The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-04-15
AS A RUSSIAN Battles.
The Process in the Genuine Russian Ar

The Process in the Genuine Russian Arti-
cles
The Philadelphia who INDUCES In
the pleasures Of the bath may be sur
prised to learn that he has never had a
genuine Russian bath, although he has
had the full worth of his money and
over in the luxurious Establishments
that flourish in the business center Of
the city. 1t is a fact however, that
none of these places gives O. Russian
bath, and that the only place to find
the genuine is far removed from the
usual haunts of the patrons OF these
resorts 1t is located in the heart of
the Russian Hebrew district on Lom-
bard street, and differs in many re-
spects from the uptown baths
The visitor to this establishment,
which is plainly but comfortably fur
nished. notices the absence of the
small dressing rooms usually found in
such places. He is ushered into large
room, the walls of which are hidden by
rows of lockers similar to those in gym
nasiums. If the day is busy one at
the bath he finds several men disrobing,
and as there seems to be no privacy OBJ
served he proceeds to follow their ex-
ample. When ready to go to the bath
he is handed small linen sheet to en-
fold his anatomy, and he Is then ac-
companied down a narrow stairway to
dark, damp room whose sitting at
mosphere almost suffocates him. AS
soon as his eyes become accustomed to
through small window enables him
furnishings consist of an iron sink and
two marble slabs.
The attendant is little old man with
the features and beard of the typical
Russian, and dressed in linen cloth
around the loins The patron has the
privilege of bathing himself if he de-
sires, but the services of the attendant
are obtainable for small fee. The
services are similar to those of the
masseurs of other baths, except that
the rubbing, slapping, pounding and
rolling given are moro heroic and more
tiresome to the patient.
After the massage the bather is given
coating of peculiar soap, applied
with a bunch of fibers which resem BILE
wood shavings or the excelsior" of the
upholsterer.
After he is thoroughly coated with
the soap, which has pungent odor,
the bather is taken into a steam room,
the sides of which are arranged with
series of benches or shelves. They are
three deep, and accommodate twelve
persons. The bather reclines on one
of these shelves, the attendant opens
the door of an oven somewhat like that
used by the baker, except that it is
paved with large stones and which is
located in one corner. Immediately
blast of hot air fills the place and
makes breathing anything but pleas
ant. After few minutes the attend
ant dashes several buckets of water on
the stones of the bottom oven.
The room is at once filed with
dense steam, which is essentially diff
ferent from that generated in boilers
While recumbent on the shelves the
bather is gently rubbed by the attend
ant with a bunch of oak leaves. The
effect of this treatment is to cause
prickling sensation, as if thousands of
needles were being stuck in the body,
or as if the patient was connected with
lively electric battery. After the
bather has had enough of this treat
ment land very little usually does
one) he is given a shower bath, rubbed
down and sent to an upper floor. where
the usual smoke and sleep follow
PHILADELPHIA Record.