Show c t X is an Imp import important important 01 tant link between two tiro great continents continents con con- n a point of contrast between between between be be- tween Asiatic wealth and European European Euro Euro- perm industry and where once a year ear these two meet at the great fair hel held there for fu- their respective products products- ft a fair fall which for novel no and historic interest has perhaps no counterpart in the world Long before belore Columbus discovered ered America Russia was holding holding hold hold- ing her great market at rod for tor history tells us that the first fair was held there In 1366 Since that time each year ear men and women havo gathered from all parts of ot Europe Europe Europe Eu Eu- EuI I rope und and Asia to offer their wares at I this beautiful and semi-oriental semi place I To understand just why this spot should hould be so ISO favored as a worlds world's market market mar- mar I ket fket one need only study its remarkable remarkable remarkable remark remark- able location at the confluence of ot the Oka and Volga rivers the rivers the two to great I j II waterways of at Russia the latter of which has a course of or twenty three i I hundred and twenty miles and the I 1 j I former eight hundred and fifty miles I j Tho The market place is In tho the ver very center center cen cen- I cen-I I ter of that water communication which i joins the tho Caspian and the Black Seas to Ito tho the White Sea and the Baltic rig riB is also the terminus of the railway front from Moscow and this railway brings the market in communication with all nil the lines of Russia and the Western Vestern world while the and its Volga tributary tribu- tribu tary tho the Kama leads to Perm and the pass of ot tho the Ural Mountains l and the vast region of at Asia Tho The city proper has about fUt fifty thousand In Inhabitants Inhabitants inhabitants In- In habitants and is most picturesquely located locate The main part Is on a high I bluff blutt overlooking the river with a i ridge of ot streets along tho the river banks I and houses stuck here and there like swallows swallows' nests a against the tho hill There is a n. kremlin midway between the tho river and nd the tho top of Ot tho the bluff a citadel with battlemented walls and mediaeval val towers and a score of ot Byzantine churches whoso whose gold Jold cupolas stand stan in Jn n exquisite outlines against the tho clear I I cloudless sky On tho the slopes and in the wooded ravines aro gardens with c coffee ce houses and cafes cates where popular I entertainments are arc given and thousands thou thou- sands Lands gather to enjoy themselves and forget the business cares of ot th the da day lino Tho view from tho the walls of at the Kremlin Krem Krem- Un lin to tho the American is a n happy blend blend- blendIng blendIng blending Ing of ot tho the curious with the tho magnificent cent for tor the e eye feasts upon miles upon miles of oC beautiful plains which Crotch like a boundless ocean of or t rear green t to td the far distant horizon fort fori for- for cst t and d fl fold Id dotted here and there there 2 with i the f clustered domes of ot the Rus nus- 4 lan sian churches The two broad rivers tribute to from om the wild regions fJ of i the tho North lh w nd South Routh covered i are wH with ii little steamers and und numberless qu Queer er looking leakInG boats boas and lighters while ice the Je lar far far-a. a perfect maze of ot streets streets- Spreads out at your our foot feet Just beyond the io grout great pontoon bridge g e. e The Tho n to towns towns- f people eOPle T themselves havo have little to do with tiro great market except to assist In feeding tho the overflow y crowds who f come me to buy and sell Tho fair co COV covers vera eight miles s and 1st is s t a town in itself aa rs it has its own hotels end ind sad and lOdging houses houst s theatres eating rambling ng house its Hs own bridge It i 1 r X I I I I I II j i I I I 1 j I I j i AS 1 V CV 7 A Gh Fv bp R w i i li i iS i'S 4 y the L lP e In S the World yr A 7 Vir's r. r K Q L r J w fk nY x ti IJ L Jm J e pr LO d y r f r y ft Y h U SJ n nI rZ t cJ fIlS Y i r y r y ya ti s t f iy pY J rr r Y D Pu n i f v z a Pile r u Wr t F Mf k kis ki's is i's I v A p.- p. wv aJ y r sic F s on ou r the T Tp p I i I I I I and even Its own church and chapels Tho The church chulch belonging to the fair is particularly beautiful and was built to mark the meeting place of at tho the two great rivers Its domes are heavily coated with gold old and may be seen for tor miles while the thc interior is ex exquisitely exquisitely ex- ex decorated Tho The ground occupIed occupied occupied oc oc- oc- oc by tho fair buildings is low and marshy marsh and the paving vile vUe for tor it consists of or hard sharp uneven flint stones which stick up through tho the dust or mud and make travel uncomfortable uncomfortable for tor man and beast Tho The odor from these mud holes is nauseating yet et the fair with Ith all its discomfort is worth traveling miles to see for there is nothing like lIko It on earth The Tho business business business busi busi- ness Is conducted on Eastern pIes ples There is 18 no fixed price price every every everything thing thin is worth what it will fetch A Tartar will ask ast twice as much as an article is worth and there