The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-28
TRIyELLTNG ~ RUSSIA.
4 southerner's Impression of the Country
and the Mode Of Locomotion.

The following is an extract from
letter written 10 a Richmond gentleman
by friend. who is a Southerner, now
tavelling I'm Russia;
You cannot picture the condition OF
things here and il would take book TO
tell you. Nearly all-say nothi,g-is
done without bribery. l have received
the greatest help from the New York
Herald correspondent. He moves about
Europe as he listeth. | was brought
here from the frontier on their limited.
and paid Or. for the privilege of travelling
on that wonderful train, fast and Amer
lean comforts" You could pass from
car to car. ii desirable. As our speed
was eighteen to twenty miles an hour,
| tried TO discover the reason for the
5r. extra. At last, on examining the
engine. | found II. 1T was new ana
painted like "A dandy. hve-feet driving
wheels and compound. All the others
mad three and three and a halt-feet
driving-whetls The compound was the
most ricxcty affair imaginable, and fric-
ton is master there. Ten miles from
here they spurted, and went probably
four miles an hour hut the engine could
not stand much If that-it was Russian
make. Nor could their road-bet stand
a hrst-class engine over twenty miles
an hour. Rails are Of the biggest, Dut
slecrers are about three feet apart. and
their roadbed nothing but sand. The
whole way was almost a dead level
sandy. and four-ffths, like Caroline coun-
ty. grown up in a second growth OF pine
and birch Wood is burned altogether.
This ought to be their best road, but
may be it is not. for in Central RUSSIA
the country is rich and probably freight
heavy.
In Germany, from the ocean 10 Ber-
lin. the country was much the same,
and railroading twenty-five years be
hind the dimes. speed twenty miles an
hour. and three-feet driving wheels, Dnt
every mile had a track walker, with a
dve-foot club and in uniform. As the
train passed he stood aside and most
solemnly presented arms. At every sta
ton was solemn master in uniform,
with scarlet cap-the dude of the coun-
try. His duty was TO pose ana imperl-
ously order the train 10 start. took
nine-tenths of the people down there
/ TO be drinking idiots under militarium
/ From Berlin 10 the frontier was nrst-
/ class railroading. and we went forty
miles an hour.
/ The people here are much Ike our
Southern people, who live on the interest
of their debts They drive fast and
! drink champagne. not thinking or the
morrow. Extravaganza prevails every
where. except cabling" Drowskis are
innnumerable. and they carry you hVe
miles for twenty-five cents. They go at
a break-neck speed, calling TO everybody
| to clear the track.
To draw the line between sensible eX-
! ponse-that which would return good
and extravaganza is most difficult. But,
limited In means. | must avoid much
| that would help me. There would be
no trouble In spending 500 a week, with
out going into any undue extravaganza.
/ am keeping away from the clubs where
the princes attend and spend their
time in gambling; that IS principally
what a club is for here. Summer
clothes | wore in Washington have been
too hot for me, yet officers and cabbie-
wear long. heavy oyercoats, over thick
coats underneath but the weather Is
tickle. and the nights are cold. II
am here next month, | shall have 10 20
into heavy clothes. and then fur These
people have wonderful country, II
only developed.