Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-09-26
. NATION OF TEA DRINKERS.
T. ,od and DrIl K OF the Russians
Vodka, Vegetables, Eyo Bread
and Tea.

The Russians are nation OF tea
drinkers, coffee is rare; tea is univer-
s.l. and universally good The best
tea I ever drank was in Russia; they
drink It at all hours, and without re-
gard to quantity-sometimes ten cups
at sitting, and yet, apparently, with
Impunity. Brass urns, in which tea
water Is boiled by means OF a charcoal
tre, are found sver all the empire, they
are called samOvars, and l found II I'M
portant To include in my Russian vo-
cabulary the word ''samOvar. Their
method OF making and drinking tea
has been noticed by all travellers In
their country.
They claim that water at the boiling
point Is destructive TO the good
Qualities of tea, so they draw
their tea water Just below that
point. They use thin glass tumb-
Iers. with ordinary sauceIsi sometimes
tie women use cups. but the men
never. the tea is poured into saucers,
which are held on the upturned ends
of the thumb and fingers of the right
hand milk and cream are rarely used;
a bIcck of cut sugar is held In the LETT
hand. from which they nlbble pieces,
as they slowly sip their delicious, wine
COIOred tea.
These people are called by the Ger
mans tie .'OnIOn Russians," because
OF the quantity OF onions they eat;
they might, with more propriety. be
called a nation of cucumber eaters
Cucumbers are raised IN great quanti-
ties, of excellent quality, and may be
found, picked, anywhere between
Behriug strait and the Baltic Gu
cumber water is "A fIvOrlte hot weather
Leverage, or, n you will permit Gel
ticism, they make their lemonade from
cucumbers. This light beverage, how
ever, IS not sufficient TO allay the thirst
OF the mujik; from LIs abundant rye he
makes powerful brandy, called vodka
that it is high proof is well aJtested 10y
the numerous drunken men over when
one must tread in the streets.
Though | saw In many gardens good
votatoes, cabUages, radishes and turn
ips, the much maligued sunhOwer was
the only apology l saw for Horticulture,
Its seeds are esteemed great deIcacy
10y the young people, and are found
for sale IN every shop. We may regard
the sunfower seeds rs the peanuts ol
the Russian Peasantry.
Their agricultural implements are OF
the rudesu character. Grass Is cu'
with straight, shapeleSs blades, made
at the country blacksmith's shop, anC
attached To the end Of a straight stick
The women do the harvesting; thu
grain Is cut with sickles, as II was cut
5000 years ago; the ground is ploweC
with roots, and narrowed with the
limbs of trees; the grain IS thresheC
with tail.
Black rye bread is the staple article
Of food throughout the empire The
peasants live largely on vegetable diet
meat being reserved for the holidays
they seldom Use u knife and fork, but q
wooden spoon for liquid food, and the
fingers for anything else.
On enc occasion something was
placed before me as / sat at the sam
oyar max lng my tea; glanced fuTtively
and hesItatlngly at II, whereupOn the
woman Of the house threw back an
upper crust with her fingers, and re.
vealed a steaming conglOmeTation OF
little fishes, and encouraged me with :
TeaSsurIng "HOrO sho; hOToshO;" tgOOd
good. The fishes were uneyIsceTated
unbeheaded - in short, undressed
but on discovering among them
the familiar Countenance Of q
little pIckeIel, and determined not
To offend the hospitality of my hos
tess, after the fashion of little jack
Horner, l extracted the pickeTel ate
him up, and true TO the JCritical ETH
quette OF my country, l., too said
"HOrOshO; hOrosho; when the thing
was positively abOminable.