The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1895-08-24
An Interesting Letter From Mr.. j.. {.
McGrew.
Moscow, RUSSIA, July 25th, 1895.
Editor Intclligencer:

Eultor lntclllke ncer.
wrote you Inst, or rather closed my
last letter, Just as we arrived ut st. Peters,
burg, and since then have had but little
time from sightseeing to write you.
However, l must try and interest my
friends at home In our trip, as well as de-
scribe to our loved ones at home some
thing OF what we are seeing; so l write
every spare moment l can, while resting.
/ mentio this by way OF an apology for
any errors or m~isconnectious l may make.
We had no trouble in getting into Rus
STA. Our passport was duly examined and
recorded as soon as our steamer landed,
and we had no trouble in going about the
city of s.. Petersburg. We hired an
English as well as a Russian speaking
guide l.ere-one who knew the city and
the many places OF interest to see. We
fipd 1t economy to get n guide In every
city, for the reason we can see more in
less time, hence save. cost at the hotel by
having u stop less time at the hotel, or in
any one city; besides we see and under
stand hat we do see, and we get n
carriage to drive from place to place., so
as not to tire ourselves down in walking,
for when we get to a palace, musem, or
any other large building, we necessarily
have to walk through to see the many
things to be seen. We are thus better
prepared to see 1t all. We do not keep
these guides with us all the time. As
soon as we have seen the most attractive
RQtH iii u CltHs VIC j thClu Ia 81 "
alone. We hen visit the stores alone
and do our pricing and buying, and thus
see the shops, as they are called In Rus-
STA, instead OF stores, as we do.
We find St. Petersburg q great city, OF
nearly 100, 900 people, and many fire aud
modern houses. However, the style OF
their architecture is about one tEing.-no
variation, as in our country. While there
are many old buildings here, there Is
much Of the city new. The oldest feature
- 49, H.. ss~ .DZs Ahn ahnn0 0
the Russian alphabet has thirty-six let
tiers, they have seemingly turned some
of ours upside down and twisted them
around so you cannot understand a single
sign you see here. We can only know the
kind of store as we pass along looking In
the shop windows by seeing what they
have for sale, by the goods or wares dts
played In the windows. We went IN a
great many stores and admired many odd
and beautiful things not seen anywhere
else except here. We found no Englisn
speaking merchants. They try very hard
to talk to us and make sales, 1--WE enjoy 1t)
but when we want to know the price of
an article, l hand them my pencil and
they put down on a piece OF paper the
amount in figures-as figures are the same
the number of rubles or copecks, and
thus we can buy uD"derstandingiy OF
them. SCOT learn their money, rs well
as all OF the other foreign countries
moneys, and soon get quite as used TO
| rubles and copecks OF Russia, as well rs
kroners and ores OF Norway and Sweden,
aud marks and phennigs OF Germany, as
dollars and cents OF our own country.
After getting settled at our hotel, we
are soon in O carriage and out sight-
seeing. The first place we visited was st.
Isaac's cathedral, with its gilded dome
towering up some hundreds of feet into
| the air. We ascend this $50 steps, so as to
Through T it. fhe church is built in the
shape OF q Greek cross, having liz mas
awe, highly polished granite pillars
are each in one solid piece, and each one
IL sixty feet high q seven feet In dam
eter: are round and beautiful, aud weigh
10 tons each, and each crowned with
COrinthian capitals of bronze. On the
this Ia o blue stone ana very rare anu val
liable. Then there are many large pillars
| of Malachite; these are a beautiful and
| very rare green stone, brought from way
up In the Ural mountains, in Siberia. The
| weight Of each one OF these 10 3,4O0
pounds. Back of the altar is an elegant
stained window, representing the Ascen.
sion. The walls and floors are OF polished
marble from Russian quarries. The o
on the walls are by Russian artists. These
Ikons are pictures OF the Savior and the
Virgin Mary, and covered with Solo gold,
ssnHoIpS eaSs IN ths cold are studded with
~srv MANY iarse and handsome precious
s,oye. .nch nc diamonds. rubies. emer-
aids, &C. In front OF these are large
~ miSdis ia considersd hoiy. and burns
a 4 liz lime nd M the Russians come i'm
~ ..orshjn xvhich thew 40 oontinualIy
nd In creat number thew purchase q
small candle from a monk who Is stationed
near the entrance, in a little stand. AS
----w a
H. ~ nne above described. they sink on
one knee and how their heads to the
n.vanent Crossing their breasts repeat-
! SSs'n.ish thnmb and two fo~refinrers of
800 ss they rc36SE she
nnifrsa(IG2
~.
crossinc fbem,efSSS.< 10
his. the face of the picture. m attendz
ami frequently wipes off the picture, on
a~ccount Of SO much kissing. Every driver
the second. story street cars cross them
selves rs they pass by this church.
We 90 from here to the old church OF
Ksyen, or cathedral. This cathedral hos
1875 large ers{ite pillars on the outside;
the Interior is in ths shape of a GROSS, With
a lenpth of 238 feet one way by 1872 feet
another; the top Of the gilded cross over
the oupola or dome Is $50 feet; 1t has 81
niIlars OF Finland Rranite ON the inside,
each one rs feet high, and each resting on
a bronze base, the caps of bronze. The
~Ikonastas and balustrades In fronta are OF
solid silver, the silver In them weighing
oue-half q ton. This silver was the church
silver plate seized by the French from the
R~ussians and retaken by the Cossacks.
The name Of the Almighty Is rendered
hare in diamonds over the principal door
~ the scrssn we also see here the Ikon
~ the Vjroin Mary. II was removed here
from Moscnw Inv peter the Great. In his
asv r. 10 c"versd with cold and Studded
..J;yy dt.monds ena nrecinus stones: alao
49, sannhire 10 hare seen. valued Al
..n1 thrnsand. NJ doIIars. The prin-
nIna} o,tar ~ of so,,d silver. with the pIlas.
c.Ps' 49, Su'e r.n;.is.uu crrse Is
tsrs " yssPeI. ,ha aIta,
sne ~. I'll oasLas jornad with siher.
IN s.snar Rack n this altar only male
wis;{c,s 40 oIIowed as females in this
c~onntrg are conaidsred unworthy. l went
hehind ana Jaw = COW OF the gospels
POUND In siIyer and written mot printed).
The puIpit and imperial seat q the
floor are ali cOlored marble and the steps
of highly polished iasper. The bells are
yerv musical.
We mass from here To the st. Peter and
St. PauPs cathedral, which was built In
the wear l7O3. All of the sovereigns oil
Russia since the foundation of 81. Peters.
bure/are buried here, except Peter the ii.
Peter the Great Is buried here; Riso thf
late Emperor. All h collins are placed
In white marble tomba In b main room
or chaial of the cathedral, The late EN-
peror's tomb Is bedecked daily with fresh
and beautiful flowers. We looked with
great interest on these elegant tomos
| INA WAII6 are COVeTeU Wltu OH ullIltnTy