The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-07-28

Jehus. All the horses here 20 on the fast trot
all the time i see carriages racing past me
every day at a terrible pace, and the whole
Russian outfit is perpetually on the 20.
The Nevski Prospect, which is the Fifth Ave-
nue. or, rather, Broadway of St Petersburg is
more than 100 feet wide. 1t is about four miles
long and is cut up by cross streets. On each
side OF it there is driveway paved with wood,
and il is on these that the carriages race from
morning till night. All 20 to the right in
passing. and the policemen who are stationed
in the center of the road at every cross-street
keep perfect order.
There seems 10 be no law against fast driv.
ing here, bat there are no collisions. and the
best of order prevails everywhere The horses
most used are black stations such as would
bring thousand dollars a pair anywhere in
America. and the horses driven in many of the
hired droschkies or cabs would with us be
worth $500 apiece.
But what is droschky? Well. thought !
knew before came to Russia but / found j
did not. 1t is sort of j baby Victoria, or an
American carriage cut down to half size. Its
four wheels are no bigger than those of safety
bicycle. and Its body Is not more than foot
from the ground. 1t has, as rule, no back,
and when the Russian gentleman drives out
with lady he is supposed to support the back
of his partner with his arm. / see such couples
here on the Neyski every day, and the custom
is general
These droschkies are painted black The best
of them are we'll upholstered, and they are. on
the whole, exceedingly comfortable. Their
picturesqueness is seen in the horses and the
drivers. The drivers all look fat aud prosper
Gus. There is no sign OF famine in the get up
Of the Russian droschky man. He must look
fat TO get business, and IL would be disgraceful
to drive with lean cOachman.
The result is that all of these droschky mon
pad. They wear long blue gowns thickIy
quilted and stuffed. / am told they put pillows
inside their clothes to make themselves more
rotund. They all dress alike, and if you would
reduce fashionable American plug hat to one.
half size and gather the hat in around the brim
so as to make it look ike spittoon turned
upside down you would get the headdress of
the coachmen of Russia.
Their gowns are as big, by the way, as the
Mother Hubbard Of a dime museum fat woman,
aud they belt them In with fancy belts. They
drive with their arms held out straight and
stid, and they stop their horses with gutteral
Bw-r-r-r, instead of saying Whoa, we do
They good natured class and their charges
are from 30 10 so cents an hour.
The funniest thing about Russian turnOuts
of all kinds is their harness. Everything here
wears yoke, aud no horse is hitched to cart
or wagon OF carriage except In collar. No
farm horse IN Russia knows anything of tugs
and the shafts of these droschk les tied to the
collar ny the aiu OF the yoke that rises from
them at least 10 inches above the horses head
The shafts are not fastened TO the center Of the
axle OF the front wheels but are loose and sep
| aratc, and are fastened TO the spindles of the
wheels, so that when taken off they are sepa-
rate sticks.
They are fastened on the inside of the wheels,
and strap is put outside the wheels and
nailed tied to the shaft. The carts and
farm wagons have bigger yokes than the drosch-
/ EleS. and the yokes over some horses necks re
three feet high. These farm or cart yokes are
of all colors of the rainbow, and many of them
are painted in green and gold.
Their axles of wood and their bodies
the shape of boat sloped OFF at the ends. No
| farmer or cartman ever has seat in his wagon.