The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1888-01-12

Street and on the sidewalks in our real
were standing still and looking and
yelling at us. | asked my distinguish.
ed friend what the matter was. He
replied that he did not know
Our carriage rolled on at the same
rapid pace. We didn't stop. Finally
the confusion became so great that
the people in front Of us began to
stop and gaze at us. The workmen
who were putting down the Nicholson
pavement on either hand stopped and
yelled at u.s. Again I asked my
friend what the trouble was, saying
we were making a sensation. He
looked around again and sure enough
the whole great, broad street was full
Of people directing their voices to our
carriage. They pointed at us and
made EXPLANATIONS that even the
native beside me could not interpret
Five mounted policemen now turned
into the street and began to ride us
down. They cried, "Stoi" ''stoir'
which means ''stop." Now my friend
turned pale. He asked me if my
passport had been returned to the
hotel with the chiefs signature, his
leave for me to stay. I replied that
it had been sent to the officer, but
that as | had not received it did not
know if it was all right.
II expect said he, ''that these Off
GERS are after you" and he called to
the driver to ''stoi.'
When the officers came alongside
unconsciously raised up, ready to be
taken into custody. and looked to see
which one had the handouts.
''See them exclaimed one of the
mounted ge,adarmes.
My friend and I looked at the side
of our horses, expecting to see guilt
of crime, and saw a pull-back strap
hanging loose! The driver got down
and buckled the strap, the officers
rode back, we drove on, and business
in the Broadway of St. Petersburg
was resumed.
The same precautions against fire
are taken in Moscow and St. Peters
burg to-day that were in use a
century ago. Scores Of fre-towers
are everywhere seen. They run up
about seventy-fve to one hundred feet,
are built like lighthouse, with
winding stairway, and have a platform
all around at the top, where the
watchman patrols, day and night. IL
a fire is discovered a signal is given and
the fire department turns out. 1t was
only recently that st. Petersburg, the
capital, with hundreds Of millions of
government property, secured steam
fre-engine And that is poor, old
fashioned affair. The hand-engine
does services there yet, as in most
other cities in the empire. When a
fire breaks out the streets are cleared
for such department display as an
American town would make; people
go wild, talk loud, get in the way,
and when the fire burns out the fire
goes back to watch the
towers for another signal.
| have been in four OR five Of the
largest banks in Russia and many Of
the most extensive commercial and
houses, and nowhere have |
seen figuring done by pen or pencil,
like they do in America and England.
The Chinese counting-machine, seen
in the hands Of John
and Jap in the United States, is
everywhere. 1f you buy pair Of
socks for so kopecks and a handker-
chief for Is kopecks the shopkeeper,
even the brightest and oldest and
most experienced. has to go to his
machine to learn the result rouble,
25 kopecks. | venture that there are
not a dozen bankers in Russia who
would attempt to discount any draft,
Or issue letter of credit, or change a
l0-rouble note into kopecks, without
pushing back and forward for some
time the strings Of colored buttons in
his machine. indicating, numerals.
But it is wonderful how adept some
IF them are in the use of the count
You may buy bill Of
goods ever SO large The salesman
keeps the machine beside him, push
ng out the numerals as the purchases
IRE made, and the instant you call
for your bill he repeats the total.
The Russians were taught most of
heir business knowledge by the
Chinese and Turks, and these count
are yet indispensable in
al oriental places of business.
The stranger wonders how, in st.
Petersburg, for instance, the markets
md shops are kept as clean as they
.re, when the water is so filthy. One
,an smell the water of the Neva,
which furnishes the supply for drink
ng and household purposes. 1t dis
counts the water that used to get
green in the Potomac fats at Wash
ngton. A native tells me the reason
;hings are clean. Every day a health
,fficer goes about, inspecting the
shops and houses. Gendarmaes assist.
f there is any stencil or decay
liscernible, or any filth Of any kind,
he place is arbitrarily closed, and
Kept closed for weeks or months.
There is no recourse, no help for it.
Cleanliness in the commercial centers
S an imperative necessity. Many
1eople have been ruined in business
oy being closed by the officers. Taey
IAN never learn what is wanted. The
,nly reply is: you must keep the
clean.' How clean is not
and there can be no appeal.
Quite as suspicious means are en-
oloyed in collecting the mails as in
controlling the sale Of cigars in
Russian cities. A letter posted in
'treet-box is no more likely to come
nto the hands Of the mail-carrier or
collector than cigars are to pass
through the hands of the vender.
The men who collect the mail have
acks Of sheet-iron, which they first
,asten under the street-box. Then
hey unlock the side Of the box
to crowd in small sheet
ron case. The latter crowds down
md out the case containing the
deposited mail and it is locked. When
he mail GETS into the bag there is