Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-08-22
TIE RUSSIAN CAPITAL.
a SAC CITY WITH A STRANGE
LACK or LIFE.

/ Unhealthy Fosition--Gearseness of the
! Lower Cl.sses--Tho Droska and Ats Rev
erent Drivur-At Church.
The first impression of the traveller on
approaching st. Petersburg Is Of wonder
ct It's size and its position. On every side
stretches of what Ii apparently low. fat
marsh. covered with innumcrablo build
ings; the strongest place for "a city ever
chosen by the obstinate win Of man. seek.
| ing to dispense with all natural advan.
| tages. Peter the Great chose II, II IL said.
as being "a window looking out upon
/ Europe" but surely site might have
been found with an equal outlook and less
desolate and fatal position. Unlike Stock
| holm, which II likewise surrounded by
water but which sits on her rocky thrones
| like a queen above the dangerous element,
st. Petersburg lies helplessly at Its
mercy. In autumn, when the Neva Is
rough and stormy. and in spring, when
the leo Is breaking up. the danger IL
| greatest. The waves rise to the level of
/ the streets. the numerous canals overflow;
| guns from the fortress arc constantly
fired to warn the people of their peril.
/ while the inhabitants seek tho upper
stories Of their houses and the police pre-
1 pare boats for rescue. Another conse-
quence Of this marshy situation Ii It's I'M
healthincss, The sewage is not properly
carried OF, the water Is undrinkable, and
| dysentery and similar diseases prevail
whenever the friendly frost Is not present
to turn everything to ice. Peter the
Great did not build his capital In ignor
ance of what he was doing. lie laid its
foundation upon human lives. For many
years 10000 men were annually drafted
from all portions of his empire to work in
this poisonous marsh. Every cart and
vessel entering the port was Obliged to
bring "A certain number of stones to pave
| its streets. and hundreds of thousands of
wooden piles were buried in it's depths.
/ Soil was also brought In In great quaint.
ties TO raise the level of the place, and
massive granite quays built along the
rapid river; but nothing has availed to
1 prevent disastrous foundations, seven or
eight of which are particularly mentioned
since tho foundations We're laid In 1908.
At one time the river rose thirteen feet
But II is not only the want OF elevation
and Of picturesqueuess that IL depressing
to the visitor; ii il no less tho wide DESC
lation of the vast open spaces of the city.
From tho 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. II Is
evident that there arc not enough people
to fill its streets, and IL Is positive re-
lief to eater the few thoroughfares where
business and life is centered, such as tho
Nevsky Prospect. OF course. in winter,
when the court Is here and the richest
citizens come in from their summer homes
In Finland and the islands, when the
sleighing is lively and all the gayeties of
the season In vogue, st. Petersburg would
show 10 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 coarsencss
almost brutality, In the lower classes that
impresses you most wildly. The men
that you meet In their sordid rags oil
their undrcssed shecpskins seem not Il
need nor desire any better raiment. Ii /.
suitable 10 them. Wild of face, with
long, tangled hair aud inexprcssibl,
dirty. often half drunk, but never scring
ing, you shrink from rather than pitt
them. The pictures drawn by Tolstoi ar,
seen to b. fearfnily realistic The women
are less forbidding. but with little intelli
gcnee or good humor Actually | hay
never seen a smile nor heard laugh Ii
the streets since we have beer
here, Nobody understands or wishe
10 understand you; the poor ar
sullen, the wcll.to-do careless or In
solent. And then there il 30 much tina
i is strange mud utterly foreign For SEINE
: to us. unexplained reason tho days of tn
month are changed. fou Thought ii wa
i the goth of Augnst-you find it Is til
! sth. The russian alphabet is very dill
feront from ours, ard the names OF tn
j streets and the signs over the shop
! might as well be written In Ruuic. A
| very few of the natives, however ar
better of than yourself in this respect
the shopkeepors do not trust to tho u
, phabet Tor setting forth their wares.
! have complained of the want of life |
p the streets. | must make an exceptio
In favor Of tho drnskas. These little ca
\ riages lily about in every direction, fo
4 everybody rides. You look down one 1
: tile long quays perhaps and see no wall
: ers no loungers. but You are sure TO SC
d droskas. They are small. low vehicle.
d each holding two passengers, with
d driver ON a high scat In front clad in
: long blue blouse, with a leather grid
II and a peculiar cap ON his head. II
II horses, with their huge arched co
/ lars, nrn active aud gentle an
Il apparently we'll treated. and II yo
= know enough Russian 10 make ba
II gain. ven Will find this method of tral
- sit cheap and convenient one IL Is &C
: tainly convenient, You have only
+ raise your hand and droskas sweep dow
: upon you like yultares on their pre-
sometimes iostling each other IN their e
deavor To reach you the first. but as MOI
of the drivers know a word of anythiI
but Russian. you may not find ii yei
Il easy TO make them comprehend whe
i. you want TO 70. This difficulty oyrrcom
d. however. you viii soon DO spinning at
r. rapid rate over the badly paved street
II You will probably soon notice the driv,
u snatch of his cap. wave Ii Ia the air. an
ii replacing il, make n nasty sign OF Il
| cross by touching Ire forehead. breast Al
II each shoulder In succession. This Is whit
he church Is passed. and such recognize
ID OF tho sacred oditiccs ard shrines Is cor
d mon among both walkers and riders.
a There Is no nation probably SO dsvotl
III TO religious forms as tho kussian--ce
Al tainly none which believes so implicit
d. In the value If signs and genunexiun
III II Is strange enough to watch the eroY
al Which fills tho church during servi
nr timp. There arc never any seats: d
IS rich and poor. stand together; bat
>, place Of standing quietly. or. at mos
ut kneellng occasionally. like the cougreR
| tion IN Catholic church. the whole DO.