AWAKENING, 8
What Russia is Doing to Develop g
Her Vast Asiatic Possession. g
CHARACTERISTIC SCENES IN TOWN AND COUNTR'/. ||
EMARKABLEas the
(jv statement may
seem, ever since the
day when the first
section of the Sibe
rian railway was
nbinsk to Kurgan, immigration has
been flowing into the country in a
constantly increasing stream. Now
that the great rivers and steppes are
crossed by through trains all the way
from Moscow to Irkutsk, the move
mont is oven more rapid, and already
the vast areas of Siberia are less lone--
A SIBERIAN FARMER'S FAMILY AND HOME.
some than they were a few years ago,
writes Trumbull White, in the Chi
cago Record. The Russian peasant
is displaying the same sort of restless
ness that induced the settlement of
our own Western States and Terri
tories from the more thickly populat
ed regions of the East. Indeed, the
Russian peasant always has shown a
willingness to support the "expan
sion" policy of his Government by
moving on into the newly annexed
lauds and subduing them to his own
civilization and manner of develop
ment, crude though that might be. It
is time to dismiss the idea that the
Russian peasant is altogether a clod.
He has shared too well the labors of
the Russian advance across Asia.
An observant English traveler writ
ing recently of his journey in these
lands has complimented the Siberian
and the American in the same breath
at the same time that he has phrased
HOUSE WHERE IIOT WATER IS FURNISHED
TRAVELERS ON SIBERIAN RAILWAY.
an important observation. "If we ex
clude the more recent peasant immi
grants," he says,"the original Rus
sian population of Siberia may be said
to comprise the following three
classes: The Cossacks, who first con
quered the country; exiles, political
and criminal; dissenters from the
Greek church, who were either ban
ished to Siberia or went there of their
own accord. That is to say, the orig
inal Russian population of Siberia
consists of men and women who were
in some way intellectually or physi
cally more active or more earnest than
their fellow country men and women
who remained in European Russia.
The result is that to-day the average
Siberian is a more vigorous and intel
ligent man than the average Russian.
He picks up a thing more quickly;
his life is richer, brighter."
Tho Siberian born citizens of the
country do not fail torealize these dif
ferences. Already.'l have learned that
they want to be called Siberians rath
er than Russians, and to them tho
latter name seems no moro correct
than to call the descendants of Eng
lish colonists in the United States
A BUSINESS STREET IN OMSK, BIBEBIA. SHOWING THE TOWEK OF THE FIIiK
DEPARTMENT.
Englishmen instead of Americans.
Already evidences have appeared that
•'Siberia for the Siberians" is not an
unknown sentiment.
Provision for the sustenance of t"*o
immigrants on their railway journey
through Siberia is simple bat ade
quate. Most of the bring
with them as much food as possible
of the sort they relish, in order to
avoid the necessity of buying on the
way. Ponderous loaves of black
bread, slabs of died fish and a supply
of tea are the chief essentials in this
commissary department. Each fam
ily carries a teapot in addition to cups
and simple dishes, and the individual
traveler must do likewise if he wishes
to be sure of comfort. As every one
knows, tea is the staple article among
the Russians and is consumed in
great quantities. The Government
provides lor the necessity in excellent
fashion. At every station of the first
class,which means about every seven
ty-five or eighty miles, there is erected
at one end of the platform a little
house of logs, which is arranged
solely for the convenience of the
people who want water. A big tank,
holding two or three barrels of water,
is arranged with a charcoal furnace to
keep its contents at the boiling point.
In another corner of the house is a
tank of cold water. Each of these is
fitted with several faucets so that the
y/r
.
HORSES TRAMPING OUT THE GRAIN ON* A SIBERIAN FARM.
passengers may serve themselves
rapidly when they come. Near this
house is an open shed facing tbe track,
which shelters a rough counter and
some shelves. This is at the service
of the peasant women of the village,'
who bring all sorts of eatables to this
primitive buffet at train time.
When the train arrives there is a
hasty exodus from tho cars. One rep
resentative of each family or traveling
* ' . . "V* —*
BULLOCK SKINS FILLED WITH WISE IN
FRONT OF A SHOP.
party hurries to the houso where the
hot wafer is waiting and draws from
tbe tank into his teapot as muoh as he
likes of the essential liquid. Others
rush to the buffet shed, to And bread,
fish, meat, cakes, hot soup, berries,
kvass and kumyss, all of which aro
sold at astonishing low prices. Then
they return to the train to prepare
their meals and at their leisure eat
and drink.
