The Washington union., 1858-03-28
LIFE In SIBERIA.
lfrom A,kinson's Oriental and Western Siberia !
RUSSIAN cARD-rLAYIHG.


time in card playing. / acquainted with family
where there less than eleven children; there Is not
day IN the during which their mother spends hess
than five six hours cards unless prevented by sick
and when she sits down TO the card table,
husband, children, and all forgotten know another
lady here tho principal business of whose life is card
playing. She has moderate income, and passes her
days aud most of her nights at cards She has her daily
rounds, and with much exacness to her haunts
the most punctual merchant his office Ten clock
In the morning Is her hour Of business The tables
opened and the cards placed If calls before this
hour she forth TO her usual occupation and seeks
among her friends who will sit down and play,
If only for an hour. The game at place, she
goes to another till she finds who will indulge
her in second rubber and SO the time passes until din
ner. After dinner she sleeps couple of hours, and
wakes quite fresh for her vorte pursuit In the evening
she has no difficulty for many willing to play. Thus
the time is spent until "a late hour.
At one Of the large mining towns in the Aai there
lives man who has become rich from gold mines, and
is celebrated card dpayer. II Is unusual circum
stance for him to visit st. Petersburgh and as Ekate-
rineburg is about midway between the capital and his
place of residence, he is sometimes obliged to stop the
to repair carriages after of more than 900
verssin fact, il is often absolutely necessary This
fame having spread far and wide his detention in
the town for the first time event which afforded
the lady have Just alluded to the utmost delight she
could not permit such opportunity TO pass without
trying rubber with 80 rtnowued champion. At her
particular request friend arranged that they should
meet ut dinner She has been heard to say hours
ran his course, and directly dinner was over down
they sat to cards. The evening went with varied sue
cess; the lady cnraptnred and from the table
the winner of u large She invited her opponent to
play the next day after demur he consented and
the following day the contest renewed and continued
Until she had lost all Nothing daunted she urged him
again to defer his journey for four ald twenty hours az
her half year income would arrive by the post the fol
lowing morning. But then a difficulty about get
ting the money at once there some formality
which would delay il day or two. After much trouble
she persuaded the person to whom it consigned
waive the usual FORM and let her have the money i'm
medately. She got it, and strong was her ruling
passion that every moment seemed lost until seated
the card table In few hours she left it without
kopek- half-ycars income entirely gone
HUNTER.
Mr.. Atkinson goes to say 1t was here that first
made the acquaintance of Anna Petrovnaa, the bear
hunter Her fame has spread far from the of her
conflicts with Brun, who has not in the wide range of
Siberia more intrepid dangerous enemy. At this
time che about thirty two years age neither tall
nor stout bn her step firm and she Was stro's md
active Her coufteiaIce was soft and pleasing indeed
there nothing in her appearance that indicated her
extraordinary ntrepdity 1t is true she of good
stock her father and brothers being famous hunters
was informed that very early in life she had displayed
love for the chase and having been taught how use
the rifle, many wolves and other animals had fallen by
her hand Each time that bearskins brought home
from the different members of her family, her desire
creased to add to her other spoi Without breath
ing word to any one and with this object in view she
set out on sporting rmble the conversations of her
family having afforded sufficient ntmation of the
she oHght to take
One day large black bear had been seen y one of her
brothers when ranging through the forest with his pea
rifle in quest of smaller game This spoken of in her
presence, and the plan OF campaign arranged to be
ried into effect in day two The next morning. long
before any member of the household had left their beds
she had put her hunting gear sa,ldcd horse slun
her rifle over her shoulder and rode away Anna was
So cratic in her movements that her absence caused
uncsncs and before day dawncd she many vcrsts
from the cottage. Early in the morning she reached the
forest and secuted het holsH that lie ght feed while
she penetrated the thick and tangled wood before her.
There was heavy dew the grass in the open glatcs
and she observed that Bin taking his morning
be his track being quite fresh Looking to the printing
OF her rifle and adding powder from her flask she went
on with firm step. The bear had made MANY tunipgs
ON his march, but she followed him with all the sagacty
of bloodhound and never lost his trail Hour after
hour passed. however and she had not caught glimpse
OF him. As it threatened to be long chase Anna had
recourse TO her little bag sat down. by small stream
and made her breakfast piece of rye bread washed
down with dmught from the pure liquid flowing at her
feet Having ended her frugal meal she souldcred her
rifle and again pushed on She had another long and
fruitless walk. Satisfied, however, that she on his
track, she pursued it till she arrived at bed of high
plants, that included the giant enne of the flowers of
which the bears very fond
While proceeding along the edge of this bed fresh
indication well known to hunters assured her that the
long sougbt-for game hand As she was creeping
cautiously forward out rushed the bear with lo,d grow
about twenty yards in front Quickly she threw forward
the prongs OF her rifle, dropped knee and got
good sight, the animal staring at her almost motonless
She now touched the trigger there followed flash
savage grow succceded then struggle for minute or
two, and her wish was accomplished the bear lay dead
After taking off his skn she started IN search of her
horse which she found at great distance for she had
been brought bac nearly to the spot where she commenced
the chase. She shortly her way home and as
tonished the family, her entrance to the cottage by
throwing the skin the floor Since that time Anna
Petroynaia has engaged with and killed steen bears
SINGULAR rErTicoAr ADVENTURE
Mr.. Atkinson found friend in his journey He saws
About the middle of July, of the hottest ays in
summer my friend travelling in the South Oual on
his tour of inspection He had dned sumptuously at
one OF the hvods and started onward in the evening to
enjoy the cool breeze of the night But there are some
nights which will not cool, IL have often found such
and this was of them His carriage had been stand
ing in the burning sum- and had become so thoroughly
heated that the inside like an oven When his ser
want made his bed for the night, friend found TINT il
was impossible to sleep in his clothes he consequently
undressed, and was covered with sheet In this
way the night was passed pretty we'll At last daylight
appeared, and the shed his rays over the mountain
tops, leaving the deep valley in shade
They had now arrived at station in the mountains
ana the horses were changed while he slept The
want and the ycnst chick seeing the master sleeping
comfortably, saw why they should not drink
tea Into the house they went and enioyinp
q quiet glass, forgetting both stccds and carriage
Whether it the snoring of the inmate which fright
cned the horses something else cannot tell but oft
they started, and rapidly got into full speed
lhe carriage began to bound the rough road
tossing its opponents from side to side this reused
him, when to his horror, he discovered that he was