RUSSIANS IN
DESPAIR LOOK
TO AMERICA
tA correspondent of the Associated
Press was sent from Vladivostok to
Omsk. Russia, a 3.000-mile journey,
on a British military train in the
middle of the Siberian winter, to
“cover” tin' situation of the All Rtts
sian government and its anti-Bolshe
vik army with headquarters at Omsk.
The correspondent arrived there in
January, and lias forwarded by cable
several stories throwing light on Bus
sian affairs, and ineluding an inter
view with Admiral Kolchek, head ot
the All-Russian government, in which
the admiral invited the co-operation
of detachments of American French
and British troops in military opera
tions east of the Ural mountains Fob
lowing is one of the letters he wrote
while on his Trans-Siberian journey,
giving a picture of the scenes he wit
nessed in Manehuli).
KN ROUTE TO OMSK Aboard Brit
ish Military Train, Jan. 1 (Corre
spondence of the Associated Press).
Manehuli, or Manchuria, on the bor
der of mysterious Mongolia, Manchu
ria and Siberia, recalls today a typ
ical American Western mining town
in the early days, when lawlessness
reigned. Its broad, unpaved streets
are bordered by an extraordinary col
lection of stores and shanties. Thick
fur-coated Manchurian ponies drag
ging droskies tear through the princi
pal thoroughfares, followed slowly by
stately dromedaries, forming caravans
from the great desert of Mongolia.
Men of a score of nationalities push
their way along the sidewalks. Swar
thy men from the far interior, with
great leather coats and jaunty l'ur
hats, trimmed with blue silk and
crowned by a flaring red tassel, stood
in the railroad station staving haugh
tily at the motley assemblage about
them, composed of emaciated, despair
ing Russian refugees, bearded Rus
sians who wore enormous felt boots
to keep out the cold; Mancha fakers
selling matches and cigarettes;
wounded and frost-bitten Czecho slo
vak soldiers returning from the front;
Japanese troops, of whom there is a
large contingent stationed in the city;
nimble Chinese infantrymen in smart
uniforms of blue; Armenians, Turks,
Arabs, and rich Chinese merchants,
sleek and smiling in black fur over
coats and sealskin hats.
Lawlessness Reigns
Manehuli moves in fear. Outlaw
bands have raided the town in the
past, carrying off food and sometimes
people. They still come in the dead
of I he night, and hold is he who goes
out in the darkness unarmed. A slit
throiit and a body lying stiff in the
icy street tells its own story.
All along the way we had heard
of the fine fur mittens to be pur
chased at Manehuli, for fur-lined
gloves offer no resistance to the cold
of Siberia. The fur-coated animals of
Siberia went for a song before the
war, but now there are none in the
market. Defective transportation, the
chaos reigning in the life of Siberia
today, and the cornering of the avail
able supply by speculators account foi
the shortage. At all events there were
...
no fur mittens in Manchuli, and no
fur of any kind. A fur coat in Russia
is almost worth its weight in silver.
It was a strange collection of goods
that the Associated Press correspon
dent found in Manchuli’s stores. Of
women there are few. apart from the
migrating refugees, yet women’s dress
goods in pieces filled the shelves In
the majority of the shops. One great,
shop sold nothing but doubtful looking
soap and fashionable broad-rimmed,
brightly garnished women’s hats,
which might have come from some
chic modiste on Fifth avenue. New
York, or the Rue de la Paix, at Paris.
Another store was stocked with
canned goods and French wines, in
cluding champagne, the latter selling
at 1 id* rubles a bottle.
The Oespairino People
Rut there was tie cheer in Manchuli.
The most stolid Russian or most
haughty Mongol was appalled at the
I picture of suffering presented bv the
| band of refugees from Western Si
berin who were huddled in the wait
ling rooms of the station Reference
j was made In cable to the arrival of
| these miserable people For two days
they slept there, sprawling on the cold
door or their wretched titters of bag
gage. composed of boxes, paper bun
dles. shawls and cooking utensils
all they had saved from their homes.
Women, young and old, crouched
upon the stone floor, their heads hur
ried in the laps of their sleeping hus
bands. For a time sleep had merci
fully dulled their misery. Others,
stolid, but with an unforgettable look
of bewildered despair, sat upon their
belongings staring vacantly before
them. Others munched with avidity
at bread and dried tish. The air in
the place was horrible and overpower
ing.
Two old men, weak and trembling
from sickness and privation, strung
their miscellaneous baggage about
their necks with stout rope. They
staggered outside to escape the foul
ness and get a breath of fresh air.
The effort was too much for them.
Struck by an icy gust of wind, they
sank groaning and fainting on the ice.
It was a dreadful sight to witness,
and to the eyes of the travelers who
came across it there came a moisture
of which they were not ashamed.
