The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-26
Ghe 8tm Orleans Gytsrnt.
THURSDAY MORNING. NOVEMBER 2s. 1858.
HI. B,r-,nsh.m OF Russia.
Correspondents o. the N. Y. Evening Pos. +,

u
lula, Russia, October IL, 1868.
The Russian Birmingham, as Tula is often
called, lies about one hundred add twenty miles
south Of Moscow, on the great Southern Railway.
Ii is the capital Of the government OF Tuis, and
has population of about hftyHve thousand. This
great Southern Railway, which Is being built by
the government is one Of the most expensiveiy
built and worst managed roads In Russia. After
taking about three times as long as for private
road, 1t is now open with single track as far as
kursk, three hundred and forty miles with pos.
sibility Of being opened to Kief in December. and
to Odessa next summer. The time tables have
been so managed all summer as to deter rather
than attract travel. Finding that Tsaritsyno was
becoming place o. resort, the direction ran six
or seven special trains per month and by refus-
ing TO sell tickets by other trains on those days,
and selling tickets on other days for seven MN
utes only. and only then in very limited numbers,
they succeeded in keeping away passengers and
in nearly runing man who had built vsuxhsll
at Tfarityno, and had hired an orchestra for the
summer.
Tsaritsyno, though II is rarely visited BY travel.
ers, Is the prettiest place Of resort near Moscow
The great attraction is the large and beautiful
park, with its forests and ponds, and the ruins OF
an unfinished palace of the Empress Catherine H.
The story is that this palace was building by Pc.
temkin for the empress. but that when she came
TO visit II she imagined that IL was In the shape of
o. ssusss 70 enter i and
the entrance to the grounds, perhaps, the palace
would give rise to this idea I; you perceive over
the trees tall, sloping roof over narrow, long
building, with six turrets, blackened like the roof
by age and weather, which seem like the candles
placed sscr:. fhnfpSe. But il You see II from the
idea is very different yeJxpYsed TO Vie ", your
facade OF red brick. trimmed with white stones.
the tracery of the windows and the carvings OF
arches In many cases still perfect, and light gal
leries and graceful buildings connecting it with
the adjoining buildings. The roof in some cases
Is covered, but In some parts still open; and there
are no foors at all. Young, graceful birch trees
grow in many places on the cornices and from the
window seats. In the park are many little arches
and pavilions; and on q feastday everywhere are
spresd tables with lighted samovars. 1t is one of
the piessantest places to see the genuine enthu-
sissm which the Russians have for out-of door life
in summer. No Russian family who has the least
bit Of o garden or balcony ever dreams OF break
fasting or dining indoors on pleasant day. from
May to September. Hone fingers about till sun
set he will be sure to witness khorovod. or choral
dance of the peasants, and the monotonous minor
music will linger in his ears for many day.
About half way between Moscow and Tula, on
the river Okla branch of the Volga. lies the town
of Serpukhof, with about fifteen thousand inhsbi-
tants, full of cotton and linen factories, owned by
houses in Moscow. 1t has nothing else of To-
terest
lula presents the appearance of nearly all the
small government towns in Russia there are the
same wide. mscsdamized, dusty or muddy streets.
without shade trees the same one or two-story
houses of wood and white and yellow stucco
the same green iron roofs, andthe same churches
with their tall belfries and their onion domes !;
sometimes white church with q green or gold
dome, and sometimes green church with blue
dome studded with golden stars. From the
church Of All Saints, on bill at the south edge
of the town, got q very good view Of the whole
place, and of the little river Ups, winding through
the low rolling country. The birch woods were
all yellow with the changing leaves and here and
there au ong the brown fields was one bright green
with the winter wheat. ! assembled tie tall bel
fry, which, as usual here, stands separate from
the church, and after looking around, amused
myself with examining the churchyard beneath
me. Some of the graves had black, wooden coffin
shaped tombs placed over them, on the end OF
which was usually painted figure of Christ or
some saint; but most Of them had simple
wooden Russian Cross at the head-the Russian
cross has three transverse bars-a small one to
represent the inscription, and another small one
placed obliquely to mark the place where the
feet rested. The Kremlin, unlike other towns is
placed on low ground on the very bank of the
river, and is merely large square piece OF ground
surrounded with a high and thick battlemented
v r. s su
one quite modern, Of red brick. the other lofty
and square, Of white stucco, with curious designs
in relief, at least az old 1906 wheu 1t cap
tured by the False Dpitri, and containing some
interesting mosaic pictures still older than the
building itself.
lula ia the center Of the cutlery, gunnery and
hardware manufactures Of Russia aud indeed il
seemed as if every house was Q hardware shop.
have never seen such quantities OF sanaoudrs
(tea-machnes) pistols, guns, knives, candlesticks
and all imaginable sorts of metal work. The
pistols are excellent, and many Of them are sold
In Paris and London, with English marks, as the
work Of English makers. The best cutlery ID
very good. but the ordinary sorts are very bad
A crest deal of silver f!seree work-an old 10.
dustry in Russa-as fine as that of Genoa, is made
here, and quantities Of silver and gold neo work
is manufactured, which is sold. to those who know
no better. &c the genuine production Of the Cgu
casus. As lula is as well known In Russia 81
Sheffield in Englsnd-there Is picture on the
outside of church at Moscow, representing the
Sacrifice of Isaac, In which the knife held by
Abraham is marked lula NJ had expected to
find, as in Sheffield, large factories with smokS
chimneys and ali the other dissgreesbIs evidences
Of q manufacturing town. There is, however
nothing Of the sort. The government ride-worki
is the only large building. except one private one
gun factory OF medium size. Almost exclusively
the whole manufacture of SdDl0udrS guns and
cutlery is carried on in small shops, where only
a single part is made. These various parts are
then joined IN another shop. The workers on fire.
arms reside In distant quarter, called oTitzteunoe
or gun town, formerly distant village, but now
part of the city.
THE GOVERNMENT RIFLE WORKS.
Between the river and the suburb, and Just op-
posite to the Kremlin, are the extensive gun fac
tories OF the government. which were erected by
an Englishman named Trewheller, and are con
sidered to be among the finest in Europe. The
machinery is turned by water brought from the
dam in the river in large iron pipes six feet 10 d
ameter, and well protected and heated that the
works 60 as well in winter as in summer. The
works are now under the charge Of Gen. Stan
derskjold, q Swedish Finn, who has the lease IN
der Il contract for the manufacture Of breech
leaders and the conversion of old rifles. He re-
ceives also compensation from the government
| for superintendent. The general himself very
obligingly showed me through the whole estab
lishment, and gave me an opportunity OF inspect
ing the whole process. Among the machines
were some interesting ones of his own invention
Each rife goes through thrty-eight distinct pro
cesses before il IL complete. The system now
used is that of Carle though some rifles are still
being converted according to another. The gur
Of Carle 10 Q needle gun in principle. simple In
| construction and not liable to get out Of order
| II fires fourteen times 10 a minute. have seen il
| stated that breech. loader will never be Of use
in the hands of Q clumsy Russian soldier, but th:
Russian peasant is not half 30 clumsy as he seems
II be IL always breaking Agricultural machines, /
| not through stupidity. -.rrH 3te
The commonest peasant learns in q day to man.
| age the complicated machines of the cotton fac.
tories, end needs no instruction after thai. When
the guns ere finished they are inspected by the