was important
to teach tho Cubans that they must be
self-helpful and themselves do the he
roic work which they had undertaken,
and must not look to another to do It
for them. It Is a marked trait of Cu
ban character that ho will never per
form any task in person which he can
procure done by another. Tho Cuban
people have been developed by tho non
interference of the United States and
are stronger today in state-craft and In
arms that they would have been In the
simple attitude of shoutcrs to the Stars
and Stripes. I desire to be emphatic
In commending the wlsdomi of Mr.
Cleveland under the circumstances as
they then existed.
But tho time Is near at hand when
a larger duty will fall upon the United
States. Spain has now had over two
years for reflection since thlB last re
bellion in Cuba broke out. She has
been appealed to by the United States
and other great powers to cure the
manifest Ills of Cuba and win back
peace and fcallty. But what has she
done? Simply made war, ruthless
war. Has she suppressed the rebellion?
HERNANDEZ,
Cuban Presidency.
tlon In the Bermuda. The Cubans offered
him a position as representative In South
America, but he preferred to remain on
the Island, and accepted .the foielgn af
fairs portfolio In the cabinet of President
Clsneros. He left that oflleo to becomo
private physician In the Held to General
Gomez, a place he still fills. His wife,
the daughter of a Cuban millionaire, lives
in this city.
No, notwithstanding her vast armies,
she has not pacified any Bectlon of the
Island. She has merely beaten the air.
Is driving the population out of one
section Into another and killing many
by the wayside, is this pacification? I
have taken great pains to ascertain the
facts and I repeat that by fighting
nothing has been accomplished. Has
Spain lightened the burden of taxa
tion? No, she has increased it by 33
per cent. Has she made provision for
the unemployed? No, she has caused
every Cuban who had any kind of em
ployment, clerical or other, to be dis
missed, and today there Is a proscribed
and suffering class In every commun
ity. Has Spain taken measures to main
tain necessary manufactures? No.
Sho has assessed the manufacturers
with new taxes, and quartered soldiers
upon them, which they are obliged to
feed. She Is designedly making Cuba In.
tolerable for Cubans. There Is no mag
nanimity, no reparation, no cleansing
of the service, no honest reform. Gen
eral Weyler on one occasion remarked:
"Pending armed resistance, Spain can
not discuss reforms." So It Is to bo
war, unrelenting war, until the Cu
bans abandon Cuba or until Spain be
comes exhausted. Spain thus proves
that she Is unequal to the great crisis.
Spain thus proves that the rebellion
was and Is a necessity, and, being a
necessity In defense of the rights of
man, what now Is the duty of the
United States? By reason of our prox
imity and the commercial kinship ex
isting between the United States and
Cuba, our responsibility is peculiar.
We cannot escape it. Humanity cries
out. A nation that is founded on the
sacred right of revolution may not Bit
Idly by and see this carnage continue.
Halt! must be spoken, and the voice
should be America's.
The' future of Cuba, what may it
not be? Capital has been waiting at
her door for years. Her value to Spain
is gone. No matter who may inhabit
Cuba in the future, her case is hope
less under the Spanish crown. Noth
ing short of a now birth can perpe
SAID TO BE THE FINEST
"tTWlllHHl vm .,,,,,,.
Now York, May "M. The finest syna
gogue In America has Just been dedicated
In New York. It belongs to the oldest
Israelltlsh congregation In the country
and one of the richest, too. All told, the
new building coat Jlop.OOO, It Is located
at Central Park West and Seventieth
street. Tho front wall Is supported by
four large pillars, which glvo the building
a most imposing appearance. The Interior
decorations are of onyx, and the walls and
balconies are of gold and white. The ark
Is one of the finest In tho country. It Is
of white and red onyx, with two small
pillars on each side, separated by two al
cove, in Which are rilar-nd lnrun silver
lamps fashioned after tho Egyptian stylo,
1 Four steps leading to the ark are of blood-
IiHIti 111 ill . MJ knJwJ
ISilLlSv EWE I I 'M Ti fir MCSM7
i5K lltjissi I I a' S Wllawy
m ". -..J i '"'Si
tuate her. Capable of supporting a
population greater than that of tho
state of New' York, having fields of
unequaled fertility; mineral lands of
inexhaustible wealth; virgin forests of
rarest woods; harbors on cither shore;
lying geographically in the path of
commerce between tho Atlantic and
.Pacific oceans; producing tho crops of
every season In choicest quality, what
may not Cuba contribute to the wealth
of the world and the happiness of man
kind when war shall have ceased and
self-government shall havo como to
stay?
