Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-04-28
A RELIGIOUS SPREE.
An Entire Russian Town On a
Regular Bender

George KEENAN, in his Adventures in
Eastern Siberia" in the Century, says:
I'VE had no difficulty in getting pos,
horses until just before dark Monday
evening, when we reached the station
OF Turinopovorotnaya (Too-riu-o-po-
vo-rote-nah-yahO. about fifty miles from
Chita, and found the whole village in
state OF hilarious intoxication
Slcighs filled with young men aud boys
were careering hithcr ard thitner with
Wild whoops aud halloos: long lines Of
peasant girls in bright-colored calico
dresses were unstcadily promenading
back and forth in the streets with their
arms around one another and singing
.hOr0c0d songs: the Station-nouSe WAC
filled with flushed and excited people
from nei ghboring settlements, who
had evidently been participating in
celebration Of some kind and were
about starting for their homes; the
station-master. who perhaps had not
/, finished his celebration. was nowhere
TO be found: there was not driver
about the stables; and the 'starosta'
(stahro-stah), short, fat old man.
who looked like burgher from Am
sterdam. was so drunk that even with
the aid of cane ne could hardly
stand on his feet. In vain we tried to
ascertain the reasons for this surpris-
ing epidemic of inebriation Nobody
was sober enough to explain to us
what had happened From the excit-
ed and more or less incoherent CONVEX
sation OF the intoxicated travellers in
The stltion-house. learned that even
the village priest was so drunk that he
had to be taken home in a sleigh By
the soberest OF his parishioners. II
the station master. the sIarosta, the
village priest, the drivers. and all Of
the inhabitants were drunk. there was
evidently no prospect OF our being able
to get horses. In fact we could no,
find anybody who seemed sober
enough TO know the difference between
horse and his harness. We there
fore brought our baggage into the
crowded station-house aud sat down in
an unoccupied corner to study intoxi-
Gated humanity and await further
Developments. Every person in the
house was drunk. except ourselves
and one small baby.
about nine o'clock the noise.
tunult, and shouting in the village
streets began 10 subside: the station
master, whose intoxication had taken
the form OF severe official dignity. sud
denly appeared. and in tone Of Stern
menace wanted to know where the
post drivers were and what all this
disorder meant. Finally. when We
had almost abandoned the hope OF ever
getting away, really sober man in =
ragged sheep-skin coat emerged from
the darkness and reported in busi-
ness-llke manner to the station FASTER
that the horses were re.dy for us
The drunken and irite official. who
seemed DESTROYS OF vindicatine his
dignity and authority in some way.
overwhelmed the unfortunate drive.
with abuse, and ended by timing him
fifty kopecks whether for being sober
or for having the horses ready. do
not know. We piled our baggage
into the sleigh, climbed in upon it, anc
rode out OF the intoxicated settlement
with thankful hearts. As the las,
faint sounds Of revelry died away is
the distance behind us. | said TO tee
driver: What's the matter with every
body in this village? The whole poppy
! lation seems to be drunk
"'They've been consecrating a new
church, SAID the driver soberly.
'Consecrating churchr 1 ex-
claimed in amazement Is tina. the
way you consecrate churchese'
~ don't know he replied. Some
times they drink. After the services
they had a gu1ainta Ia sort of holiday
promenade with music and spirituous
refreshmentsl. and some of them
crooked their elbows too often
"'Sone OF them l repeated. liz
of them. you mean. You're the only
sober man I've seen in the place.
How does it happen that you're not
drunk?'
Pm not Christian he replied.
with quiet simplicity. I'm Buria,,
"As a Christian--if not a memhe.
OF the Holy Orthodox Church, vac
silenced by the unconscious irony Of
the reply. The only sober man in \
village of three or four hundred in
habitants proved to be a pagan, and
he had just been fined fly kopecks BY
Christian official for not getting
drunk with other good citizens and
thus showing his respect for the newly
consecrated editice and his apprecia-
ton OF the benign inhuence of the
Holy Orthodox Faith.'
1.-THE Plant for Hanging Basket.
'T(, hast ,1,~% e.. =,