Is a 0 sort of or fascination in bargaining with him I even e though In tho the end you ou pay him himfar himfar far tar far more marc than the article is worth The Tho women ven vendors ors are arc even worse They havo havu n a dozen different prices for each cach article especially tho the Hussian Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian laco lace mado made by JW tho the girls from the Ural Mountain districts Everywhere E one hears the tho click cHek of the abacus abacus- wooden beads on wires the instrument Instrument instrument 1 ment used in counting money in the I Orient The cheaper goods are aro in the main bazar and the poorly lighted buildings buildings build build- In ings s are aro filled fined with merchandise of ot every description German description German to toys cotton cotton cot cot- ton goods of at every ery variety umbrellas carpets tawdry Turkish silks Bilks Persian Jewelry Rn and the famous shawls which are aro so soft they wool may bu bo drawn n through a lad ladys lady's brace brace- let Whole hole streets are devoted to samovars the samovars the curious looking charcoal charcoal charcoal char char- coal water heaters so common in ht Russian homes and used for lor J keeping tho the water heated for tor tea Samovar 1 which literally means menns self boiler Isa is isa isa a vessel made of ot brass lined with tin with a tube in the tho center In fact tact it resembles bles tho the English urn except that red hot cinders are placed in tho ho center center center cen cen- ter tube tubo Instead of or the iron heater The charcoal or braise has to be lighted light light- ed In u a back kitchen or court courtyard ar i for tor if it lighted in a room tho the carbonic I acid proceeding from tram It would be dangerous dan dan- It has no advantage ad over or tho the English urn except that it can be be easily heated In the tho open air As there Is a samovar in every even Russian homo from hut but to palace these articles articles articles arti arti- cles are readily sol sold It is 19 the tho quantity quan- quan It more than the tho quality which al always always alwn al- al wn ways s 's astonishes the tho visitor to Russin Russia Russin Rus Rus- sin sia and this is especially true of at the big fair tall for tor although there are aro exposed ex exposed ex- ex posed for tor sale sao many fine One an and costly articles what one really marvels at atIs atis atis is the great varieties of at goods in enormous enormous enor enor- quantities spread out at a n hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred different points to attract the at attention attention nt- nt of the passerby You may walk walh for hours along yards and sheds filled with Siberian iron you ou pass Ims shop after shop filled with malachite nn and lapis and various kinds of ot gold and silver work precious stones from the Caucasus cut with exquisite exquisite- taste Russian boots bools and slippers filla fill 1111 filla a a square or more and a wh whole le street Is devoted e to the tho sale salo of ot the the the curious religious emblem to bo be found at evor every turn In tho the Land of ot tho the Bear Fruits Fruit are sold on tho the waterfront and hundreds of ot bags of raisins are piled I f jassa lW j te j l K- K V. J-V. T x Tf f A v CT- CT a it 4 t i Y vJ h as j s r jv Xi C i j a i W 1 the e I 7 2 r Forte p d. s J c- 7 2 me cY lee J I up along the wharves ready to bo ho sent to the far tar North b by the tho river rl boats boat There Is a Chinese Chinese row where beautiful beautiful beau beau- silks are arc displayed cd together with excellent specimens of ot carved ed ivory During recent years the Chinese trade has fallen tallen off oft but there thero is still enough of ot it loft left to add color and beauty to the fair Calr The greatest sight however Is the rho tho display of at furs tur for tor no country produces produces pro pro- duces such a wealth of ot furs as theLand the tho theLand thoLand Land of or the tho Bear Several Se acres are arc devoted to fur shops of ot every overy tion There Thore are hundreds of or bear hear bearskins skins ran ranging sing in size and beauty from tram the hu huge e polar and grizzlies to the tho soft boft shiny coats cants of ot tho cubs of the small black bear Leopard and tiger skins are arB plentiful and there are thousands of or lynx and wolf skins cart cartloads cartloads cartloads loads of ot tit tiny ermine and Russian squirrels and bale balo upon upon bale of ot sa sn- sn bles In ono one place ono one mil may actually walk for tor squares between piles of ot precious skins Persian lamb Jamb skins are aro plentiful too Tho The price of ot furs Is like o er everything else not else not fixed Good furs however can be purchased at about half halt the tho price paid In the United States but It Is unwise to purchase ma made up up e-up furs in Russia for tor wear in the tho United States as the they arc entirely too hen heavy henas as the they must bo Interlined several the winters in Russia being boing long IonS and se se- se vere To bu buy cure cured skins to advantage tage one must bo be a n good judge of ot the article besides being compelled to pay twenty per cent duty for tor the privilege privilege of ot bringing them to the tho United States Raw skins are admitted free but these will change chanse