Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-17
9ai1Y VI eagle
DRIVER AND DROSKY.
PRESENTATIONS OF RIDING IN ST. Pc
TERSBURG'S FAvORlTe VEHICLE.
Whirling Round Street Corner Like
Mad-The Jshvoshtpik and His Horse.
Sleeping Between Drives-Peculiar Har-
ness-The Right of Way.

Mad-The Ishvoshtnil1 and His Horse.
Sleeping Between Drives-Peculiar Har-
ness-The Right of Way.
The drosky is an institution that ought to
be introduced into the states. There is one
in Washington, owned and used by Mr. Alex.
Greger, the secretary OF the Russian legation,
and it is q great curiosity; but they would be
very useful and popular in ali our cities, par
ticularIy If they could be drawn By Russian
horses. There is as much fascination in rid
ing in a droslly as in a gondola in Venice,
and it is the frs thing the traveller wants TO
do when he arrives in Petersburg. He viii
send his bags by the omnibus, and 60 to the
hotel in a drosky. It is q low vehicle, the
floor being scarcely more than foot from
the ground, on four wheels not much larger
than those Of wheclbarrow-a sort Of
miniature victoria. The ishvOshtnik, or dTi-
yer, sits on high perch far above the heads
OF the passengers, who have low, marrow,
backleSs seat over the hind wheels 1t is not
uncomfortable, but the sensation at first is
alarming, particularly when you are whiz-
Zing around a corner, for the drivers always
go like mad and you wish there was some
thing to hold on to. You fasten your hand
on the seat with a 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 Ike elsewhere.
One can find poor horses in Russia ! suppose,
but very few in Petersburg or the other large
cities. They arc tall, long legged animals,
with slender bodies and limbs, long silken
names and tails, tho latter nearly always
reaching TO the ground, small heads, small
feet, large, intelligent eyes, and necks arched
like the chargers one sees in pictures Of tho
Bedouins in the desert | always thought
that such horses were the creation Of the art
ISIS, but Russia is full Of them. The ish
voShtnik is always proud Of his horse il he
has good one, and treats him much better
than he does his wife Nearly all the time
he is disengaged the ishvoshtnik is either
petting or rubbing his horse, and at inter-
walls he brings out little nose bag from
under the seat, to feed him oats or meal.
Not ono in ten of these characters has a
home, and not one in ten of these splendid
horses knows the inside of stable They
live in the harness, in the open air summer
and winter. being always on duty, eating
when opportunity offers, and sleeping in
their droskies between drives. Every hour
or two the driver takes nose bag full Of
and in the streets of the cities convenient ar
engagements have been made for the accom-
mediation of this important class of the popu-
lation. Water troughs are erected at inter
walls, small packages of hay, oats and meal
are sold at the shops along the way side, and
the ishvoshtnis gets his coffee and his meat
ct tho same places, feeding, as he lives, with
his horse Both horses and masters seem
ma 10 ira al ole
The drivers are always cheerful and good
natured, and the horses always ready to
start off like whirlwind as soon as 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 of the horse is as light as |
leather can be made, none of the straps be- |
asg more than half an inch in width, and |
most OF them are round, not larger than q |
lead pencil There is no breechen because |
there are no grades in Petersburg; the coun-
try is perfectly level. There are no binders
on the Bride for the horse fears nothing: he |
will walk up to q locomotive with as much |
indifference mis- master. He never SHES, |
never gets ratified, never runs away, but is |
perfectly obedient to the voice of his master |
There ars no traces, as the vehicle Is drawn |
by the tbills, which are made fast to the heavy |
collar with high hoop over the horses neck |
The collar is part Of the drosky, not Of the |
harness, for when the horse is taken away
from the vehicle the collar goes with tho
latter.
The hoop over the horses neck, which CON
meets the ends Of the thills and looks ike an |
exaggerated, badly formed horseshoe, is
called tho 'duga,' and underneath the apex,
on equipageS in the country, is fastened a
big bell-sometimes two or three bells
which jangle so loudly thct they may be
heard a half milo away. The purpose OF the
bell is TO announce the coming OF the horse
man, TO frishten away tho wolves that infest
the country roads, and TO warn other travel
ers upon narrow and dangerous highways
against collisions. The 6roskics in the cities
were formerly decorated with bells, but they
made such a din that the government issued
an edict 10 abolish them. Now, when the We
hicle Is approaching corner at high rate Of
speed, and it never goes slowly, the driver
announces his coming bya shout-a peculiar,
prolonged tone like the gondolicrS use at
Venice. In the winter bells are necessary, !
for their sledgcS arc noiseless and tie ordi-
nary speed is great.
did not sec a whip during my entire stay
in Petersburg, but tho ishvoshtnik keeps up
continual one sided conversation with his
Eeet footed partner, now encouraging him
with tender, caressing epithets; now singing
him with SARCASM and taun;S of scorn, and
again hurting at tbs hoTSe profnne explosives.
The effective Of the drivers voice is peculiar
and powerful, and an observant rider VIII be
in studying thi. odd relationship.
Now the stallion, and only stations are used,
is precious to the SOUL Of the ishvoshtnik.
or is his tender dove q few moments later
be is accused of being something entirely
in terms that cannot be printed
here, and .he horse seems to understand every
word.
When the reins ere frightened the horse
goes; when they are relaxed he stops. The
drivers also Use a queer sound made by roll
ing the tongue, o sort Of troll-ll-ll-ll-ll-n
which means business. When the horse
hears that he strsighters himself out and
goes for ali lie is worth. They never so
slowly, but in the most reckless fashion, the
drivers Jeerlng and shouting &t esch other !
as they pass, with good humored banter, |
while the pedestrian takes the best care Of
himself he can. People seldom cross the
street at a walk, unless il is deserted They
give a look in one direction, then in the .
other, and gathering their skirts around /,
them, run for their lives. Vehicles ALWAYS
have the right of way, and IL is = popular
tradition that the hospitals are established |,
solely for the treatment of untorrlnates who
have been run over.-William EIeroy Curtis !
in Chicago News.
An Hwful Scare.
Society Belie-Mo;her, Mr.. De Grass has -.
nrDroSej md | hive accented