There are in Russia today many,
very many similar cases of which the
above is a picture. These poor peo
ple. living peacefully in the heart of
immense Russia, are the innocent vic
tims of the great war. Russia today
is prostrate and helpless, and in this
hour of woe turns to the peoplel of
the United States for compassion,
guidance and help.
-*
TRAVEL IS SLOW IN
TURKEY AND BULGARIA
ADRIANOPLE, via London, Feb. 5
(Correspondence of the Associated
Press).—Railway travel in this sec
tion of Europe nowadays is calculated
either to develop or shatter one’s
patience. A trip from Saloniki to
Constantinople, which in peace time
required less than fifteen hours, now
takes a week or more. The corre
spondent of the Associated Press
spent five days journeying from Scr
res in Greece to Adrianople—a dist
ance which a fast American train
would cover in less than ten hours.
The correspondent traveled in a
stoveless box car with Bulgarian sol
diers, who outdid themselves to make
him comfortable.
The British army has taken over
I Ik- operat ion of main railways in Bul
gsrlu and Turkey, and while the
wrelched condition of the German
locomotives which have fallen into
their hands makes travel extremely
slow, llie service is unusually effici
i-nt The traveler is always certain
of reaching his destination, however
long il may take.
II Is llils administrative efficiency
dm Hie part of the English that has
made it. possible for American Red
Cross lo transport hundreds of tons
of supplies to points from Haloniki to
Adrianople in Turkey to meet the
urgent needs of Greek and Serbian
refugees who are pouring hack from
Bulgaria and Turkey in ever increas
ing numbers.
Not only have the British authori
ties expedited these relief supplies in
every possible way but they have at
several points turned over to the
American Red Cross large quantities
:>!' Hour and other valuable foodstuffs.
II is no exaggeration to say if it were
not for this and other help on the part
of the British, the condition of return
ing refugees would be hopeless.
-«
Advertise in the Daily Times.
MEET ME AT
THE
‘HORSESHOE’
POPULAR RECREA
TION PLACE
Where we can always find »ur
frlenda
Finest Billiard and Pool Ta*
blea In Alaaka
BEST GRADES Of? STAND
ARD BRAND8 OF CIGARS
FOR SALE
• *Js *
FOR SALE:
Choice business and resi
dence property.
FOR RENT
Furnished and unfurnished
apartments and cottages.
INSURANCE
Fire and marine, life and ac
cident.
BONDS
Fidelity and surety.
CORDOVA ABSTRACT and
REALTY COMPANY
ROOM 1, ADAMS BUILDING.
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1 I
Mr. Business
Man
v! 2*>
By the recent addition of many new |
type faces and other equipment we have
made of our JOB DEPARTMENT one
of the finest in Alaska. We are now in 1
X;
| a position to handle your orders with |
even more neatness and dispatch than
before. How about that order for sta
tionery you were wanting right away? I
I 1
Just step to the phone and call us—
we will do the rest.
Prices? Well—, you will find them |
always RIGHT.
Cordova Daily
Times
:£
I
There’s a Reason Why
People Go to the
FRISCO CAFE
DAD’S THERE!
FOR.SALE
New Boat Hulls
Fish and Clam Power Boat
Hulls tiow ready at shop on Seo.
ond street, next to jail building.
E. D. LACY
THE CITY BAKERY
WE ARE SPECIALISTS IN FINE CAKES AND PASTRY
FOR
Parties and Receptions
Maker* of the Famous "Cream Loaf’ Bread
Sun "Maid” Raisin Bread—A Treat Indeed
Rye Bread Graham Bread
LUNCH ROOM—WHERE YOU GET THOSE EXCELLENT
LUNCHES
Good Printing
A Specialty at The Dailv Times Office
p .............— —.-... t
MINING MACHINERY MARINE HARDWARE CANNERY SUPPLIES |
|-MARINE ENGINES-[
1 IN CORDOVA STOCK I
I NEW PACIFIC NEW CLAY ANDERSON MILLER |
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NOTICE.—We are making new additions to our Machine Shop in Cordova, which before April the first will be complete, and comprise the fol- |
lowing new equipment: One 18-inch Monarch Lathe, 16-foot bed; one 13-inch South Bend Gap Bed Lathe; one Wilmarth & Morman Universal h
Grinding Machine; a Vulcan 60-ton Hydraulic Press; one Buffalo Boiler Plate Slitting Shear; a Buffalo 4-inch Furnace; one Oster Pipe and Bolt- L
Threading Machine; a Becker-Brainard Milling Machine, 20x80-inch table; one Baker Key Seater; two Buffalo Upright - Geared Dn lms and L
Reaming Machines; a Universal Wood-Working Machine, and many other electric and universal hand machines, including an Ox-Weld Acety- p
lene Welder and Detroit Electric Hardening Furnace.
HARMON MACHINERY COMPANY
CORDOVA. ALASKA
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