The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-31
D THE UKRAINE.
Us Stevens Ride From
Moscow to the Crimea.
.,.sr NILES or sunFLowERs.
-. II Every Degree Eat suniower
-. = the American Circus
Goer Mats Peanuts.
New YORK World.

New YORK World.
~-.~rrsosRAD, July O.-This is .
z ....n tTo days ride south Of Khar-
: .. are nov getting well into the
..-s The most striking feature OF the
e ss.~.,.e i big fields OF sunfiowers. and
- persistent inhabitant Of the coun-
r.. I. sbe rreen horse-fg. My horse,
81. q q sctiye, render-skinned animal.
q a. do Jour miles an hour on one loot
n an dies With the other three, but the
- sead horse-fiies of the Russian steppe
soxiy worrying him towards an I'M
~ ssussge machine.
IA pns,ia nibbles sailed sunf3ower seeds
:. r,oments OF leisure. Imagine half
.;,;r.cs Of the United States carrying.
h',usIIv. supply of peanuts around in
s - ,orfets and nibBling them continual
nd YOU have hardly exaggerated idea
A. UBIQUITOUS part played by the saited
lover SEED in Russian life. In the cir
d. + the theater, in the Offices, the shops.
sss-houses. the city streets, the village
s.~toop, men, women, girls and boys,
sssnrs. mobiles, merchants, soldiers
sxbody, everywhere, eats sailed sum
~ seeds.
III. = supply this universal taste that
er.ssnds OF acres of these gorgeous flow
-. cultivated here on the northern
s lsirs Of the Ukraine.
p.ople Who have only seen the big sun
1'ssr g eardan ornament can have only
- conception of the magnificent sight
fraed by forty-acre field of these gor-
- yellow blossoms. / first saw field
fkem In the morning, when every big,
md. golden face, without an exception
q lie myYiads, was looking toward the
~ The scene was striking. and sug-
~vfe6 ! vast multitude of floral Aztecs
r7shfpping the morning sun. Not being
rsuainted with the habits of the sunf1ower
|l1ondered ail the morning whether these
y,hipful faces would, in the evening, be
md toward the west. So / watched
~ 6klds as We rode along and learned,
HI every other reader of the World very
He!y knows already, that the sundower
ivsys turns its face to the east
KussIA's NATIONAL FLOWER.
fh9e was, believe, a short time ago, a
ursioa regarding the propriety of choos-
~ NATIONAL flower for the United States,
"a considerable sentiment was disclosed
n fsyos Of the sunf1ower. Could Ameri-
caas see one Of those broad fields in full and
s1daat blossom the sunfiower undoubtedly
ruaH carry the day.
lpHoTing up this train of thought. the
hind naturally revorts to period of the
Is distant past, when slim gentleman in
3R-breeches, long hair and with q big
n1oxer in his button-hole. emerged from
= logs OF London to create passing
Rer among us in favor Of the floral mon
- Of the Little Russian steppes.
he sunfiower crop is one of the best
ring in Russia. A good crop is worth,
na stands in the field, 100 rubles des-
tive, or about SIS an acre. The seeds
II sold by the farmer for TX TO 2
1hes pood. Then the merchants salt
IN and retail them for 4 rubles n pood,
= 1t about every street corner in Russian
usincial cities are stands and peddlers
. baskets. selling to the passers-by the
6ted product OF the big sunfiower. In
& field the sunflowers are sowed in rows
Dc the drilled corn" of the Kansas
smeT, and. like corn, are cultivated and
I'D up with shovel plows.
TOUGH GLASSES.
! he custom of clinking glasses before
.<snking is as old as the hills in Russia.
Ben and when it reached the United
oaks have never heard. but venture to
mt that few who indulge il. it are
|tnfe OF its real significance. A glass of
hot is expected by the Russian to APP
~ to all i've of the senses. The liquor
ElAe bottle and in the glass appeals CRATE
~ 10 the sense OF sight. The sense of
Aeh Is pleasantly gratified as the brini-
ing glass is raised Upward The nose
|uafes you. ere you place the wine to your
that it is indeed your favorite brand,
] I'd Is you drink the senses OF taste and
t1ach tussle with each other in Joyous
|nulry from the tip of your tongue almost
Eksn into your boots. Only the sense of
hzr'ng has been neglected by the process
u drinking. 1t is 10 crafty this fifth
knse that the Russian, before drinking.
haches glasses with his companions.
The peasants of Little Russia seem to be
tsen more superstitious that the mouths of
ne norihern forests. A few days ago we
1titd for noon at little village when the
n<n we're all away AT work. The fields be-
hgiag to a village are often several versts
essy. So uneventful is the life of these
peeple that the appearance OF couple of
Rtnsers on horseback dressed differently
non themselves is an event of portentous
Possibilities.
PEASANT SUGGESTIONS.
The woman from whom we demanded
|,nelter and feed for our horses crossed her
|>tt several times and turned pale She
|Etned the gate. however. and brought us
|5af. Afraid to approach US. she placed the
|ssy inside the gate and retreated. We went
no the house TO see about getting samo-
|nF 70 make tea. The poor woman was
|saaklng with fear. but was too frightened
soppo3e US in anything We might wish to
|M Jae children avoided US and watched
i fu3uvely from a distance.
Uni fhsa hns,Sau fosfaS 10 o~s>ru
flyes before the icons, or holy pictures,
= Ye corner. This sacrilegious omission
pck new terror to the heart of our I'M
Ang hostess. who decided then and there
az We we're pair of anti-Christs, come
" sseal away the souls of the family. She
|sIossed herself several times whenever we
spose 10 her and despatched one of the
I >a~rufen 10 summon a neighbor.
iae neighbor arrived in the form of an
Rsasssnt erone, who was probably the VII
~ Laakharka, a mysterious individual to
|sae villagers. half witch, half ouack, but TO
|sle better educated wholly knave. After
- ssssins us awhile and talking the mat
- . over, the Zuakharka prescribed piece
= s,ead wet with holy water as the most
.s.s.y tnlng to counterfeit any evil designs
nmlgnt have on the household.
W January every year quantity of
-. ~SAft1 ca ~ tAiC CuQICucS vi NUS
- where II is converted into holy water
3 zoe blessings OF the priests. Every or
-, ..saox Russian carries home q bottle of
- - water and keeps il in the house. II is
S,sssosed to be efticacious for many all
-Tsaa1ss both bodily and spiritual.
~. poor woman now produced her
sselous bottle of holy water, and pouring
-. sse on pieces Of bread. gave a piece TO
-. A. o. the children and to q young calf
krself. As ioon' one 'iien a'e piece
aeF terror of us was so genuine that
- - oascha try 10 calm her fears. He pro-
-. nom his bosom the miniature icon
- aad been given him by his mother at
- osglnning OF the journey. and assured
somsn that he also was Christian.
~ moment her suspicious were aIlayed.
- 49, lot very thankfulness she knelt and
sss herself many times. Then il
-. .el 10 occur 10 her that Sascha's icon
- PROBABLY worn for purposes OF decep-
a. 49, a. 4.