The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-12-21
A SIBERIAN CLUB HOUSE.
Russian Hospitality and Queer Ways
of Showing it.


of Showing it.
Boston Commercial Bulletin.
Our stay at Tobolsk was short. for GER
tain projected movements made it inn
pcrative for Gvoseikof to press on at
once to Irkutsk, to reach which place
was a long, drearv and dangerous jour
ney. But before we left we were enter
tanned at dinner at the club house by q
number of the wealthy merchants and
thec civil officers of the city. When we
reached the club room early in the even
ing We found a large company assem-
bled, the members ofwhich in dress and
in general carriage would have done no
discredit to the politest society of any
European capital. We were served with
a dinner of the choicest viands, but the
strength of the banquet evil
IDENTITY lay in its wines and liquors. Be-
fore We got through / came to the con-
clusion that the Siberian Russians can
drink more champagne without getting
drunk than any class of people / ever
met. At this dinner they were drink
ing from beginning to end%with scarcely
an lntermission, but after the substan-
tails had been removed came their grand
opportunity. Champagne flowed like
water, toasts being proposed and relig-
lously and heartily drank to everybody
from the car down to the humblest
guest present. After several hours Of
this Sdrinkingbout the dinner was held
to be over and in the adjoining coffee
room tea and coffee we're served, prob.
ably as SOLDERING off actions.
Then the champaign was brought in
again, and after partaking of more wine
there occurred one of the stranpest
scenes that l ever witnessed. A party
OF a dozen gentlemen surrounded
G~vosdikoff and l thought were shaking
hands with him. Suddenly / saw them
seize him and without a moments warm
ing throw him upward into the air. AL
most touching the ceiling down he came.
only to be tossed back and forth again
n again amid the shouts and the
laughter of the company. was as
founded, and concluded that the whole
company were so drunk that they were
crazy and were not responsible for thus
neutrality-suspicious.. But a gentlemenat
my side relieved my anxiety on n point,
and increasedit on another, by tellingme
that this was Sibeian-Russian custom Of
courteous attention, and that / would be
served in the same way presently. And
SO / was quite out of breath, and what
with the tossing and the wine, could
scarcely stand straight when our friends
were through with me. This sport is
called "dodkeedvoate, Por tossing up,
and its always entered..into by the better
class of Siberians when they desire to
show their respect for their guests in q
and drove off, thankful that we had IN
all nights ride before us in the cold air
which might serve to revive us. Judge
OF our surprise, when, just outside the
town we met a party o four entertainers,
who, taking a short cut in their sledge
through the town had thus intercepted
us. 81 sss
Champagne was again poured out and
our mutual good health pledged in a fin-
al round, and then we drove out into
the night and into the dreary wilds.
We were soon sound asleep from the
effects Of the champagne and the cold,
biting air, SO that the noise which fell
upon II ears after we had gone a mile
or two scarcely disturbed our drowsy
senses. But driver was w~ide-awake
and reused us up. We listened, and in
the clear night air could distinguish the
jingling of bells, the trottiug Of horses,
and the loud shouts of men. 1t was
plain that whoever and whatever they
were they were fast overtaking us. We
were a little alarmed, not knowing
whether we were the objects 81
pursuit OF not, whether we
might not be about to fall into the hands
of some desperate fellows. We sat up
in our sledge and grasped our weapons,
as the pursurers could be heard just be-
hind, fast coming down upon us, and
plainly calling upon lis to stop. The
next moment, however, our weapons
dropped nerveless from our hands as
the sledges dashed up alongside US on
either hand, and We heard the CHEEKY
voice of one of our entertainers saluting
US, while the shouts and laughter Of his
companions at our evident fright rang
out upon the air. Some half q dozen
friends, it seems, thought that their lit
tle.carousal had come to an end tooab-
sledges and followed us for another fare
! we'll.