America has exhausted every kind
ly office to influence the government of
Spain. Are we nssured pacification In
Cuba7 What are the fncts? The fields
are quiet,) but the hedges whisper, and
the darkness strikes. There Is no pa
cification, and God forbid that there
should be, since In Cuba "pacification"
and "desolation" aro synonymous. It
Is for the human race I plead. Surely
America has some better cheer than
to speak the raven's "nevermore."
It Is a great wrong to mankind to
permit this work of annihilation to
goon, within 90 miles of our shores. It
Is American soil that Is being desecrat
ed. Shall monetary cowardice stand
between? Have we become too sordid
to champion the rights of humanity?
Spain has published through her press
that tho United States Is a nation of
traders and will do nothing that may
tend to disturb tho money market. Is
it Jingoism to rescue women and chil
dren, to stop massacre, to restore
peace, and welcome a new nation
founded upon civil and religious liber
ty? Applying the facts as they actual
ly exist In Cuba to the law governing
like cases, the insurgents are entitled
as a matter of right, to recognition as
a belligerent power.
FOREMOST LETTER WRITERS
The United States 1'lrst Among Nn
tions in This Itcspcct.
From tho Sun.
There arc 200,000 postofllces .In all
tho countries of the world enjoying or
ganized facilities of correspondence,
and of this number 70,000 are In the
United States. In respect of the num
ber of letters and postal cards writ
ten and received the revenue and dis
bursements of the department, the ex
tent, pro'mptness, and accuracy of let
ter delivery, as well as in the number
of postofllces, the United States stand
at the head of all other nations. Ger
many following second, Great Britain
third, and Austria, among European
nations, fourth. The United States sell
In a year 2,000,000,000 two-cent stamps,
which Is equivalent to 1,000,000,000 let
ters sent through the malls In a year.
In addition to this the United States
sell In a year 600,000 one-cent stamps,
some of which are used for letter,
though a larger number for newspaper
and circular postage, 12,000,000 three
cent stamps, 20.000,000 four-cent stamps,
and 50,000,000 five-cent stamps, mostly
used for letters sent from this coun
try for foreign delivery. More than
1,000,000,000 letters a year, therefore,
paying full postage, and exclusive of
postal cards, are written In the United
States.
The business of the German and of
the English postoftlce department is
less than half as large. The postal
card system in Germany is In much
more general use than In England, and
it Is for this reason, perhaps, that Ger
many keeps ahead of England In re
spect of the amount of correspondence
done. The number Of postofllces In
Great Britain by the last ofllclal state
ment, made on Jan. 1, 1897, was 20,275,
exclusive of what is officially called
In England, "the road and pillar letter
box." There are 150,000 employes of
the postofflce department . in Gteat
Britain, of whom 0,500 are women and
girls. The number of postotlice em
ployes in Germany, where telegraphic
communication Is a part of the post
ofllce system, is 125,000. The number
of letters handled by the Austrian post
office department In a year Is 7EO.000.000,
and of these two-thirds are handled
In that portion of the empire which
comes under the designation of Austria,
and one-third only Is handled in the
portion officially known as Hungary.
The Germans In Austria, as well as in
Germany, are great letter writeis, and
in those cities of tho United States in
which the German population is nu
merous more letters are written In a
year proportionately than in cities in
which the German population is small.