Emigrants from provinces not tribu
tary to the Volga Biver are tarried on
special trains or in emigrant cars at
tached to tho slower regular train*, at
rates but little higher than those oi
the steamers and very much less than
the regular third-class rates. For
1000 vorsts, for instance, the third
class fare is eight rubles and forty
MOSQUE OP THE TARTARS AT OMSK, SI
BERIA.
kopecks, or approximately $1.35, for
G65 miles. The emigrant rate for the
same distance is only three rubles, or
about $1.55. It goes without saying
that the accommodations provided at
this rate are not luxurious, but they
are quite as good as could be expected
for the price, far more comfortable
than the former method of travel into
Siberia by long and trying marches
and probably in most instances rela
tively better than the homes the peo
ple have had.
The cars themselves in which the
emigrants travel to the land of their
hopes are the ordinary fourth-class
cars of the sort one sees all over Rus
sia, inscribed after the invariable
fashion, "for eight horses or forty
men." They are what we call box cars
in the United States, painted the fa
miliar red, with sliding doors opening
in either side.
The most characteristic feature of
Siberian farm life is that the farmers
live not scattered all over the country,
remote from neighbors,but in villages
as near as possible to the land they
are cultivating. Each village, then,
is a cluster of houses, iu which live
not villagers in the usual sense, as
townspeople in a small settlement,
but the farmers of the region round
about.
Life in these villages of Siberia is
rude enough, with none of the quali
ties we consider necessary to comfort.
The lands are fertile, yielding ample
crops of grain even with the crude
methods of cultivation in effect. The
plowing is shallow because the plows
are poor. There is little cultivation
after planting. The grain is harvested
with hand sickles and scythes. It is
thrashed by horses iu the open field,
the grain trampled out of the straw
by three or four Siberiau ponies trot
ting around in a small circle. It is
winnowed by hand and ground in j
windmills. With all the crudity of
the processes, tbe yield of wheat, for
instauce, is from twenty to thirty fold,
and as high as twenty-five and even
thirty bushels to the acre.
Some of the landed proprietors have
begun to introduce modern methods
of viniculture, but the peasants are
slow to adopt tbem. The grapes are
robbed of their juices in the simplest
of presses, and tho wine is still carted
f and stored in bullock hides. A wine
cellar is a strange sight, with its rowe
of distorted skins, bulging with the
liqnors.
The barbaric style of architecture
such as tbe Tartars were fond of is
frequently seen in the larger Siberian
towns. Omsk has many mosques o)
this kind. One of the accompanying
large pictures shows a business street
in Omsk.
An Odd Tree From Madagascar.
From Vick's Magazine wo get this
picture of the travelers'-tree, an odd
looking growth indigenous in Mada
gascar. Botauically it is known as
the Bavenala Madagarcarenis, but its
popular name has been given it from
the belief that water from raia and dew
collects in its leaf stems in sufficient
quantity to quench a traveler's thirst.
The water does collect as stated, but
as the plant grows beside water
courses it can hardly be of special
benefit to the traveler, who could
slack his thirst much easier at the
adjacent stream.
As the Sliertfl Would ltan It.
"Nest week we will begin running
j this paper, as Captain Kidd would
have run'it. Delinquent subscriber?
may expect a call from ns with their
accounts stuok in the muzzle of a six
shooter. Otherwise this paper will be
running as the Sheriff would run it"
—Bowersville Clarion.
Drawbacks of Refinement#
Between dyspepsia and tablo man*
ners, there is no fun in eating any
mora.—Detroit Journal.
PEARLS OF THOUCHT.
Nothing helps a man sometimes so
much as a hindrance.
Habitual idleness in the rich is no
more justifiable than habitual idleness
in a tramp.
Every one is blind and knows noth
ing except how to depreciate the excel
lencies of others.
What we like determines what we
are, and to teach taste is inevitably
to lorm character.
How careful should the great be to
regulate their conduct, when they see
how ready the world is to follow their
example.
Calamities that seem insupportable
when looked at from a distance, lose
half their power if met aud resisted
with fortitude.
The only leisure valuable to society
is that which affords a man or woman
opportunity to freely choose his or her
line of usefulness.
Just because waiting is so hard,
waiting is the one duty of the hour to
be endured bravely and in hope, when
there is nothing to do but to wait
One of the surest evidences ol
friendship that an individual can dis
play to another is telling him gently
of a fault. If any other can excel it,
it is listening to such a communication
with gratitude aud amending the error.
