Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-08-19
Watohman Sc journal,
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1874.
Foreign Correspondence Waterman.
Journeyings In Europe.
RussfA--if.
ny HRs. A. N. cuRrtS.

After leaving Pskofi, the next town Of I'M
portance is wilma, the present capital Of the
northwest provinces Of Russia. wilma con.
tains about G0,0O0 inhabitants, and is AL |
miles distant from 81. Petersburg The view
Of the town from the railway station is not
very striking. Built as it is principally in a
deep valley surrounded by hills, it is only
when one really enters the place that 1t can
be seen. wilma played a very considerable
role in times gone by, and had chances Of be-
coming one Of the great cities Of the world, |
but its Importance has departed forever. AZ
Ter the destruction Of Kieh by the Iartars, in |
1910, 10 which referred in my last letter, /
Russia was divided into two parts. OF the |
eastern part, Moscow became the capital, !
while the Dukes Of Lithuania, resident at
wilma, succeeded in obtaining control Of the
western half so that, at this period Of her
history, the Russia which had been united un-
der Vladimir and Yaroslat was cut 10 two,
having two rival capitals, Moscow and wilma.
kicn, Smolensk and the chief provinces Of
Western Russia were brought under the rule
Of Gedimin, the Lithuanian Duke, who began
to reign in 1915. The question honcolorth
was, which city should be the capital Of all
Russia, Wilma or Moscow, and who should be
it, rulers the Lithuanian House Of Gedmin,
or the Moscow Princes Of the House Of Rurck
If the Lithuanian Dukes had carried the day,
wilma would have been the capital Of Russia,
and become a great historic city. The mar.
riage Of the Lithuanian Duke, Yagelon, with
the Polish princess, IIedwig, in 1886, gave a
different turn 20 history. The Lithuanian
Duke became King Of Poland, lleiwig being
the only representative Of the royal house Of
that country. This marriage and the subse-
quent union Of Lithuania and the western half
Of Russia with Poland has been much lauded
by Polish historians. 1t certainly gave po-
land great position in Europe for a time, but
in the end proved her ruin.
The rivalry between the two parts Of Russia
became now a struggle between two nations
In this struggle Poland, though not unire-
quently the victor, at last succumbs, and when
in 1896, Poland and the Lithuanian provinces
were divided for the third time, Russia re-
ceiyed back simply what had once been the
western half Of the Empire-the domains Of
Yaroslaii and Monomach, and later Of the Ii
,huanian princes, territories which the Rus
SLAMS had never ceased 10 claim, and which 10
the present day are inhabited by a Russian
population. The so-called Kingdom Of Poland
was placed under the rule Of the Emperor Of
Russia, in 1915, by the European powers, at
the Congress Of Vienna, and is a portion Of
that ancient Poland Of which Yagelon became
King, the other parts being Posen and Galicia.
So much for a city which once had great
expectations, but which is now simply the
chief town Of Russian province The en-
yirons Of wilma are quite picturesque, espe-
cially in early summer, when the conioal
shaped bills are covered with green. On the
morning we passed through, however, every
one seemed more interested in getting glass
Of hot tea or cup Of coffee than in considering
either the past or present Of the old town. A
half an hour, stay gave all the passengers g
good opportunity to satisfy their hunger and
thirst.
On coming out 10 resume our seats in th,
train, a large number of Jews had made theil
appearance, some scattered about on the plat
forms, others slowing themselves away in thir(
class cars, all overloaded with countless bun
dies Of every size and description, which, how
ever, had one point Of resembance-that o
filth beyond description, In St. Petersburg
one does not see many Jews, or at least, the.
do not strike the eye as in the western prov
inces In all the country which was ono
" connected with Poland there are a great man.
Jews In the United States or in Westeri
Europe the Jews, as a rule dress like otbe
people, aud can only be recognized in cas-
: they have a decided Semitic type Of face. Tn
: Polish Jews, however, and those Of Wes,eri
: Russia, continue to wear a distinct dress.
} long, struggling, dark coat and little clot
\ cap drawn closely over the head, are the chic
elements An untrimmed beard and liheu
supply Of dirt heghten the unattractSc pic
ture Formerly the coats were worn reachin
to the heels, and two cork.screw curl- of hai
arranged in front Of each ear hung down D
either cheek This Gust, m was aboli,Le
about four years ago by the Russian govern
!. ment, which shortened the coats and did ava
y with the curs, much TO the improvement
: Tho nersonal anneorance of the Hebrew sui
;oc,s or ,ho Emniro ,boucb II INNS, he soi
- ,horo "a ,rea, room c,r nro,res. in that dire,
S lion vot fo- less attractive. more thorough
rr,yssbsd cot Of creatures II has never bee
Io, % hoboId Ther ,bore arc sucb nun
I, hers or them Russia NJ tho nresont time col
d taina within its boundaries more than half II
Laws or the world While lookIng nj n
crowd If Hebrews in wilma and rememberir
,b,t The race extended sontbward 10 Austr
- ord ,be Dannhian Personalities and miohtl
mo, n, every railroad station and village
tbis largo e,tent Of country I tbouobt OF II
well. Lnoun question had =, orten heard sui
in Now Fnaiond uwbere n ubsre are Il
Uebrew children ~, and fell s,re had soly
Da dis momsntous question. or at any rate. tn
er I had discovered ,hs nroc;so xvboreahouts of /
"prou,sed land - The world has heard
= GOOD deal Of the Jews Of ea.terp Europe do
no IN, The mas, half Dozen vears and some we
ne meani,o ncrson. mav labo, under the delusi
f99r that these neople suffer from time to time
rt account of their religion, but am conyinc
ng that nothing could be further from the tru