The Italian postofllce handler 350,000,
000 letters a year, the'postofhee depart
ment of Spain 120,000,000, of Canada
100,000,000, of Holland 100,000,000, of Bel
glum 123,000,000, anu of Russia 200,000,
000, n considerable portion of which Is
carried on what are called ' the mail
coach roads," upon which postal ser
vice the imperiol government main
tains 50,000 horses. In France the num
ber of lettcis handled by the postofllce
department is about 700,000,000 in a year
and the receipts of the department are
about $35,000,000, or one-half of the
United States. The French govern
ment, however, does a considerable ex
press buslne&s, handling more than 40,
000,000 parcels, or at the rate of one to
each Inhabitant of the country In each
year. The expenditures of the postof
llce department In tho United States
exceed the receipts by from $8,000,000
to $10,000,000 In an ordinary year. AVhen
times are bad there Is less correspond
ing done.
SYNAGOGUE IN AMERICA.
rod onyx. Ovor the stairs Is n. lamp which
burns with perpetual light. Tho congre
gation, which Is called theShearlth Israel,
founded the synagogue in 1CS2. The first
edlrtce was built In Mill street. The dedi
cation services were most solemn and Im
pressive and were attended by many
prominent Jews from all part of the
country. People came from Boston, San
Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago and oth
er cities to be present Bt tho devotions.
A procession was formed and seven cir
cuits were made around the walls. Af
ter the last circuit the scrolls were placed
In the ark. Tha congregation Is made up
of Spanish Jews. Among the visitors was
Rev, Dr. Meldola de Sola, rabbi of the
Spanish congregation at Montreal. Tho
building peals 700.
uum.nH,flu. Mt03Zr & I
Notes of a Smimmer Jomireey
From New York to Warsaw
Continuation of the Travel Letters of Hon.
Chas. A. Dana in the Sun.
As wo droVo out of 'the posthouso
yardi at Mleta, disturbing vone or two
lazy and dishevelled camels that were
loaning about tho stable doors, we per
ceived that at last we had before ua
some real mountain climbing. Cross
ing the south-flowing Aragvn. on a
stone bridge, wo began tho long ascent
up tho hill which stands opposite to
Mleta. Tho road was precisely of the
same breadth and style as wo had trav
elled tho day before, but It wound
backward and forward up tho hillside
In long reaches, with a continuous rise
that put rapid drvlng out of the ques
tion. The spectacle, however, was alto
gether superb, and wo were gladi to
study It Blowly. Below us lay tho vil
lage we had Just left. Behind It nose
another mountain of more moderate
dimensions than that we were oscend-
WILLIAM J.
Who Is Down In Cuba Looking
Ing. In its cultivated spots and Its
many little hay fields the farmers
were making the most of the morning.
Further along to the northeast an old
castle stood out upon cralgs that pro
jected above the river; and the im
agination oould easily go baclk to the
time when these pristine strongholds
hadi each Its garrison of free-booters,
and fighting, plundering and devasta
tion were the rule and the business of
the land. But now all was peace and
repose. There was no garrison, no mil
itary display, and no flag flying from
any pinnacle. There was no indica
tion that even a policeman was with
in call, yet every one felt that the pow
er which had reduced the half-savage
tribes of the mountains to order, was
there to maintain and protect the civ
ilization "whose foundations It had laid.
It was a long as well as a slow road,
and presently, as we approached 'the
summit, the snows began to appear In
heavy drifts along the sides of it.
When we reached our first change of
horses we had nearly gained the ridge
of the Krastovaya Gora, the "moun
tain of the crosses," so-called because
two stone crosses have been erected
there, one of them very ancient, at
tributed to Queen Thamara, and the
other a modern creation of sixty years
ago. There Is a village of some shops
and several houses, with an attractive
old church that invites the traveller to
come In and say his rpayers. The
height of this mountain, by the way,
Is 8,000 feet above the sea level, and it
is only a short distance beyond the
summit that the descent begins, lead
ing down Into the valley of the impet
uous north-flowing Terek, and through
a series of mountain landscapes of
peerless and) almost liniexpressiUMe
magniflcance.