The law of Nature is that a certain
quautity of work is necessary to pro
duce a certain quantity of good of any
kind whatever. If you want knowl
edge, you must toil lor it; if food,you
must toil for it; aud if i leasure, you
must toil for it.
All fine natures are generou®. None
are so poor that they have not some
thing to give; if not money flowers;
if not flowers kind words or crumbs
to the birds, or at least generous
thonghts, which may sometimes be the
uost difficult gift oi all.
A FINE RISK
4 Practical Joke That Made the Innur
an« a e A cent Mwd.
"I wish that people wouldn't try to
De so funny with me!" snapped the
ife insurance agent. "Life is a sen
ilis business. That is why I spend
jo mu h of my time trying to impress
ipou people that some of my unex
celled li e insurance is necessary for
Iheir happiness. Here I have lost a
whole day and been put to consider
able expeuse when I might have used
both to better advantage, and all be
cause people look upon me as a fit
sub.ect for their practical jokes.
"The other day I chanced to step
into a hotel to s. o what was going on,
and while there I struck up an ac
quaintance with a man who lookod to
be about t,O years of age. It wasn't
long before I discovered that he
carried uo insurance,aud as he looked
like a splendid lisle 1 lost no time iu
telling him ail about the celebrated
insurance that I handle, lie looked
a little bored bef ro I was half
through, but I didn't let that I other
me, as I had him in a corner wheie
ho couldn't escape. Finally through
an o\er-iight on my part he managed
to get in a word.
" '.See here,' said he, 'I have the
heart dhea«e and couldn't get my life
insured if I wanted to. But I have'a
son who is as sound as a dollar. Why
uot talk to him?'
" 'Wheie is lie?' said I.
" 'He is out at my house about 30
miles from here. It will he worth
your time to see him.'
" 'l'll see him at once. I nuswered.
"Well, I got the address and took
the first train out there. 1 found the
house all right and lang the bell. A
woman answered and 1 asked if M-.
Blank's son was at home.
" 'He is,' she answered, looking at
me rather queerly.
" 'May 1 see him?' I asked.
" 'l'ou may,' she auswored, and led
the way inside. She disappeared for
a moment aud then reappeared upon
the scene with a ii-months-old baby in
her arms and 1 collapsed."
How Foreign Annie* March to War.
In Russia the number of steps to
the minute covered by soldiers on the
march is from 112 to 116; in Germany
it is 114, in Austria 115,in Frauce and
Italy 120, with the exception of the
Chasseur a-pied and the Bersaglieri,
who make respectively 130 and 140
steps. Tho length of the step in
Russia is 28 inches, in Germany 31 1-2
inches, and in France, Italy aud
Austria '29 1-2 inches, while the
Italian Eersaglieri use a step of 34
inches. The Russian soldier, under
these conditions, covers a distance of
2til feet to 270 feet per minute, the
Austrian 282 feet, the French aud
Italian 294 feet, aud the German 299
feet, the latter occupying the mean
between the Russian and the special
Italian corps, which lias the most
rapid march. The British army slow
march consists of 75 30-iuch paces to
the minute, t'lis measure beiug only
nsed ou parade, and for solemn occa
sions. The quick march, in which all
evolutions are performed, increases to
110 paces, while the double rises to
150 pa-es iu the minute.
A Plague of Cuttleflftli.
The Australian papers give accounts
of an unprecedented plague of cuttle
fish that has been ravaging the fish
eries aud for a time entirely upsetting
the fishing industry of North Austra
lian waters. It is suid that the crea
tines are swarming iu such numbers
that hundre Is are brought up in a sin
gle haul of the nets. As the haul is
drawn up they cling with thtir tenta
cles to the under side of the boat and
have to he disengaged with axes, so
that large quantities of tackle have
been destroyed and many boats in
jured. They average from 15 pounds
downwards in weight, and their ap
pearance in such huge numbers has
Leen as sudden as it has proved uu
ploasaut.—Westminster Gazette.
PORTABLE SCHOOL HOUSE.
How the Kdacmllonal Ueinudi Are Bio'
In St. Louli.
St. Louis is congratulating itseli >
just now upon haying successfully
solved a difficult problem, and upon
the carrying out of a unique apd inter
esting idea. In fact, she has wrought
out a new version of the old story o!
