New-York tribune., 1896-05-10
SOME VIEWS OF MOSCOW,
THE QUAINT RUSSIAN CAPITAL IN
WHICH THE CZAR IS TO BE
CROWNED.

Moscow, April II.
The foreigner has not been many hours In Mos
COW before he is fully aware that he Is treading
on holy ground. This fact will impress itself
upon his mind from the moment he leaves the
train. for number OF his travelling companions,
parcels in hand. will hurry off to the different
little chapels which surround the stations On
great holidays, like Easter and Christmas there
is mass held in each waiting-room Of the diff
ferent stations for the employees Of the railway
who are not able to leave their work.
Russians are fond OF calling st. Petersburg
their elegant cosmopolitan metropolis. Europe.
while they still regard Moscow as Asiatic. No
doubt the foreign tourist prefers the originality
Of Moscow. for there are few cities in the world
which have preserved traditions so intact as the
ancient capital There many cities In Rus
sa older than the venerable Matoushka Moskva
c'I.ttle Mother Moscow, but there Is none 20
closely connected with the happy and dark days
of the Russian people.
Before passing through the gate Of the Holy
Saviour. one OF the five gates which separate
the Kremlin from the city. whether one Is on
foot or in carriage whether the mercury Is 30
degrees Reaumur above or below Zero he has
to take off his hat. The big carriage drawn BY
four horses suddenly slackens speed as 1t ap-
proaches the Holy Gate and both master and
an air Of deep devotion remain uncovered till
they reach the other side. The stranger who
has not been informed of this rule is Immediately
reminded by a passerby in low voice. "Shl1apa
batoushka" (the hat. little father. II he asks
his coachman why the gate has become so holy
he will tell him that the French. who had pro-
famed the churches Of the Kremlin by using
them as stables left the city by way OF IL, ana
the Russians vowed to commemorate the de-
liverance by pious act There are. however,
many other versions of the story Of the Saviour's
Gate.
What foreigner has ever seen before a city
which boasts Of a million inhabitants and OF
wealth untold, with scarcely any but wooden
two-story houses pavements so primitive tnat
they have become proverbial and sidewalks JUST
wide enough for one person to walk upon! VINO
has ever seen ladies sitting in elegant carriages.
drawn by costly horses and wrapped In sables.
but with a shawl on their heads and no glovesf
! This Is typcally Muscovte. for the provincial
cities do not often boast of elegant carriages.
and ST. Petersburg. Odessa and Riga are too
| civilized for such display
A sight even more startling met my eye the
other day when l was passing through the first
| class waiting room Of the Smoensk station.
! bridal party had gathered around one OK the
! tables, and there is no need to add that cham
| pagne flowed in torrents In the enjoyment OF
the moment nobody seemed to notice the bride.
who. in spite Of white satin and diamonds. was
so tipsy that she rolled under the table
A MERCHANT CITY
The greater part Of the inhabitants Of Mos
cow belong to the merchant class. who. half .
century ago. Were serfs, and who are now mill
ionares, thanks to Alexander II. The mer-
chants of Moscow are divided into a great many
| casses-all of them wealthy, and each sepa-
rated from the others by different grades OF
civilization. The oldest class, the great factory
owners, have grown powerful In the last years.
They lend money to the nobility, who are gradu-
ally losing their fortunes and are often COM
PEELED to ask pecuniary help from them. Th's
latter fact shows itself even in the preparations
for the coronation Of the Car. The nopihty
Of Moscow are obliged to give ball on this
occasion. as they have been won't to do for
centuries These balls used to be as brilliant
as they were exclusive, for no merchant vas
ever allowed to darken the doors OF the assem-
| bly-rooms of the noblesse but this time tney
were Obliged to offer tickets at 100 rubles each
/ to cover the expenses of the ball, and at the
| time Of writing there is not ticket to be had
At the Great National Exposition In MINI
| Novgorod which Is TO follow the coronation:
the merchants of Moscow will be seen In all
their glory. They will receive the Car ana
Czarina as the representatives OF RUSSIAN IN.
!
the material proofs OF the great progress Rus
sia has made since Peter the Great sat upon
the throne Of the Cars
The other merchant classes play a minor
! mart Civilization has done little for them az
yet. They are still ignorant. intemperate ana
fanatcal, but good-natured and kind-nearted;
| Tvpical also is the Muscovite cabman. In
| tellieent talkatiye and humorous he seems
different being from his compeers Of other cities:
| AS he is often fresh from country village, ana
| unable to read the names OF the streets, ne 10
| ipa
| he takes in wrong directions, assuring tnem
that he will accept no extra charge ior t sne
| length of the trip. The Chief OF Police mas
| lately issued an order according to which every
new cabman has to pass an examination as 70
his knowledge of the streets. The otner oay
saw droschky standing, and on approaching
| / found the coachman asleep. How care you
sleep?" said. Cabby looked at me s win "a a
twinkle in his eye i was only d., deep ser ,hs ha
thought, lady," he said, gett>ng ready ior '"e
examination" ~
tional holidays Of which one may not hve 10 see
| another and every one wishes To make the most
| of IT, Moscow is wealthy city. and its innap-
nants are generous and anxious to prove tner
loyalty by opening their purses Every Gay .ne
| press publishes the names of people VINO nave
| given immense sums OF money for the erectioh
of schools public libraries hospitals and orphan
asylums memorials OF the coronation Vi .he'. a..
| car Moscow has at last found out that It's
| payements greatly need improving, the streets
! cleansing the houses repairing. and the people
have set to work accordingly; for, although IL Is
| whispered that there has been an Imperial quar-
rel between the young Gar and his uncle the
Grand-duke Servus. Governor General OF MOS
! cow there is no doubt that their crowned Ma
| iesties will remain three weeks within the walls
! of the "whte-stoned golden-domed" city.
LUXURIOUS QUARTERS FOR ROYAL GUESTS.
have said that the houses here are rarely
more than two three stories high, but this
does not prevent the interior sometimes being Oh
royal splendor we'll worthy Of the princely guests
| who will come to assist at the coronation festiv-
tiles. Those closely related to the Imperial ram
| fly will be housed In the palaces INSIDE .ne
| Krerlin walls For the Others the Government
has rented private dwellings / have visited the
house of a merchant which has been rented ios
90 900 rubles for an Archduke or Austria, Gnu @
7 doubt whether His Highness is used to any
better at home The different clubhouses nave