Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1874-04-16
LIFE IN ST. PETERSBURG.
Letter from Minister Marshall
Jewell.

A letter from Hon. Marshall Jewell
United States Minister to Russia, to 6
lady relative in Rochester, is published
by the D--~-og1us or rnat city. 1t is
dated at ST. Petersburg, March 5. and
reads as follows:
81 wonder whether you don't think
I am lost sometimes. ! am not, but
am quite firmly anchored up in this so
called cold climate. 1t has not been
cold at all this winter, though under
stand it is exceptional We have had
about ten DAYS of zero weather, not
more, and those run 50 to 100 below
only: a few days and nights down to
100 above zero, but most of the time
200 to 800 above, cloudy. sour weather;
but now it is bright and sunny-a
foot or two of snow only. No trouble
in sleeping warm at all. Wood is
burned mostly, and costs about S8 per
cord; plenty of coal. but all from Eng
land, and costs about SO per ton
soft coal. Houses are perfectly com
Portable, all with double windows, and
fitted in close and tight. so we suffer
most from want of ventilation. House
keeping is both troublesome and ex-
pensive. We have Russian footman
who speaks English, French. and Ger
man; a German butler who speaks
English and French; German cook.
speaking Russian and German; Rus
sian chambermaId speaking nothing
else; besides those serfs, or "Alugiks,"
or servants of the lower order, who do
most of the work in fact Oh yes,
and "lampsite,' or a man to attend
the door, look after the fires, and trim
lamps-a Russian who speaks little
English and French. Besides these.
we have one or two coachmen, a man
part of the time to bring up wood and
coal, man once a week TO brush and
polish the waxen floors, and man
every other day to come in and water
the flowers, of which every fine house
must have lot. Isn't this a crew, be
sides French lady's maid which we
always have. The houses are heated
by stoves and CRATES. We have fifteen
fires all told, in cold weather, and
twelve or ten always in winter.
"For two months before Lent we did
little but attend balls, parties, dinners.
receptions, rosts, and presentations,
not going to bed till next day most of
the time. | got up at 10, and the bal
ance of the family about noon. In
December the sun rose at 9 and set at
9:5O-not much of a day at best At
one ball at the palace there were $500
guests, 1900 of whom sat down 10
supper at 2 o'clock in the morning.
and 600 took their lunch standing. 1t
takes $4,000 candles to light this pal
ace for such ball. At this ball there
were royal persons more than ever l
saw together before: The Empress of
Russia, Crown Prince and Princess of
Prussia, Prince and Princess of Wales,
Crown Prince of Denmark-the above
are all of imperial rank; of royal rank
there were the Duke and Dutchess of
Edinburg, all the Russian Grand Dukes
and Duchesses, Prince Arthur of Eng.
land, and fifteen or twenty Princes
from Asia and Europe besides. We
had had separate presentation to
them all previously. They all danced
and mingled with the crowd. The
new married Duchess of Edinburg, in
whose honor this ball was given, wore
the celebrated Russian diamond neck
lace, estimated to be worth SEQ, ,OOO,-
600. The Empress dress was trim
med with solitaire diamond buttons,
each one of which was worth from
S50,oO0 to 100000. All the imperial
ladies wore diamond crowns. 1t is
thought there were more diamonds
worn that night than ever before at one
time, as they came from the three EN-
pires of Germany, England and Rus