INCOMPARABLE LANDSCAPES.
In truth, I have never behind any
thing to be compared with them in
any other country. From the top of the
Krestovaga Gora, past Kasbek
through tho gorge of Darlal, until the
crossing of the mountains is completed
and we find the Terek flowing in peace
and quiet through green meadows
near Vladikavkaz, the very opposite
of the fury with which It forces Itself
among the mountain reefs, there Is a
continuous scene of rooky peaks, of
noble mountain openings and gorges,
of portentous overshadowing cliffs, of
broken and dilapidated old castles,
which make of this roadway of forty
or fifty miles one of the wonders and
marvels of the earth. It is impossible
to think of it without longing to be
there again, dashng along the riverside
and through the narrow mountain de
files, with the same spirited horses,
and the same enthusiastic giant of a
Caucasian guide. The traveller who
has not yet had this experience, is to
be envied provded It is still in his pow
er to procure it for himself; and he or
she to whom It is possible and who does
mot at once set out to drive over the
Krestovava Gora, and through the
Darlal Pbbs, Is to be pitied Indeed.
We arrived in the village of Kasbek
at about 1 o'clock, but the glory of the
mountain was all hidden In the clouds.
Even the monastry, which Is at a
point on the mountain's flank about
1,800 feet higher than tho village, oould
not be seen; and it was not possible
even to speculate at what elevation
the antique story had fixed the point
where Prometheus was chained to the
irock and vultures come to torment
him. Thtse were serious prlvatons for
which a very good luncheon afforded no
satisfactory Inideimnfty, But all suoli
losses seemed trivial when we resumed
our drive and began once more to pass
between 'the barriers of the ever-varying
peaks, which hemmed in our way
on either side.
These peaks rose on the east and west
to a height of 4,000 to 6,000 feet above
the level of the road. They were bare,
sharp-pointed, and often as slender in
appearance as a man's fingers held up
against the light; and far below them
the massive forest came' down almost
to the river along whoso banks we
were driving. It was a tremendous,
an amazing, spectacle, and we were
through with t altogether too soon.
About 3 o'clock we came to an enlarge
ment of the narrow valley, with a lit
tle low fort of queer construction, evi
dently; designed! to block the roajd
ngalnst an enemy. 'A little further on,
at the other end of the same enlarge
ment, thero was another fort of sim
ilar construction. Some one said that
these forts were built by Schamyl In
his struggle to maintain the Indepen
dence of tho "Mohammedan tribe, and
to continue his war against the pow
er of Russia, We gazed at the forti
fications with renewed interest; but I
believe tho story was altogether a fic
tion, and on looking In the books, I am
confirmed In ths conclusion. Very like
ly Sohamyl may havo made a stand
in tho Darlal Pass, at some period, but
ho could not have remained there for
any length of time. That vital ar
tery has long been too important for
Russia to allow such an enemy to hold
It even for a day; and, besides, tho
last desperate effort of Schamyl was
CALHOUN,
After the Interests of Americans.
made much -further east, at Ghunlb,
In Daghestan, where Prince Baria
tlnskl took him prisoner, and put an
end to 'his wild dream of an Indepen
dent Mahometan state in the Cau
casus. If the passage of the mountains
was like a battle In the intensity of Its
excitement, the rival at Vladikavkaz
was like the repose which follows after
a victory won. With Its forty odd
thousand people, Vladikavkaz la not
exactly a Russian nor a Caucasian
town, but has qualities of both, and
Is rather ike a holiday that comes be
tween days of toll and agitation. The
site is level; not even hills are vis
ible, except at a distance, and the two
or three long and quiet streets, stretch
ing at right angels to each other, sug
gest repose and rest. Yet I am bound
to say that the shops are peculiarly
attractive from the number of Oriental
and Oausaslan articles that are offered
In thefri'. There Is no such extreme
variety as at Tiflls, but with patience
and perseverance you may pick up lit
tle things that you have not been able
to procure In the metropolis; and fin
ally when you take your seat In the
train for Rostov-on-the-Don you are
freshened! with the consciousness of an
enterprise rounded out successfully,
and completed to your satisfaction.