Mahomet and the mountain and a now
application. Liko the mountain, il
has been found necessary that wheD
scholars will not come to the school,
the school must, of a necessity, go tc
the scholars. This, on the face of
it, might seem a matter of extreme
difficulty. As it is, however, the
problem has been solved.
St. Louisjjhas found much difficulty
in providing room for all its school
children. Itented rooms were experi
mented with in many parts of the
city with more or less success, but the
general result would hardly be called
a satisfactory oue. In districts where
;he population was scattered the plan
seemed scarcely applicable. After
much consideration and many experi
ments, it was suggested that a school
house or schoolhouses of such a nature
chat they could be readily moved from
PORTABLE SCHOOLHOUSE, ST. LOCIS, MO.
place to place, set up wherever re
quired, and when no longer needed,
■;aken down and removed to some
Dther field of action, would fill the
bill. Therefore, a consultation of
'oeal carpenters was called and a
school building, such as desired, was
the result.
These buildings have been con
structed in such a manner that when
uo longer required at one site they
3an quickly be takeu apart and, if
ueed be, moved to another. They are
twenty-four by thirty-six feet, inside
measurement. The fioors are con
structed in eight sections, the sides iu
six sections, the ends in four sections
and the roof in sixteen sections. Each
section is strongly put together on
r rames, aud these are bolted iu such a
manner an to make a porfectlv tight
and secure room. The joints between
the sections are covered both inside
and out by movable pieces, which are
held iu place by screws. The heating
ind ventilating are furnished by an
indirect furnace with double casing.
The fresh air is taken directly from
the outside, and the supply cannot, iu
any manner, be cut off or reduced be
yond a proper limit.
For Healthful Sleep.
Every oue knows that it is bad to
sleep on your back, but it is even
worse if the bed is such that your
stomach is as high as your head and
your feet are lower than both, as must
be the case ou too heavily wadded
mattresses. Ou the other hand, if
the spring is too yielding you will find
that the heavy parts of the body make
yon lie in a kind of hollow whether
112 you sleep on your back or on your
side. It is most unhealthful to have
the feet so high as they are in this
kind of bed, when you sleep on your
\—" " WROnC, POi.liOri
wnortc Roijfort _ I
| Riv.nl POJiTlOfl I
DIAGRAM SHOWING RIGHT AND WRONG
POSITIONS.
back, and if you try to sleep on your
side the spiue is curved most uncom
fortably and unhealthful.
What then is to be done about it?
The spring of the bed must either be
made in several pieces, or bo made up
of spiral springs, so that all parts are
independent of one another, and the
springs at the center are stronger than
those at the head aud foot, because
they have more weight to support. In
this way it becomes possible for the
tired man or woman to obtain the
greatest possible amount of benefit
from the hours devoted to sleep. If
they will use a moderately hard mat
tress, of cotton or hair, never of feath
ers, aud not too high a pillow, seeing
that when they are in bed the body is
not all curled up in a knot by thepooi
springs and that the feet and back are
in almost a straight lino, the repose
gained while lying either ou the right
or left side will prove refreshing aud
healthful.
Boy Non-I*limed the Conjurer.
At a country fair a conjurer was
performing the old trick of producing
eggs from a hat. when ho remarked to
a little boy: "Your mother can't get
eggs without hens, can she?" "01
course she can!" replied the lad.
"Why, how is that?" asked the con
jurer. "She keeps ducks," replied
the boy, amidroais of laughter.—Tit
Bits.
Value of the Victoria Crosp.
The Victoria Cross, the intrinsic
value of which is one penny and one
farthing, or two aud a half cents, can
not be accepted as a pledge by a
pawnbroker anywhere in Great Britain
under penalty of a heavy fine. The
cross is made from cannon captured
from the enemy, and weighs just
three and a half grains less than one
ounce.
HINTS FOR HOUSEWIVES.
('»»»» for Hlilrtwalntii.
BesiJe nil the many fashioned cases
that are now used in traveling, fot
haudkerchiel'a, gloves veils, shoes,
sponges, brushes and nightdresses,
respectively, cases are now made es
pecially for shirtwaists. T'jey are
usually made of pome wasll material
of heavy texture, and fashioned much
the same as the large nightgown case.
The edges are bound with colored
braid, and the initials of the owuei
embroiderod on the Hap with wash
cotton.
