The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-17
rvrnrrn1Na AMER1oAN coMEs nIeH.

by the inclinations of the peoi lie. Inc rIcn
live at from $4,000 to 100000 year. The
very poor people live on aimosI notnlhs'
and are apparently contented with their lot.
The Russian mujlk or peasant, apparently
bound to the soil living IN howell, sustain
ing life on black bread and sailed cucum-
bers. with few anu ements and long life
{ of toll, is as contented with ms sur
roundings as if he were worth a million
The characteristics of the Russian mer-
chant do not make him a shrewd business
man. The Russian is a "barterer" on
everything from q horse trade TO the sale
| of mis- estate No Russian merchant, If even
he he of the first guild, ever names at once
the price at " len he intends to buy or sell.
In dealing with them the stranger, who is
unused to this practice and IS accustomed
to see fixed prices in all mercantile commu-
bifjes. is very apt TO be taken in, to the sur
prise as well as to the profit of the Rus IAN
negOtator.
THE RUSSIAN MERCHANT.
In every large city or town the eastern
| bazarn ian aggregation of small shops and
open places is a prominent feature. They
are tenauted by small merchants or dealers,
and it is in that locality that the system OF
| bargaining holds high revel You are
asked 81 for an article. If you decline and
start to leave the shop, you are at once
asked, What will you give| Accustomed
to this manner of dealing, you offer Soc,
| and are at once met with a counter offer of
| the article at 81 80. Finally, much depend
| ing on the indifference manifested, the
article is sold at 81, or perhaps at your
! original offer Of Soc"
The Russian, Col Way says, is no specula-
| tor. There is no Wall street in st. Peters
burg. If the Russian gets rich, it is by plod-
| ding.
OPEN ARMS FOR AMERICANS.
There is a great opening in Russia for
| American goods, Col. Way SAYS. In fact,
| the Russians welcome everything American,
and the people of this country are received
with open arms A great deal thai
has been written about Russia, the
| land of the nihilists, and which
has appeared in the American newspapers,
| Col. Way says, is greatly exaggerated. The
| horrors of Siberia have been written up so
much that many people have come {"
| believe that TO can exile TO Siberia is worse
than death There are only two offenses in
Russia punishable with death. They are
sacrilege and offenses against the govern
ment. To be exiled to Siberia is what it is
to be sent to the penitentiary in Georgia.
Russia has no penitentiary system.
THE HOME OF THE EXILEs.
Siberia has an area of 5000, 900 square
| miles, not quite 100000 miles greater
than the United States and Alaska
Millions of acres are capable of producing
great quantities of grain. There are valleys
whose soil Is as rich as the
delta of the Nile and mines
OF vast mineral wealth. The only outlet
| for those immense products is along the
| shores of the frozen ocean, and past the tor
tuous and shifting currents of Nova Zembla.
| The purpose of the government in sending
| its prisoners to Siberia is to populate and
| open up the country. Two years ago Rus ia
| had 10l 600 prisoners The number of polit-
ical prisoners, Col. Way says, is very small.
| Thei no doubt have been cruelties practiced
in Siberia, but in the past few years there
has been a great reform In the Russian
prison system. A great number Of exiles
to Siberia are worthless people who are
not wanted in their native country.
TO CoLoNIzE SIBERIA.
A worthless peasant, for instance, who
fails to support his family and is an
altogether useless member of society, is
liable to exile The government
looks into his case, and if it is
deemed advisable, he is transported to
| Siberia. His family may go with him, and
| there he has a far better opportunity for a
| livelihood than he had in his native village
| The car has taken a deep interest i'll the
Russian convict system, and he has done
much to reform the abuses which existed
| until few years ago.
Speaking of the car, Col. Way says that
he is entirely different from what he is
often pictured. good deal has bsen
| written about the way in which he is
guarded by soldiers to prevent his assas
sination by the nihilists.
THE CzAR HIMSELF.
Col. Way says that the car is often seen
riding, attended by the director general OF
| police, but there is no such surveillance as
many people suppose that there is. He
often rides and walks unattended by any
body guard, and is as democratic in his
appearance on ordinary occasions as the
ordinary man. On state occasions, how
ever, he rides in orien al splendor. The
Russian court is the home of ceremony, and
every presentation to the car is marked
by a display that is seldom seen at any
other European court.
st. Petersburg is a monument to the
achievements of the cZars. Its public build
ings cover an area OF nearly four square
miles. After one has seen its splendid
palaces and the treasures of the Kremlin,
| Col. Way says that every other place but
| Paris seems tame.
SUGGESTIONS OF THE PEOPLE.
The Russian people as a whole are not
an educated people, though the universities
of Russia are among the most renowned IN
the world The people are superstitious in
| the greatest degree. Col. Way relates a
number of the superstitions which exist
among all classes. On the festival Of St
John the Baptist no Russian will handle
any thing that is round, since it reminds
him of the head of John the Baptist. 1t is
impossible to buy an apple or potato on that
day. A druggist will not fill a prescription
for pills, but he will prepare the medicine
in different form. st. Petersburg is the
home of crows. They hover over the city
and light in focks upon the houses. The
people will not harm them because they
| resemble the ravens that fed Elijah. There
are thousand other superstitions that are
common among the people and which are
religiously believed.
RUssIAs DEATH RATE.
A serious drawback to living in st.
Petersburg is the unhealthfulness Of the
city Out OF population of 10000 the
number Of deaths last year was "a 900, OF
80 out of every 1000. In the provinces the
rate is still higher. The mortality of chill
dren between the ages of l month and
years is extraordinary, but the Russian
people are a strong, vigorous aud prolific
race, and despite this death rate among the
younger children, census reports show a
gain each year.
st. Petersburg Is in the heart of a malarial
section. The ice on the Neva breaks up the
latter part of April and then all st. Peters
burg moves into the country for the sum
mer. The temperature in midsummer never
| voeq ahOva QD0