Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-09-05
DRUNKARDS In RUSSIA.
now Intoxicated Persons are Dealt with
Ia the Czar's DOniniOns.

| How Intoxicated Persons are Dealt with
ia the Czar's DOniniOns.
A gentleman who has lived for sew
eral years in st. Petersburg, Russia,
said to a st. Louis Globe Democrat
attache in reference to the liquor traffic
in that country:
"There is no attempt at regulation,
except that the government police,
polizei, keep a sharp eye on all the
vendors of vodki, and other intoxicat-
ing drinks. The dealer in Russian
whisky is protected by the law and is
answerable to the law. He dare not
make use of his license to deal in vod-
XII as blind for robbery. Such
things as you Americans call dives
are utterly unknown there. No man
can be tempted to drunkenness and rob-
berry while in drunken state without
Furnishing the dealer, which means de-
privation Of his license and period of
incarceration in Jail with hard labor,
followed, in extreme cases with a
touch of the knout on his bare skin.
The terror of this punishment makes
each keeper of vodki shop really a
conseryator of the peace; for, as soon
as the liquor dealer sees that one of his
customers is likely to get violently
drunk, he turns him out on the street.
And man already drunk can get no
more vOdki"
"But suppose the drunken man kicks
up row, what then?"
ale is taken in charge by the police
and taken to the station-hOuse. His
punishment then follows as a matter
of certainty. No matter whether he
be rich or poor, whether he belong to
the noble or to the working class, he
must serve eight hours in the street.
sweeping gang. At six o'clock in the
morning succeeding his orgie, he has
offered to him lump of bread and
glass of whisky. He may or may
not accept of the proffered municipal
hospitality, but when z o'clock strikes
he has to go out on the street gang,
and with broom and spade make the
Nevskoi Pewspekt, or any other street
he may work on, as clean as a new
pin"
, "But do they make no difference be-
tween gentlemen and workmen?"
"None whatever; yet there is diff
ference generally. The gentlemen
who are found drunk on the streets at
night, usually have black clothes.
They are marked on the back with
great white Greek cross, cross big
enough to be seen half square away.
The moujik, or workmen class, who,
at least in summer, are found with
their dirty white shirts covering their
shoulders, are marked with an equally
conspicuous black cross. This is the
only difference, and, if gentleman be
with white or light-colored clothing on
him, he gets, also, the black cross
They are all classed as drunkards, and
treated without reference to their
rank"
"But you said these men have to do
eighth hours work on the street. DO
you mean that they are kept eight
hours without any restY
"No; the street-sweeping gangs are
accompanied by wagons, which carry
the tools, something like Your hood
lum wagons, and they also carry pro-
visions. At II o'clock, noon, each
gang is halted, and from the wagon is
offered to each individual, second
lump of bread, accompanied by aDant-
zig herring. This luxurious fare can
be eaten or left, just as it suits the
principal parties concerned. The mou-
jiks all grasp at the offered food; occa-
sionally you will see a gentleman in
dignantly spurn it. But all have got
to 60 to work again us soon as the
gong sounds, and they must work
three hours longer. At the end Of the
eight hour the wagon comes along and
picks up the tools and material that
belong to the government, and the order
is given to the drunkards to scatter
They go off; they have been thoroughly
punished for the indiscretion Of a
night, and the streets of st. Peters.
burg benefit by the indiscretion."
Sunlit Rooms.