Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-01-01
st. Petersburg.

Russian affairs are attracting consid-
cradle attention just now, and this de-
scription of life in the streets of st. Pc
tersburg Is therefore especially interest
ing. The fine streets Of st. Petersburg,
well paved and broad, are lined with
elegant residences and handsome shops,
which contain not only the rich goods
of other countries, but are temptingly
supplied with the furs of Russia, the
products of its manufactures, which
are very numerous, and the peculiar
silver work CT this country, which ev-
cry traveller invests in. Here one can
buy the shoes worn by the peasants. a
sort of braided straw, curiously formed,
and copied either in silver, gold or por-
celain-these for flowers, cards or for
cigar ashes; water-carriers, in bronze,
on stands of any of the peculiar stones
from Siberia. The three-horse carriage
also is favorite in bronze and silver !;
and a bronze table, with silver cloth,
OH foundation of malachite or lapIs,
is often seen, with Russian peasant and
wife drinking tea, thus showing their
dishes and their peculiar way of pre-
pairing the tea, with great urn in the
middle of the table, and the whole
forming a beautiful inkstand. There
is no end Of this sort OF temptation here,
and if ones money holds out he never
knows where 10 stop; in factour Amer
lean party kept buying until the last
moment, and then hadn't enough, be-
cause, suppose, we all felt as though
we should not probably ever como TO
Russia again. Prices are at a very high
figure, am told, for all "articles de
luxe"-not really needful things-while
the necessaries of life are very reasona-
could not live under the governmental
condition of affairs, as the lower classes
have TO live on almost nothing, and pay
for that well in taxes. Everywhere
there is constant life and activity. The
little droskeys, only large enough for
one, but in two often ride, the larger
public carriages, and the elegant pri-
vate turnouts, are all driven in the main
thoroughfares as if in q case of life or
death-regular John Gilpin fashion. As
one sits in a public carriage, being in
the midst of this curious melee, ne in.
voluntarily holds on, and holds his
breath as if at any moment he should
be crushed to atoms and nobody would
know anything about it. We took many
such daring drives and enjoyed the scene
extremely, feeling comparatively safe,
for where people always drive fast there
are but few accidents. The people were
a novelty, so were the shops, then ev-
cry few blocks there was a chapel, and
the people praying all about, and at
certain points, men in peculiar Russian
dress were kneeiing out on the edge OF
the sidewalk with fruits and small
wares, sometimes whole rows of them,
and if carriage stops they Immediate
ly flock up to sell their goods; and as TO
these little droskeys, one can take one
Tor gwen point and pay only ten cents,
then pick up one again at any time.
found that if we could not tell the driv-
er where we wanted to go, we could do
as well by pointing and keeping them
going till we wanted to stop, but they
drive as though they would break ones
neck, even at small pay.