Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-07-24
THE RUSSIAN CAPITAL,
= SAD CITY WITH A STRANGE
LACK OF LIFE,
"St impressions of St. Peter.t,r,,
'h''eaithy fosition-Coarsenes. 81 a..
Lower Classes--Tbe DrosLo -,
erent Driyer--At chur,t,

Inc iifst impression of the travalor -,
approaching st. Petersburg is of vonaar
~ us SIZE and its position. On every lido
stretches Of what is apparently a low fat
marsh covered with innumerobIo h',i1d
ilgS' the strangest place for n city ovan
CHOSEN by the obstinate will Of NAV, sao1.
ing 10 dispense with all natural ad,or
1age8. Peter the Great chose If n i 80
as Deihg "a window looking out unon
europe but surely site might have
9eeh found with an equal outlook and q Ioss
Iesoiate ana fatal position. Unlike Stool
nolih' which is likewise surrounded t,,
water out which sits on her rocky ~ ro,r,o ~
e4 y ueen above the dangerous element
o. petersburg lies helplesslv at IT,
merry IN autumn, when the Neva Ia
u.pusn ana stormy, and in spring. when
ene ice Is breaking up, the danger is
greatest The waves rise to the level ~
INC streets, the numerous canals overa IN,
guns from the fortress are cone+o,,+I,,
nLe9 10 warn the people of their pcriI
WINE the inhabitants seek the ,rr,na,.
stories OF their houses and the polico nre.
pare boats for rescue. Another conse.
quehce OF this marshy situation ia its nm
healthlness, The sewage is not nronerIv
carried oil, the water is undrinkable and
oysentery and similar diseases nrevai1
whenever the friendly frost is not present
70 turn everything to ice. Peter tba
Nreat did not build his capital in ignor-
ance Of what he was doing. He laid it's
foundation upon human lives For MANY
years 4Q,OOO men were annually drafted
from all portions Of his empire TO work in
TINS poisonous marsh. Every cart and
vessel entering the port was obliped ia
Dflng certain number of stones to nave
us streets, and hundreds Of thousands Of
wooden piles were buried in its depths
sou was also brought in In great ouanti
Ties to raise the level of the place and
MASSIVE granite quays built along the
RAPID river but nothing has availed TO
prevent disastrous foundations. seven or
eiSht OF which are particularly mentioned
since the foundations were laid in 1903.
AT one tune the river rose thirteen feet
But 1t Is not only the want of elevation
and OF plcturesqueness that is depressing
10 the visitor; it is no less the wide desc.
1atioh OF the vast open spaces of the city.
from the busy moving multitudes and
crowded quays Of Stockholm we have
come to quiet and deserted squares. end.
less rows OF immense buildings. mo-
notonous grandeur and regularity. 1t is
evident that there are not enough people
70 MI It's streets, and it is a positive re-
lief to enter the few thoroughfares where
business and life is conferred such as the
Nevsky Prospect. Of course, in winter.
when the court is here and the richest
citizens come III from their summer homes
In Finland and the islands. when the
sle1ghlng IS lively and ell the gayeties of
the season in vogue, st. Petersburg would
show to much greater advantage.
We had been told that the contrasts of
luxury and poverty on the streets would
be most painful, and we expected to meet
beggary On every hand, but such has not
proved to be the case. There are always
beggars al the church doors, but seldom
elsewhere, and poverty is by no means SO
obvious and distressing as in MANY cities.
1t is not the poverty, but the coarseness,
almost brutality, in the lower classes that
impresses you most wildly. The men
that you meet in their sordid rags or
their undressed sheepskins seem not to
need nor desire any better raimeut 1t is
suitable to them. Wild of face, with
/ long, tangled hair, and inexpressibly
- = O-'e- &C. VI '--N' Nut Ae q 9OtiuS
A-s' you II, slL!AN rom IaIHer IMAM pity
mem, ne pc IIe9 uIg". Dy Iclstol are
seen ~ " Let'rI tII! Iea4IS. y ne women
are 4e9s Iol'''1otilsr ouI WIN niue lnteI4l-
/ GeAce OF Sood AuAot. actually nave
never seen a slh!ie nor Aeard a laugh IN
ihe streets SINCE we nave oeen
/ mere NoOo"y uAoersNaAIS OF wishes
+ 10 Understand YOU the poor are
suAeu' tAe "el-1o-uo careless or IN
soIeA'' anu men mere Is 50 HucH lna'
/ Is strange aug u1'eIIs foreign TOT some
/ 10 Us, uAeAl banned reason ILe uat OF Inc
uioht vi, are changed lou tno4SA0 u was
tue @V ,,i u aug g. u iIl-o ~ - 5 5!e
2'A. 4ne I'-ss-'-.1 ~ Fi.i'oes - very ~
4eteu' 4lo'5l U"lS' "l u 'II9 H0ilis9 % lHe
streets anu S-I slslIs o'eI me ,Ie sno
might rs Wen PC written III huiilc' As
+ very lew OF tAe A~1ites' however are
better Oh JAaA y9l'IselI III TINS respect
/ the sAopheepef:s 40 n41 lfust 70 lHe d
/ PAaoeS ioF SCI Ing Iyrlh men ares;
nave COM iulHeu ol we wait Vi me Il
the streets Iil's. H-a' Ne, al TAcg9 loL
III IaYof OF tue uIosAaS' 4nese NUS car
rlaSes ily ABOUT II every ulIecIIou' Iol
every BODY rlGes- lou LOOK down one % o.
f the long qua!9 perhaps ana see no -" aIA
ers no loungeFS' out you are sure - So pr
drosk2ls., 4Aey are sllal-, low e enc
eaeh Aol1lns ,"o pa5se4 80 .I ~ l.,
driver on a h'su se,y IL lIouI Ci@ - ~ L
long blue blouse win q ie"iIeI s'r ~
and pecqiAar, cap on On ms nel.l aI ~
horses with tner nr8e "-DIeo o owi
lars are active anu gen. o an,
apparently WEI B.. tfea'et, AM, ullI II Es 40,
know enough russian an. 10 mas maze q "a,
gain you VIII ma CHlS lg ra Il 81 ,, ce-
ST cheap anu col-'eLlS' 6 6y ., " 'e =
tainly sonyenienJ' { you nave s2.a onIg gor y
raise your hand ana drosAas S ,E; low low
upon you hNe H4LlaFes On pa, i u tF prey eS
sometimes Josihns each f GreF ~ ~ 'i.s'I o e1L