color and prove provo a disappointment The fur tur display at Is ono one long to be rem remembered em bare especially by the tho American Thousands Thousands Thou Thou- sands lands of dollars dollars' worth of at sables an and Persian lamb skins come como to tho the United United Unit Unit- ed ad States every ovon year being purchased American fur tur- b by German agents of ot Going from ono one part of ot the fair to tho the other tho the visitor wades through I mire or rides in a rattling drosky and getting from tram place pIneo to place is no cas easy y matter There are aro few new patterns at t and not a n. great show of ot Orl- Orl except in the wonderful carpets carpets carpets car car- pets and rugs sot ot out for tor Inspection in tho the floor covering section Occasionally Occasionally Occa Occa- there thero Is a dash of or tho the picturesque picturesque picturesque pic pic- when a couple of at Russian with their clanking swords and spurs spurn walk walle through the bazars Aside Asido from this the mn makeup up and dress of ot the vendors and buyers at are aro commonplace People come from all parts of at Russia and often otten purchase purchase pur- pur chase supplies to last for tor the tho entire year ear traveling b by tho the filthy Russian trains or by tho the slow naphtha-driven naphtha Volga boats The Tho fair too too is often tho the meeting place for tor families who see seo each other anI only once a n year ear while the tho market is in progress BI Big Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian merchants gather in the tho public squares and In tho cafes cate to discuss business and drink tea This tea by i the way Is the best in the world and comet comes by caravan from the city on the border between Asiatic Russia and tho the Celestial Empire It ItIs ItIs Is 13 taken from glass tumblers as the Russian rarely uses a cup for tor his tea From fifteen to twenty of at these glasses of ot tea are aro frequently consumed consumed consumed con con- by a Russian merchant at in a da day Milk Is not used as aa asIt asit it Js is claimed that milk spoils the flavor flavor flavor fla fla- fla- fla vor of ot the tho tea A little lemon or su sugar ar is used Although many of ot our American physicians claim that the tho excessive use of ot tea produces rheumatism rheumatism rheumatism rheu rheu- the tho Russians rarely suffer sutter from this ailment yet ret they consume moro more tea te than any other ther race The Russian merchants are the reaU really big men of ot the land and are seen at their best In X While the fair is at its Us height there is a continual noise a noise a perfect din of ot rattling drays dras and dros- dros kl kles kies S the bump of at a rickety street car which runs on an uneven une track and tho the loud yelling of ot tho the stevedores ste as ns they load up tho the river boats In the very heart of ot all aU this racket is the home of the Governor Governor- General who during the fair occupies rooms In the main bazar building Police Pollee aro plentiful and they are an kept busy DUSY watching for aggressive beggars and pickpockets and settling disputes between drivers Religious shrines are at every cry turn and it l keeps tho the people busy bowing and crossing themselves as well wen as aa dropping a few tew kopocs into the little box to be found wherever there is an Frequently Frequent Frequent- ly a driver who is swearing furiously at t another will pause vause before one of ot these reverently re cross himself and then begin swearing all over O again Good Russian cooking may bo be obtained at nt tho the Bazar restaurant Tho The famous cabbage soup with Its sour cream accompaniment is served every everyday everyday day a as well wen as a fish known as store l let t This fish is caught in the tho Volga VolS river and to be properly prepared must be alive when put in tho the cooIng cookIng cooking cook cook- Ing pot The bones are aro soft and the meat of ol tho the ft fish h delicious It Is regarded regarded re re- as a delicacy in Saint Petersburg Petersburg Petersburg Peters Peters- burg owing owInS' to tho the difficulty of at keeping keeping keep keep- ing InS it alive alho until it reaches the there and one fish will often orten bring eight dollars Smoking is not allowed except except ex ox- In private homes home an and in a tent erected on tho the fair grounds for tor this purpose Many of tho the buildings are wooden and tho the fear tear of at fire faro has hns been the cause causa of this wise Iso precaution Tho The f fair Ir opens the latter part of at July Juh but buter until the done er very business is middle of ot August The rush continues continues continues contin contin- ues ues for about three weeks and the fair closes close about tho the ml middle dle of ot Sop Sep After Atter tho the unsold goods Coos struck flags nag aro are stored up tents are are furled hotels are barred up the Governor General goes back to his residence in the tho upper town tho the pontoon pontoon pon pon- toon bridge across neross the river is removed re removed re- re moved and the place is left leCt to take caro care of at itself In early autumn tho the river rises and tho the fair ground is soon under water This Thia freezes b by the first of at November and great market marketplaces marketplaces places become a aast |