Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-03-31
LETTER FROM RUSSIA.

| hbIxGkS EEtOM h oO46As
The following interesting lette
sent from Russia by Mr.. ]. A. Fran
to Mr.. Willis J. Weber, of RebersburG
was handed to US for publication. MI
Frank Is O nephew of Mr.. Thoma
Frank, OF this place, and 10 well re
membered by many Of our people:
Illskev, IN Russia, Feb. 13, 1881.
Dear Cousin Willis,
have been thinEin!
Of writing to you this LONG time bu
did not know rightly where you were
Last week l received letter from
uncle George Weber, of Dempsey
town, Venango county, who informs
me that you are back again to Re6ers-
burg, and that you had invited th'
DempseytoWn boys tocome dawn there
and have trial shooting with you
According to that you have not vel
forgotten how 20 shoot. II you wert
here you could engage in your favor
ite sport to your hearts content-n0t
In shooting matches though, but IN
hunting game, which Is very abund'
ant. Wild boars, deer, wolves, foxes,
lynx, wild geese and ducks are plenty.
You could shoot more geese and ducks
in short time than you could carry.
| Wolves are SO numerous that they are
great annoyance TO the people. Ii
cattle and swine are left TO roam with
out being herded some Of them are
sure to become q prey TO the wolves.
Last week two CoSsacks passed our
Derrick with wild boar which they
had killed. bought the boar's head
for thirty kopeck's (l5 cents) and then
paid another man one ruble gu cents)
| to take out the tuskS. which / expect
| TO take with me To America.
OF course you heard Of my coming
| to Russia last winter. left home on
the 2nd day Of February 1880, aud was
eleven days on the ocean. We had
much storm for eight days In success
sion. AT times the waves would wash
clear over the ship. got one good
ducking of the salty brine and had my
hat washed off into the sea by a huge
wave that rolled over the ship and
washed off everything that was not
tied down. Some of the passengers
were badly scared and cried and pray.
cd for the preservation Of our ship aud
safe landing.
My contract was for the period OF
| one year from the time left Oil City
until 1 would reach Oil City again.
At the expiration OF our time | say
our rs there are four Of us Anericans)
! Mr. Tweddle, our employer, desired Us
to remain longer and raised our salary
to $l35 per month. We all agreed 10
remain four or six months more.
have been working at place call
ed n eZlar until New Year. On that
day We four Americans started for
Taman to settle with Dir. Tweddle.
From Taman We went to kerIch.
Both towns are on the STRAIT of kertch
between the Black SeL aud the Sea of
Azoff. The u iStance from Kezlar TO
Taman is ninety miles, which we had
TO travel IN drogys, ia kind Of wagon)
one of the most uncomfortable con-
! yeYances imaginable. Ws made the
trip in two days. From Taman we
went across the strait which Is about
twenty miles wide, by steamer, tO
Kertch. Here we renamed about four
days and bad quite good time. We
are now at IilSkey, about forty miles
trom the Black Sea, on the north side
of the Caucasus mountains. In clear
weather we can see the tops of the
Caucasus, but when the weather Is
cloudy they are hid III the clouds.
At present there are three pumping
wells st this place, and quite o num-
ber of old wells that are not now IN
running order. Our wells produces a
bout % barrels per day each, and are
from 800 TO 500 feet deep.
We have a very mild winter here.
Had only two Suaps OF cold weather OF
about u week each. The ground does
not freeze at night and Ia day timt
| Mercury sometimes goes up to 60 de-
grees. never saw such mild winter
III my native country.
This part of Russia is broken and
hilly, but north from hero it is leVel
aud the soil Is black aud rich. Larg'
| crops of wheat are raised even will
very poor farming. The sun never
shone OIL finer lands than Some parts oi
| Russia that have seen. Tue Steppe
are very much like on American pra-
ries and the soil is very productive.
The Crimed also has some very beauti-
full lands. IL Russia was free like the
United States 1t would be q grand
country indeed. But what are doe
lands, rich soil and other great re
sources under an oppressive govern
ment2
The working classes here are igno-
rant and live in miserable hutS OF the
rudest construction. The ground con
StItuteS the floor, the roofs are made
of straw or reeds and the walls Of stick:
and mud. There are no barns. Grain
anu hay are all stacked. Threshing i
done on tile ground, the grain teinl
tramped out by horses or cattle. The
cleaning is doue by throwing up th
grain iutO the air aud letting the winC
blow out the chaff Most OF the farm
ing and teaming is done with cattle
aud you can see as many women "
men driving oxen. Women help t. d.
all outdoor work except moving ant
chopping Wood. Lt is u very commur
thing to see young lady driving al o.
team in her bare feet aud short dress
How would such work suit your Youni
ladies Of RebersburHE
My health has been very good sine
I am III Russia, with slight exceptions
am quite heshy and weigh l6O pounds
am not much like the little chap
was when went TO school at Rebers
Durg fifteen years ago. Do you re
member someof the good times we haC