One of the best views of the great
Caucasian chain is that gained from
the railway to Rostov; and while the
snowy summits of Elbruz form Its most
conspicuous feature, thelong line of
lofty and broken peaks and of mas
sive forest-covered' slopes remains In
tho memory as one of the grandest ob-
COSSACK VILLAGES.
But a subject of much greater In
terest Is the succession of Cossack vil
lages planted along the lino of the
province, at pretty regular IntetVals.
According to the latest ofllclal figures,
there are about 800,000 of these people
along the Don, and very interesting
people I found them to be. Known to
the outside world chiefly as cavalry
soldiers, those who have had an oppor
tunity of seeing them at home, or have
read what has been written about
them, and, above all, that wonderful
Cossack novel of Gogol's, "Taras Boul
ba," or Tolstoi's "Cossacks," under
stand that they are not without some
of the most lasting and admirable
traits of human nature. As we saw
them In the country of the Don, agric
ulture Is their main occupation, and
no one would Imagine that they wero
warriors also. The country Is 'what
an Illinois man would describe as roll
ing, with ridges of no great elevation
here and there, but mainly level. The
soil seemed black and rich, but when
we passed over It the spring crops had
scarcely been planted. The herds of
cattle were large, and each herd had
two or three men und dogs to keep It
from wandering too far. There ap
peared to bo no fences to mark the
boundaries of tho estates. The houses
were small, and every village had Its
church. Tho general aspect of the land
and people was peaceful, and It looked
as If any form of political or intellec
tual agitation was out of tho question
there.
We were now beginning the railway
Labor
Time
Cost
THB
SAVED BY
GJ&r
Washing PoWdES
a
What More Can be Asked?
Only thl ulc your grocer for It, and Insist on trying It. Largest package-greatest economy,
THE N. K. FAIRBANK COMPANY,
Cslcago, nt, Louis, Hew
part of our excursion, and thl tatthl
place to speak of tho Russian railways!'
I have travelled upon them at various 1
seasons and In various directions, and I
begin by testifying that thev nro safe.
comfortable and ngiceable. In this
Journey from Vladlkackaz to Rostov
the distance Is about 430 miles, And It
is made by tho postal trains In about
twont.four hours, or, Including stops,
at the rate of twenty miles an hour.
The tracks aro always solid and
smooth, and tho cars are excellent.
They are much wider than ours, wido
enough, in fact, to admit of an Inclosed
corridor running tho whole length of
the car on one side, with doors open
ing Into all the compartments. Theso
are rpaclous enough, with two rows ot
broad seats facing each other and ex
tending across the compartment at
light angles to tho corridor, though,
except at night, only the bottom sea.ts
me used. These stats are long enough
and wide enough for a large person to
He In comfortably when the beds are
made up. The traveler lakes n many
for tho excludve use of a compartment,
he pays for It and has It. Russian
people when traveling take with, thorn
their own sheets and rugs; but sheet
and pillows can always be procured In
a perfect state of cleanliness and at a.
reasonable charge fiom the porter In
the car. The sleeping seems to be bet
ter i nan In our most luxurious sleeping
cars. The lavatory arrangements aro
nlso satisfactory, and the. neatness of
the whole establishment leaves nothlmr
to be desired. In fact, I have never
seen any reason to complain of this
part of the Russian railway arrange
ments. Ths Journey to Rostov, and
the subsequent longer journey from
there to Moscow, landed us at our des
tinations with less fatigue and lesa
Km ?nC, ,C the ncrves than w
should be likely to experience in going.
