The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-07-30
From st. Petersburg Correspondence of the
New York Times. sa5.a ..'s
RUSSIAN SEASONS AND RUSSIAN EX-
PENSES.

IL
To one like myself who has not been SO
far north before. the seasons here appear to
be quite out ofjoint, for in this part OF Russia
| the year is made up of about five months OF
winter and two of summer, while tie less
| we say sbout fall and spring the better, for
the weather Ghen is scarcely enduraDle, there
beir 6 hardly two days alike, except that IL is
always wet and sloppy under loot. and when
there is not cold wind blowing, the atmoss
phere is occasionally darkened by a heavy
fog.
| We have said good-by to spring, however,
and the change from what was really no thing
more thar the fag end Of q severe winter
| is as sudden as it is welcome. The trees are
lust coming out into leaf, but no flowers have
yet put in an appearance, although it is the
middle Of June. The past week has been
rather wet one, and the rain has brought
on the vegetation wonderfully, so much so
that you can almost see the trees growing.
About fortnight ago. I saw a lilac tree
trying it's level best to burst into bloom,
It had almost succeeded in its attempts,
q cay or two since, but one night cold
wind came and nipped it in the bud, so that
it is now faded and dropping, as if regretful
of the haste with which it tried to be the
first in the field and, judging by appearau.
ces, it will never arrive at maturity.
| It is daylight all night-excuse the para
dox-so chat we can easily read coarse print
at midnight. This is rather pleasant state
of affairs, but it is annoying that we cannot
enjoy the long evenings so we'll as we could
| if the weather were only warm enough to
permit OF our leaving off great coats.
The season during which vegetables OF any
kind can be raised here being 80 short, the
result is that articles of this kind are very
dear-as, indeed, everything is here-so that
| if luxuries are desi,ed they must be paid for
at high figure. Strawberries are priced in
the market at about fifteen roubles (Sl0) O.
pound but notwithstanding the high price
which this fruit commands, they were fur
nished at a reception, the other day. in sui,
ficient quantity to meet the requirements
ola couple of hundred guests. Tomatoes
sell at thirty cents piece, and are pot of The
best quality at that, for they are iaported
from long distance.
The Russians are very lavish in their house.
hold expenditure, but one of the things
which has struck me as remarkable here is
that man with an income of say $4,000 q
year will argue for FIVE minutes or more
| WI h IN isvo driuar (oor driuar\ ahon+ +ba
amoant of fare, the sum in question probably
not being more than five or ten copecks at
the most, or four to eight cents in our eurren-
4 y. Not infrequently he will hail one or two
isvost chicks before he can persuade a man
to accept what ne considers quid pro quo
for the distance he is required to drive. And
yet the only cheap thing have observed In
st. petersburg at present is riding in these
little isvos. for mar will drive mile for
fifteen copecks, and IL you give him twenty
instead, he will even thank you. and evident
~ considers himself we'll paid There is one
thing to be said about il, aud that is. the
vehicles are of such crazy construction that
the horse, driver, and fare share the labor
between them and if the passenger shoulds
fail to hold on pretty tightly, he stands fair
chance of being prec ipitated into the mud.
imagine g ireshly-ploWed field frozen Into y
compact mass, with the ruins of block Of
houses scattered lndiscriminately oyerit, and
you nave good IDEA OF the uneven surface
OF tne majority OF the streets OF the Russian
capltai, tnough, OF course, some Of the main
rougnIafes are IN a much better condition,
ana Where the wooden roadway has been
adopted ere not III any way to be found
fault with.
I&Sts ..se From the New Yrok uaro1d