The Dickinson press., 1888-04-07
DRIV Err AND DROSKY.
FAscINATIoNs OF RIDING IN ST. Pc.
TERsBuRG's FAvoRlTE VEHICLE.
Whirling Round q Street Corner Like
SIad-The Ishvosl,tnik and His Horse.
Sleeping Between Drivcs-Pcculiar Har-
ness-The Right of Way.

Mad-Ihe lshvoSltnik and His Horse.
Sleeping Between Drivcs-Pcculiar Har-
ness-The Right of Way.
The drosky is an institution that ought to
be introduced into the states. There is one
i'll Washington, owned and used by Mr. Alex.
Greger. the secretary of the Russian legation,
and it is great curiosity: but they would be
very useful and popular in all our cities par
tirularly if they could he drawn by Russian
horses. There is as much fascination in rid
ing i'll a drosky in a gondola in Venice,
and it is the first thing the traveller wants to
do when he arrives in Petersburg He will
send his bags 10y the omnibus and 20 to the
MOTEL i'll drosky. 1t is low vehicle. the
floor being scarcely more than n foot from
the ground, on four wheels not much larger
than those of n wheelburrow-a sort of a
miniature victoria. The ishvoshtnik. or dri-
vcr. sits Oh high perch far above the heads
OF the passengers, who have Il low. narrow,
hackless scat over the hind wheels 1t is not
uncomfortablc. but the sensation ut first is
alarming, particularly when you are wh!z-
zinS around n corner, for the drivers always
80 like mad, and you wish there was some
thing L" hold on to. You fasten Your hand
on the seat with II good grip, and cling to
Your fellow passenger, if you have one.
The horse that draws you, and the driver
who holds the reins are both Russian institu-
tioNS, and You won't find their like elsewhere.
O!c can find poor horses i'll Russia | suppose,
bi' very few III Petersburg or the other large
cities They are tall, long legged animals,
with slender bodies and limbs. long silken
names and tails, the latter nearly always
reaching tn the ground, small heads, small
feet. large, intelligent eyes, and necks archetl
lili" the chargers one sees i'll pictures of the
Be,!ouins in the desert. l always thought
TINT such iioi'>cs We're The creation of the art
lists, but Russia is full OF them. The iSil-
voshtnik is always proud of his horse, if he
has Il good one, and treats him much better
than he does his wife Nearly all the time
he is discnSagcl the ishvoshtnik is either
petting or rubbing his horse and at inter-
walls he brings out a little nose lag from
under the seat. to feed him oats OF meal.
Not one i'll ten of these chariutccrS has n
home. and MOI one in ten of these splendid
horses knows the inside of II stable They
live III the harness, in the open air summer
and winter. being always "n duty. eating
when opportunity offers, ard sleeping in
their tir"Sliies between drives. Every hour
OF two tile driver takes nose bag full of
oats from under his seat To feed his animals
and in the streets of he cit les convenient an
| rangrinrutS have been ln;,l" for the ac,.u!.l-
inm'iatnu of this important class of the l,opu-
latiun Wafer tr"ugl> are erected at inter-
walls, small packages of hay, oats and meal
are sold at the shops along the way side. and
the iShvuShtuk gets his coffee and his meat
at the >;li.c places, feeding. as he lives. with
his horse Both horses and masters seem
never I" tire. both are always on the ,.lert
The drivers are always cheerful and good
naturel, and the horses always ready to
start off like whirlwind as soon rs they get
the word. Neither seem to care for the cold
or rain, and the one is about as much an
animal as the other.
The harness uf the horse is as light as
leather can he made. none If the straps be-
ing more than half an inch in width, and
most ui them are round, not larger than a
lead pencil. There is no hreechen because
there are no grade, in Petersburg: 1liero,ill-
try is perfectly level There are no Flinders
nn the bride. for The horse fears nothing: he
Will walk npt" II lp,".mutiN" with as much
Indifference n, hi> master He never She's
never gets ratified. never runs away. but is
perfectly olt',.i"ui la TIL" voice III his master
There are itar,... ,> the vehicle is drawn
by the thii~ which are made fast 1oIhe heavy
collar will! /" high hoop over til" i!olsc's neck
The collar is Il part of the ,ir',>ky. not of the
harness, for when the horse is taken away
from the vehicle the collar goes with the
latter.
The hoop over the horses neck, which con-
meets the ends of the thills and looks like an
exaggerated. badly formed horseshoe. is
called the "duga,' and underneath the apex,
Oh equipages in the country. is fastened n
biz bell-somctimes two or three bells
which ianse loudly that they may be
heard half mile away. The purpose of the
hell is I" announce the coming of the horse
man, To frightcn away the wolves that infest
the country roads, and to warn other travel
c's upon narrow and dangerous highways
against collisions. The droskic, in the cities
were formerly decorated with bells, but they
made such a din that the government issued
an edct to abolish them. Now, when the We
hice is approaching a corner at n high rate of
speed, and it never goes slowly, the driver
announces his coming by shout-a peculiar,
prolonged tone like the goncloliers Use at
Venice. In the winter bells are necessary,
for their ,ieCiges are noiseless and the oldi-
nary speed is great.
did not sce /, whip during my entire stay
III fcttfsUufS, Eut tuf. laIlFOSntnlk Keeps up
a cont iula one sided conversation with lis
fleet footed partner, now encouraging him
with tender, caressinS cpthets; now singing
him with sarcasm and taunts of scorn and
again liurling ct the horse profane cxpletiycs
The effective of the drivers voice is peculiar
and powerful, and All observant rider will be
Interested i'll studying this odd relationship
Now the stallion, and only stations are used,
sis precious To the SOUL of the ishvosht,ik,
Or Is his tender dove; few moments later
he is accused of being something entirely
different. in terms that cannot be printed
here, and the horse seems to understand everv
word
When the reius are frightened the horse
goes; when they are relaxed he stops. The
drivers lso Use queer sound made by roll
ing the tongue, n sort of troll-l-ll-ll-ll-ll
which means business When the horse
hears that he straightcns himself out and
goes for all H. is WORTH They never 20
slowly, b;t in the mos, reckless fashion. tie
drivers jeeFiu-: and shouting at each ether
us they l';.s'-, With good hunorcl banter.
w'i.c thr Pedestrian takes the lest care of
himself h" can. People seldom eros, the
street III walk. unless it is deserted. They
give q look in "ne direction. then in the
otlier. and gathering their skirts around
them, run for their lives. Vehicles always
have the right of way. and it is popular
tradition that the hospitals arc established
solely for the treatment Of uuf"rtunates who
have been run "ver.-Wi!iiam Eieroy Curtis
in fh,,:,ro News