from New York to Chicago or to Omo-
na. B
NO( DINING CARS. ,
I don't think that dining cars aro
known upon the Russian railways- at
any rate I have never seen them; but
the restaurants In the station hous.es
aro pleasant, and the stops are long
enough to allow you to get what you
want. You can take a seat at tha
table or refresh yourself 'standing;
and at almost every station you can
procure those Incomparable products
of the Russian cuisine, Stchy and
Borsh. There Is nothing in the culin
ary science of any other land' known
to mo to be compared with these two
kinds of soup. The Stchy has for its
essential element cabbage, and the
Borsh is based upon beets. What other
materials go in with these I shall not
undertake to say, except that beef'plays
a great role In the drama of the Stchy
and, as Borsh Is white when it Is
served, I suspect that there may bo
milk In It. Yet I solemnly declare that
having procured an authoritative Rus
slon cook book, and having myself
carefully studied the prescriptions for
both theso works of art, and accu
rately translated the same. I have not
yet succeeded In finding any Western
culslnler or culslnlere who could mako
and serve them In a style that would
Please an International expert. But
while I am saying this, lb Is my duty
to add that there is also another Rus
slon sodp which I have heard much
celebrated In that empire, namely, the
Botlvlnla. It is white and Is served
cold, and I detest It. But without
pausing to debate these recondite sub
jects, let us not forget one article that
Is always to be found at every railway
restaurant In Russia, as In every pali
ace iand every hut, always In trans-t
cendent perfection, such as all otheri
peoples are not ablo to rival. J mean
tea. An express train sends Its hunP
dred passengers into a commonplace
railway station, and steaming on a
vast counter before them stand a hun
dred glasses of tea. Some,.have...thlri
slices of lemon for those who llkestliat
condiment; and others are aertad
simply with as much sugar as you likes
or, if you want a drop of creahii.jyuu;
can get that, too; but the.'tca iitHclt
Is something ecstatic, and lycui'may
voyage all around the earth frnrnOion
don to Formosa, and then.ibabk .to
Dover, and never find anyiltaa atrsUch
beautiful, Inexplicable, dellghttul6iriv
Ing exqulslteness. What lsi:hj,senret?
Why It Is that other landsMiandpeo
ples continue to exist in suchidompar
atlve disability? I cannot fcneasw but
I know that a glass of Russian teaylor
a cup of It, If you like thaEfidUbY, is
something to enchant an, ascetic and!
to rejuvenate an nntedlluvian.j , to
Rostov stands on high land.jn Hie
head of the Sea of Azov, a qurJPUjs,hQdy
of water, too shallow to bn.much qav
Igated by large ships, ye't of, gijeat
importance from its fisheries, apdit's
trade in grain, wool, and,. patle,iriWe
saw it In the fulness of,-itha sprjng
freshet, when the Don hadjflnqdedrian
Immense extent of land iba.tweenij.th8
railway embankment and the,sea,,ir A
great mass of shipping was. lxn$i.at
the wharves, and It was evident, that
the place was full of business. Tagan
rog, which is about twenty miles fur
ther west, used to be moie imnorrnnt.
but Rostov now seems to be monop-
uuziitK me commerce or the region. Ono
would not describe Rostov as a very
charming or attractive town, but when
we came to drive througli Its streets
and to see what was there, we found It
far from commonplace or uninterest
ing. Its population is now about 100,
000, i lainly Russian, of course, but In
cluding a large representation of tha
business men of other nations. We re
mained there three days, and went
away with the wish that we could have
explored It more completely.
Just One Question. ,
Fiom Harper's Bazar, t
"Oh, dear Mr. Cocker," exclaimed Mr
Gazzam, "I am told you aio an expert In
dogs. I do love dogs so. I have the dour
cfA llttlo pug. Ills name Is Cuptd. The
sweetest llttlo thing, Just as fat asthe can
be. Now, Mr. Cocker. J want to ask you
Just one question, You will tell me. I
know."
"Certainly, Mrs. Gazzam,"
"Is an ocean greyhound anything like a
water spaniel?"
"5esssssss-',ss.
0?SS5!;52552K "
Yerc, Jtaiton, ruiadelphlfc
h