Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-20
NERVOUS TRAVELLER.

Those of you who had the pleasure of
.HStEg in the country four years ago
/ know how remarkably hot the weather
Was Flies and wasps, bees and spiders,
struggling for their lives in an ocean of
tepid cream, tea-kettles boiling without
being put on the fire, hay stacks burnin Q
OF their own accord-these were some of
the horrors which characterized the sum-
mer Of 1868.
But If England was hot, Russia was
hotter. The temperature was often SO
high that India was left, speaking literal
IL, IN the shade. 1t was dangerous to ven
ture ont in the sun in the middle Of the
day; Il was spontaneous liquefaction to
put one foot before the other When
you tried to put your boots on, you found
them full of beetles, which had gone there
for the sake of little shelter. When you
had got them on, you called with the lit
tie voice you had left, for two men and a
bootjack to pull them off again. All the
world stood still, or sat still, or lay still,
and gave itself up to fate. You had not
the energy to abuse even the mosquito
which perched itself upon the end of your
celestial nose. If you brushed it away it
returned in a moment or two with several
lively friends who converted your face
into 8 battle field and dug trenches, soon
to be filed with human gore and their
own shattered remains. And so you may
imagine that [ found it no pleasant pros
peCt, in the midst of these annoyances, to
c0ntemplate a railway journey from ST.
Petersburg to Berlin. Moreover, as | was
iust recovering from a severe Illness
brought on by incautiously drinking some
Of the detestable river water-I was not
ii the most charming temper or in the
highest spirits Behold me, however,
seated on four-wheeled drosky, without
springs, with a large trunk behind me,
and small hat-box before II, speeding
toward the railway station; he strong,
N1fy little Russian horses pulling with
will, in spite Of the fierce glare Of the sun;
the driver emitting oaths, mingled with
strong od0r of onions, Russian leather,
sheepskin and stale tobacco; the passen-
ger holding on for his life, of which he
had not much left. At last the station Is
reached; porters rushed forward; away
1ees my luggage; away goes the drosky
On Mreturn passage; the driver suspect
ing that change will be asked for.
There being only two trains during the
day which run through to Berlin, you
may Imagine that they were usually well
Alled with passengers. After taking my
ticket took survey Of the compart-
monta They were all occupied. Just as
lhAddecided upon going into one of
Them which held four persons, | was
askodin French, by a man evidently ex-
cited md hurried, whether this train was
for the continent. I replied in the af-
6Fnn0tiye and he, a friend of his, and N.Y.
nelkfook our seats. The whistle sounds,
and We start. Let me here explain to
ron the construction of the carriages,
which differ from those Of both England
and Amerca A door opens in the mid
die Ofthe side of the carriage. On enter
ing this door you go straight forward for
shout yard; to the right and left of you
are TWO other passages, at the ends of
each of them being door The doors
open into compartments extending the
whole width of the carriage, and capable
Of seating about eight persons each.
Facing the main entrance is a small coupe
to hold four people. You will under
stand, then, supposirg the middle com
Partments to be empty, persons occupy
ing the two end compartments are sepa-
rated from one another by two doors and
long passage; this renders it impossible
to overhear what is said or done in either
place. If you will keep this in mind,
you will readily understand what | am
shout to relate to you. | examined my
gktNoSe0mpanions over the top of news
paper. One was fair, tail, strongly
built man, with mustache ard beard; the
other dark, with rather the air Of a
Frenchman about him. Both were well,
yd N4inly dressed, with an amazing pro
10ataO of rings On their fingers, set with
oaM1Qnds, evidently of great value, or
olee|M no value at all.
T. survey was, on the whole then,
nectory, and buried myself in my
& per once more, when to my aston
Z heard the dark man say to his
Mleno In plain, unmistakable English
= 1Qrtunate that we have secured q
compe2tment with so much room in IT,
Ce1Mot tell you how much pleased
exee more to have an opportunity of
Mg little English, and l soon
"a the conversation. They seemed
ahable, but soon, no doubt. felt
- 1enral distrust which is so charac.
OF John Bull on his travels. How
Mturned out that though they spoke
1t was here and there inter
Ase4 with slight smattering of car
49, Mardlsm." They both belonged
su - Northern States, and our reserve
soon ore off as we argued ont the re-
spooefNo claims OF Federals and Confed-
of&soss l need not tell YOU that both nv
companions had travelled a great deal.
never met an American who had not,
they had gone to the very extremity of
tha l1ne of rail which was then being laid
down from Moscow to the east They
had slept with the workmen in the omen
air, and snored away quite calmly anon
= horde of semi barbarians. OF course
ono Of them had been to Jerusalem to see
NV they were getting on with the exca
ons there. We got on well together,
Nere on sufficiently intimate terms a,
nd of the day to agree to sleep in the
carriage. The windows were dou.
nd only half of the double window
ssNs open; the seats were thickly cush.
eeS The sun had been shining through
puole glass upon our unfortunate
- SO that we were only too glad to
Ass 49, ~, ourselves with iced beer and clare,
=. - ! !e" stations we saw. For miles
.S s mes we went on through thick for.
7.3 1nu Without seeing a single house.
icy snen tIe evening came, and after the
1ao set, the air seemed almost as sui
oelore We dined together, and
ID adjourned to an end Compartment
..snother carriage. A lamp had been
9ted in it, and there was a curtain.
1ch, when drawn over the lamp. rem
I'D the carriage almost dark. Soon