New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-19
SOHE IMPRESSIONS OF MOSCOW.
THE MASSES" AND THE "CLASSES'-AN
INCENTIVE TO LEARNING RUSSIAN.

The impression that first strikes the foreigner on
arriving at Moscow is that 1t Is one OF the most
10 other towns IS sure 10 be different at Moscow.
For instance. though the houses OF the ancient
remembering the domcile OF his acquaintance by
It's numerical quantity. II your friends name Is
Schm.d-no uncommon in Moscow, by the
way, where there Is an immense German colony
and he lives in a street two miles long IN which
tell your driver 10 go TO the house Of Schmidt in
such and such street. and In course Of time YOU
going to bed before o'cock in the morning or
rising before u on the following day.
The droshkies another impression" which
Is strike the foreigner, on arriving in Mos
psWcd 50 are mGst e saw that think the system Of
free trade in the matter of droshkes an admra,,
BILE one As most people are aware there Is no ixed
that 1t Is necessary 10 make your bargain with
your dryer before 9I f into ms & 6nb
for foreigners, this system Is little perplex ny
ANA b S ar S ob beng % gives
TO ones acquisition of easy Russian phrases After
especially II you belong TO a commercial nation
IKE the British. probably have picked up enough enough
The shady side of this otherwise admirable system
is tha, It Is sometimes the means of INJECTING great
hardships and seventies on very deserving class
OF men-the droshky drivers 10 wit. Many OF them
are poor. because so ill-pad, that they cannot
afford to hire stable accommodation for their
horses and lodgings for themselves. The horse
sleeps between the shafts or the venice 70 whlcn
II is very curious fact. but they seem TO have
no water cans in Moscow Whenever cal for hot
water in my hotel. the servant invariably brings
me an immense china teapot filled with that fluid.
Whether tbs strange custom Is result or the
universal habl; Of ea-drlnking am unable TO say.
II would be interesting to know. however, what
parts Gf any) the struggle for existence and the
operation Of the laws Of natural selection played
in the extinction OF the Muscovite hot-water can.
supposing II ever existed Another impression
Moscow is the weird kind Of wash hand-stand with
which ones bedroom is provided. In Moscow, you
must know the Mahometan idea prevails that II is
unclean 10 wash in standing water. To relieve you
of that dreadful necessity. the management kindly
provides you with a looking apparatus.
somewhat I'm the shape OF a wash hand-stand, from
a particular part OF which, by gently pressing your
cold water: and in this you are expected to wash
The idea. from sanitary point OF view. is an
ment cannot make the stream TO flow little faster;
at present the operation Of washing is both lengthy
greater contrast could not be offered than tina,
by the ar 9d the foTsr ana
generally speaking. robust-looking and seemingly
well nourished The latter and especially the men
look more Ike ssm-galvanized corpses tnan living
beings | attribute this striking contrast entirely
to the Russian manner OF living, which. so far a.
extreme. Joined TO exceedingly high living. late
hours. and all sorts Of enchanting but ensryatln2
designations. the Russ an system OF easy eXs,emfs
absolutely refuses to admit OF the necessity Oh oody
wel!-to-do Russian never. TO use homely bu'
expressive phrase. walks yard. His person, more
furs, even in summer time; and as ne heats his
house and restaurants 10 a positively preposterous
the bad eNectS on MS neditl OF the cum
binaton OF these evils may be easily imagined II
less readily described.
The common people, on the other hand. lead a
comuaratively healthy existence. because from
sheer poverty and not by any means from choice
they are forced 10 he abstemlous. Though they
heat Their houses high tempera ture as then
social superors. yet they are OF necessity more
in The omen air than these last Their staple food
moreover the nutritious and easily dgested black
bread OF the country. Is an excellent means OF pre-
sar,.InV their health under the very severe social
and sanitary conditions under which they live, and
of building up IL were. muscle and bone This
oh hV-fh no
indeed from claiming particularly my owns
further emphasized and enforced by the striking
Russian army and the officers in command OF IT,
The former are as fine body Of men, generally
sna,,ing s the latter still generally speaking. are
no reverse And I maintain that this surprising
difference and contrast Is entirely due 10 Inc hus-
siar .arn Of hgh-clasS living