Chita, Sept. 20.
On my way to Chita I asked casually several persons in different walks of life the approximate number of civilians who had evacuated the town. The amount in no instance exceeded 5,000, which was hard for me to believe seeing I had watched several eastbound trains arriving at Herbin overflowing with Transbaikalia residents and viewed trainloads of refugees living in boxcars at Manchuli and all the stations west of there until Oloviannaya was reached. On reaching Chita it became apparent to me that the majority of the well-to-do and commercial community had departed. The majority of the best shops and stores are still closed, and the streets have an air of desertion. It is the same thing with the restaurants, the cafes and the hotels, the proprietors of which are anxiously awaiting the return of the departed.
The Chita streets are as impossible as ever, for they are of sand which one literally has to wade through. Droskies are still on ply for hire, but fares are few and far between, the minimum charge being a five rouble gold piece. The majority of the retail business houses along Alexandrovka—the principal street—are now second-hend shops and Boot stores. In the bargains in works-of-art ad. rer mer one is able to pick up real men's finery, their former owners having disposed of them for a song in order to get the necessary cash to flee away. When one has trad. ged for a few hours the Chita Streets one quite comprehends the relies i@ number of shoe necessity of th only place where ther,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.