National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-06
FOREIGN NEWS TOPICS.
Il GRAPHIC SKETCH OF OFFICIAL
LIFE IN ST. PETERSBURG.


MINISTER JEwEIL-JAPAN's SECRET
PoLICY-THE HOME RULE DEBATE-THE
1 ROYAL SIDE SHOW AT cHIsELHURsT
AFFAIRS IN PARIS AND ROME.
Minister Jewell, our minister at St. Peters
burg has written the following letter TO a lady
in Rochester, n. Y:
ST. PETERSBURG. March 5, 1874
Nj DEAR Mrs, -: wonder ifycu don't
think am lost sometimes. am not, but an
quite firmly anchored up in this so-called cold
climate. 1t has not been cold all this winter,
though underestimate is exceptional. We have
had about ten days of zero weather, not more,
and those ruA FIVE or ten below only, q few
days and nights down to ten above zero but
most Of the time twenty or thirty 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 cost about eight dollars per cord; plenty
OF coal, but all from New England and costs
about ten dollars per ton-soft coal. Houses
are perfectly comfortable, all with double win
dows and fitted in close and tight, so we suffer
most from ventilation. Housekeeping is both
troublesome and expensive. We have Rus
sian footman who speaks English, French
and German; O German butler who sleaks
English and French; German cook speaking
Russian and German; Russian 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 q
"lampiste," or man to attend the door, look
after the fires and trim lamps Russian who
speaks little English and French. Besides
these, We have one or two coachmeD, man
part of the time to bring up wood and coal, a
man once a week to brush and polish the
Waxed floors, and man every other day to
come in and water the flowers, of which every
fine house must have lot. Isn't this q crew;
besides 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, routs
and presentations, not going to bed TIL next
day most of the time. 1 get up at ten, and the
balance Of the family about noon. In Decem-
her the sun rose at 8 and set at 2:50-not much
OF day at best. At one ball at the palace
there were $500 guests, 1900 of whom sat
down to supper at 2 O'Clock in the morning
and 600 took their lunch standing. 1t takes
$4,000 candles to light this palace for such
ball. At this ball there were royal persons
more than / ever saw together before, the
Empress of Russia, Crown Prince and Prin-
cess 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 Duchess of
Edinburg, all the Russian grand dukes and
duchesses, Prince Arthur of England, and if
teen or twenty princes from Asia and Europe
besides. We had had a separate presentation
to them all previously. They all danced and
mingled with the crowd. The new married
duchess of Edinburgh, in whose honor this ball
was given. wore the celebrated Russian dia-
mond necklace estimated to be worth $50, OOO,-
OO0- The empress dress was trimmed with
solitaire diamond buttons, each one of which
was worth $4,000 or 10000 All the i'm
perial ladies wore diamond crowns. It is
thought there were more diamonds wore that
night than ever before at one time, as they
came from the three empires of Germany,
England, and Russia. 1t is of no use to describe
the scene. A week afterward there was a small
and select ball given there to 100 guests. At
this time the supper was laid in the large hall,
which Is about 100xS50 feet and 10 feet high.
Forty palm trees, twenty to thirty feet high,
had been brought from the greenhouse; round
each was built table for ten to twenty guests;
5000 candles lighted this room, so we sat down
to supper in real palm grove. 1t was mag
nifcent beyond description. This is latitude
sixty, the came as that of Greenland.
Speaking of green houses, we visited one the
other day for trees and shrubs, ferns and cacti
only, hot flowers, which has $4,000 varities in
1t and 20 900 pots of specimens. All the "corps
diplomatique" are invited every winter. There
appears to be no end to the money this court
spends on such an occasion. This, of course,
is seldom done. The emperor is splendid
man, very polite, and for that matter so are
they all to US. There are little or no middle
class in Russia. The few live like princes.
The many work and live like slaves. Very
fine and handsome people are the nobility; very
very low and degraded are the working classes.
But it's vastly improved under this emperor,
who is really just and good man. Russia has
its own code of morals suppose, which the
people live up to. From our point of view there
are no morals here. They all cross themselves
on going past church or shrine. There is a
shrine on every house, in the presence Of which
no one can wear his hat, not even the emperor.
So inside Russian door, hats of-a carpen-
ter's shop, saloon or palace, It's all the same
They keep Lent rigidly. Circuses and theatres
ara full Sundays, except in Lent.
There are over sixty "proswicks" or fete
days in the year on which no one will work.
Sunday is less cared for though generally 30
work is done on that day. Drunkenness is
more common than in any country in the world.
Common people drink all the "bodka" they
can get. Their food is a black, sour rye bread
and cabbage soup mostly.
But they are good-natured, laughing race
of beings. There is but little social life here,
though in fact not much visiting, as we do it
evenings. So much social intercourse comes
from our schools and religious afinities, which
are entirely lacking in this country that IT
makes the difference very marked to all Ameri-
can. The French language is almost as much
used as the RussiGn, more so, in fact, in the
higher circles. Most of the Government officers
speak English also, and more than half the
Russians that meet All the young ladies |
speak it, as they all have English goVernesses.
English and American books are in all the first |
class libraries, Russia having but comparatively |
little literature Of its OVID. Law and order here |
are as much respected as with us. While the |
emperor appoints everything and everybody, |
and can do exactly as he likes, still he governs
by and through law. The Rnout is long since |
abolished, and a trial By jury is regular and
safe.
1t is no heather country by long ways, but |
the Greek or orthodox church is strict in its |
discipline and thorough in its organization. |
Divorce is almost impossible. Prisons are few. |
Capital punishment is unknown except for at |
tempts on the emperor's life. All convicts are |
sent to Siberia, TIE worst to work in the mine
and others en- the land. Their families can go |
with them If they ike, 50 that country is now |
full of pretty good people Of this kind. This |
nation Is growing rapidly in ell the directions
Of national greatness. Education is being |
pushed slowly but steadily. Most of the peo- |
pie / see can already read and write. But the |
fich being SO rich and the poor 80 very poor |
makes progress very slow. The police regula- |
lions are perfect though people drive through |
the street as fast as ever they can 60. Those |
on foot have no rights which the carriages are
bonnd to respect.
Handsome black Tartar horses 60 past one |
like wind with little light harness, no binders |
L