The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-17
THE HOME OF THE CARS.
THE PEOPLE, PALACES AND PRIS-
ONS OF RUSSIA.


sian al-Entertainments thai
Lead the World in Splendor Siberif
and the Exiles-A Glimpse Of the
Czar-Russ!an Superstitions.
Col Charlton H. Way, Consul General K
Russia, will leave New Y ork for st. Peters
burg Nov. 10. Du ing Col. Ways residence
in Russia he has been a close observer of al
things Russian The czars dominious, he
saws. are not what most Americans believe
them to be. Russia Is country OF the
orient. The people and their customs are
. oriental and not as many believe them to
be like other North European nations.
St. Petersburg is IN every way, except
geographically, the great center of the
cars domlnioas. Built in vast plain,
once a swamp, upon the banks of the rive
Neva, it is what Old Peter the Great in
tended it to be-a window through which
he could look out upOn all Europe.
THE WAY TO GET INTO RUSSIA.
Col Way related some very interesting
and amusing incidents of his life there.
It is impossible he says, 10 enter Russia
without a passport, and it is q very
difficult matter 10 get out without one.
Once across the Russian border the police
never take their eyes off from foreigner.
There is no annoyance though, for the Rus
sian police, though strict IN the perform
ance t their duty, are extremely polite The
stories of their tyranny and brutality, Col.
Wa, says, are for the most part eXaggera-
lions. The Russian chief of police, or the
director-general as he is called, is mem
Ter of the priyy council, and his voice
speaks law.
The moment foreigner, or even citi
zen, for that matter, arrives at his hotel or
LON i'm r,l ma is "a
eye of the police.
THE HOUSES OF ST. PETERSBURG.
The entire population of st. Petersburg,
and in fact of all Russian cities live in
apartment houses, which accommodate ten,
twenty and sometimes thirty fami-
lies. There is but one entrance,
which usually leads into a court
yard-the common thoroughfare of all
the tenants. The gateway is in charge
of doorkeeper or divornik, as he is called.
He is sort of boss of the establishment,
and represents the landlord. He Is at the
same time porter, and looks after the
general wants of the tenants. While his
wages are paid by the landlord, he is APP
pointed by the director general of police in
The interest of the government
As soon as a traveller is assigned 70 his
room at hotel, or is settled in his lodgings,
the divornik very politely asks for his pass
port.
"What forln
ITO have you written inv
UNDER THE EYE OF THE POLICE.
To be written in" is TO be registered at
police headquarters. the divornik submits
the passport to the director general of police
and the holder of it is written inn as
Mr.. So-and-So, giving his residence, occu-
patton, family, age, hight ana a general de-
scripton of his person. The divornik is
responsible for the occupants of the house,
and he sees that every one is written in
After that he is free TO come and go at will.
The police register is as complete city
directory as it is possible to make
Every change of residence is re-
ported to the police, and to find
apply at police headquarters. An official
turns to the register: Oh, yes, the person
you are looking for lives in - street. No.
-, second, third or fourth floor, as the
case may be, and room No. -. After
the occupant of the apartment has been
written in" he is very easy to find. The
divornik never loses sight of him.
LIFE AT THE RUSSIAN CAPITAL
1t requires time to become accustomed to
life in st. Petersburg. The Russian capital is
fast city. Outside of the court society, around
which the lines are tightly drawn, and the
exclusive circles, society is much as it is in
Paris. The gay season is in the winter
time. At St Petersburg in midwinter the
sun rises at 10 o'clock in the morning and
sets at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. The
Russian night IN winter is a very long one,
and 1t is equally as short in summer, when
the sun rises ct , o'clock IN the morning
and sets at 10 o'clocS at night. The
great society events, the entertainments,
theatres and balls begin at II o'clock
al night and break up at o'clock in the
NOR ing. The Russian sleeps until Z
O'Clock, drinks cup of coffee III bed, break
fasts at II o'clock and dimes between 6 and
s O'Clock.
ST. PETERsBURG's SOCIETY RAPIDS.
The swell entertainments of Rus
sian society are on the grandest
scale. Col Way told Of one noble
who gave a dinner at which over
200 guests were present, and the entertain
ment cost the giver 500 for every guest,
or $4,000 for the entertainment. The po-
lice were engaged for weeks laying wires
and providing protection against any at
tempt 70 blow up the palace. An army of
cooks and walters was engaged, and the
palace itself was magnifcently decorated
and everything was on scale of splendor.
The residences of the Weather classes are
of enormous size and are large enough, some
of them, to shelter an army. The rich Rus
sian delights to entertain. The Russian has
no national game. He is not an athet. and
does not delight in sports
NO BASE BALL IN RUSSIA
Base ball would not take well with the
Russian. The only outdoor amuse-
ments that he INDUCES In at all
are driving and skating. All Russians
skate. The fashionable drives during
the summer are on the islands of the Neva,
which are laid out in parks. with beautiful
residences-the summer homes of the
wealthy In the winter a portion of the
Neva is kept clear Of snow for skating.
All ladies in Russia skate as well as they
dance
The women of st. Petersburg Col Way
describes as statuesque and beautiful. They
usually have fine, clear compilations, and
always brilliant eyes. The Russians have
broad faces and high cheek bones. What
most strikes the foreigner when he meets
Russian is his apparent imperturbility.
He gazes steadily at a stranger as il won
dering who he is The Russian women are
fine conversationalsts. Tney speak slowly,
but with remarkable istinctness-outside
of the Russian language.
THE COST OF LIVING.
One can live in Russia on the products Of
the country, Col. Way says, as cheaply as
in this country, but on account of the high
duties on importations, whatever enters
Russia from a foreign country is enor-
mously expensive. English woolens, dry
goods, iron, steel and hardware French and
Belgian silks and laces, Partisan gloves and