Drinking Hot Water,
A prominent medical journal says
that there are four classes of person*
who should not drink hot wuter free
ly. They are: (1) People who have
irritability of the heart. Hot water
will cause palpitation of the heart i:i
such case?. (2) Persons afflicted with
sour stomach. ( J .) Persons with di
lated stomuchs. (4) Persons who have
soreness of the stomach, or pain in
duced by light pressure. These rules
are not for those who take hot water
simjily to relieve thirst better than
cold water, and for that purpose is not
to Le condemned. But hot water is
an oxcitant, and in cases in which irri
tation of the sto.nach exists should b«
avoided.
To Dflitroy the Itect Ant*.
The pestiforoiis little red ants will
appear in the pantries and finally aL
over tho house if steps are not takes
to get rid oi them. One way to gei
them out of the pantry is to sprinkle
the shelves with oil of pennyroyal.
Another way, which is about as effect
ive and a bit more cleanly, is to satu
rate lumps of loaf sugar with spirits
of turpentine and place them about
the shelves and particularly at the
place where the ants come in. If you
wish to make sure that the ants will
not get to the plate of cake or the
pies that you are saving for more im
portant visitors, surround the plates
of cuke or pie with little ridges ol
common salt. Ants will not cross
such an obstruction. Red ants hav»
a specinl distaste for sulphur, so till
little bags with it and scatter them
about the cupboard and they wil
drive the ants away.
Soft Wood Moor*.
It is not possible to finish a floor m
soft pine or any similar wood success
lully in the same way a hardwood
floor is finished. Such a floor must
i lirst l)e well painted. Do not, how
ever, paiut such a floor with white
lead. This paint is considered tin-
I wholesome to use on the floor, where
there is constant wear and whero min
ute particles of the paint may reach
the atmosphere and be breathed intc
the lungs. White lead renders wood
soft and does not wear well. Ochre
is especially desirable. It is cheap
and durable. Zinc paint is also used.
A good, smooth soft wood floor may
be stained a dark rich brown by the
use of a pound of ashphaltum mixed
with half a pound of beeswax. II
the paiut is too light use more ash
phaltum. Apply this paint with a
large floor brush or a sponge. When
this is dry put on a thin coat of shel
lac, sandpaper the floor lightly and
varnish it with a good varnish. An
exchauge gives the followiug floor var
nish: Purchase two pounds of pure
white borate of mangauese which is
finely powdered. Add it little by
little to a saucepan containing ten
pounds of linseed oil, which should
be well stirred and raised to the tein
peratrtre of 3f>o degrees Fahrenheit
Heat 100 pounds of linseed oil until
ebullition takes place, then add the
first liquid. Increase the heat until
the mixture boils, and allow it to bi il
for 20 minutes. Strain the varnish
through a thin cotton cloth, audit is
ready to use. Apply two coats*f ttiis
varnish, and if you wish a high polish
add one of shellac.
Keel pes.
Snowball Pudding—Beat the yolks
jf three eggs until light; theu beat in
gradually two cupfuls of sugar, add
three tablespoonfuls of water, two ta
jlespoonfuls of lemon juice, the giated
rind of one lemon, one scant cupful oI
flour, one and one-half teaspoonfuls
af baking powder and the beaten
whites of the eggs. Pour into but
tered cups and steam for half an
hour.
Scotch Wafers—Mix one-fourth cup
af rolled oats, one-fourth cup of flour,
ane tablespoonful of sugar and one
conrth teaspoonful of suit. With the
tips of the fingers work ill two table
spoonfuls of butter, add hot water to
form a stiff dough, toss on a floured
board, knead slightly and roll into a
thin sheet. Shape with a small cutter
and bake on buttered sheets in a mod
erate oven.
St. Pan eras Eggs Separate the
yolks from the whites of live eggs;
keep each yolk separate; whip the
whites to a stiff froth, adding a salt
spoonful of suit; butter five small
sups, put the whites into them and
carefully drop the yolk into the centre
of each; dust wi h salt and pepper:
place the cups in a shallow pan of liot
water, putin the oven and cook five
minutes, or till the whites are set.
Serve in cups.
Batter Bread- Heaping cup corn
meal soaked over night in boiling wa
ter, just, enough to thoroughly wet
the uieal. Next morning add one ta
blespoonful sugar, one-fourth tea
spoouful salt, three eggs beaten light
ly, one teaspoonful baking powder;
add milk until the batter is a little
thinner than for pound cake. Just
before pouring into pan beat in quick
ly two tablespoonfuls melted butter.
Bake in quick oveu half nn hour.
No I.»ne on Tlieni.
Jlusband Wha' kind of people are
our new neighbois?
V ife—l don't know. They hang
| their wash up in the attw--