The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-04
MOSCOW IN JOY GLOON
PEASANT SCENES BEFORE AND AE-
TER A GREAT DISASTER.

Hope. NIirth. ana Patience. ana Their Gree
duiit,-The Report or the Twenty-Five Rn-
A bIes and Lottery Tickets That tho Tsnr WINS
said to Have Provided for Every subject
ON tho MoudInsky F~Icid-Plcct nnmor.
Leaden-Footcd Ncws-By nm Hycwitncss.
On the afternoon of Mny II Told style,
tho day preceding the. terrible disaster at
tho Houdinsky Field, whore thousands were
crushed'and tramplod out Of oNistence'l was re-
burning to my lodgings on the Tvcsskoya from
beyond tho Moscow River side." as that part
of the city lying on the east side OF the Moscow
River iScalled. Whom ] came to the horse sar
line that l was to take,I found the seating space
taken UP, and tho standinE.places on both plat
forms apparently full. but the conductor Sec
ing me. touched his hat and said:
''If YOU please, there is one vacant standing
place on tho front rlattorm." l took the place,
and while waiting for the car to start, | turned
around.to take.a look at my fellow passengers.
Moscow. being the great commercial and manu-
featuring centre OF tho empire. naturally At
tracts persons from all parts OF the country.
This throng is at all times interesting to a for
eigner, but at this time. the week OF the coro-
nation, IL was especially so. Moscow was filled
with an ~assemblage OF different natiohalitics
from all quarters of the globe. the-llke OF
which but rarely. flower, had.got together in
one town. Flags, arches. Venetian masts. ana
numberlesa decorative structures had been put
up for this occasion. The whole city was n
mass of.pomp-and color that soon wearied the
eye and strained tho nerves. One feature OF
the festival. of which the eye.and mind did not
tire. however. was tbc:ever'varying mass of
humanity brought together for the Gro Sn.4.
of the young Tsar and Tsaritsa.
On this occasion l turned around more par
ticularly'to look closely at n couple of heavily
turbancd Turcomans who, with their impas-
sive mien, were in strong contrast with two
p'fatical-looking Kurds. The last named wor-
thies. with their boards dYel II bright crimson.
their restless eyes taking In every haprenirv.
ana their nervous movements, were counter
parts OF a PARTY with which | had travelled some
years since. l had been impressed then with
the conviction that these Kurds were the most
yicious-looking set OF pirate, ] ever met.
TheSrpst of the passengers we're a queer and
motley mixture. Thare were three or fou: Of
fcers of the different branches of the service.
half a dozen soldiers in their plain and ser
yiceable uniforms. q Hussar with his beaver
hat. a Cuirassier of the Guards. OF which the
Empress is chief. in his brass helmet and
white cloth uniform with blue piping around
the edges. and a sailor from the Thunderbolt,
rs the printed band around his cap indicated.
The sailor was q typical Jack tar. as one Sos
him the world over. easy going and rol!ickiUC.
az II he did not care a rap whether school kept
or not. True TO his nature he had not been
seated five minutes before he was havin~ r.
jelly chat with some pretty girls of the true
Moscow type. who were sitting in front Of him.
tit. ering and chatterinG about the kurds and
Indicating Enthusiastically that they were Of
the seamstress class. Near this group were
two fat. burly. greasy Moscow merchants of
the old school. in long. closely buttoned coats,
black silk handkerchiefs around their necks.
and little black caps on their thin heads. Their
faces we're red and wet with perspiration and
were dried frequently with enormous red cot
ton handkerchiefs. Near by sat two peasant
women In short. coarse brown coats, their feet
and legs swathed in coarse linen. their feet
sandalled. and on their backs. knapsackwise.
strong bags holding provisions and clothing
for their journey. These bags eventually were
unslunC. and with the long sticks. the never
falling companions OF n pilgrimage. were
tucked under the seats. The women were
tanned TO n dark brown By exposure. and were
wan. half-starved. through fasting. and utterly
tagged out. They had come probably hundreds Of
miles on foot. and now had come almostt TO their
goal. being but sixty miles or so from the holy
Troitsky Sergiyevskaya lavra. tic which they
ike thousands upon Thousands. passed Though
Moscow TO reach for the performance OF some
vow or penitence. or to pray at the shrine Of
relics of 81. Segrius.
A couple of Tartar old clothes dealers were
there. too. with bags over their shoulders, long
colured gowns. clean-shaved leads. covered
with little closely Htting skull caps. These fell
lows are sharper than sharp as traders. the
Russians say a Tartar will go around II Rus
sian; = Jew around = Iarta f an American
In. The Tartcrs nre the fellows whom you
will hear Mt all hours Of the day CRYING ont in
the courtyards OF dwellings,: '"Khalot! Kha-
lot" Three volno-opredeleuniye. Young fell
lows OF eighteen or twenty years in the natty
" NntfnrVna ~ Ia Nn1InfnAra ~ Np1trIt flnNr
seemed to be Unfortunately vain. looked patron.
. izinEly, on the passengers of the lower class.
fails in his school studies and examinations
and il good for nothing else. he enters tle vol
!. proud of their p.u..IaGe. tiled 10 get up IA fir
tatlon with tho sewing girls, - was amusing
bring their sahres around with a great rattle
and %clatter., and address the Girls as harina
there is no fsh a lobster 10 a tsh.' In the
absence of anything bettcr tho three might
hays SUCCEEDED in imteresting the girls. for the
mankind. and likes to he fiattertd and to make
cSE.gests. But yollntccIs are no novelty to
among tho girls that. volunteers as n rule arc
not ,overburdcneG with money for drives in
and suppers afterward. which. i am told. are
supposed TO he the proper thing. So lack
lie was evidently u new kid of fish 10 the
sewing girls: they lever had seen anything
Ike him before. Possibly they had heard or
read OF such creatures rs sailors. althou= III the
scope OF n Moscow girls reading Is very limited
at best. and generally She cannot .ell at all.
Anyhow, here was II new sort of man, lusty
and good looking. Perhaps he had dined rather
amply. but, tnat did not hurt him in their eyes.
lie was pocd.nRtured, and gave them taifv
bountiiully, swearing by all the saints that
he had sailed the HCTld over lergthwisc and
crosswise. and had scen the beauties of all tho
countries of III" world. but never had seen such
charming girls AS these. lie did not even try
TO flattcr tlom by addressing them rs SUI
ddriHi or bdIishHi, ms the volunteers did. The
volunteers glnrcd. twisted their little mus
tIches. ratified thrir snbres. looked At one an
other. nodded their heads nj Jack. and said:
"Shf0 ttO "a fr0tChiyc Oc!-CW What sort OF
En- animal Is thisY'D
Tho girls entered into tho spirit OF the
rivalry. and lavishcd all their attentions upon
Jack. lie drew q h~oatSwain's whistle from
the breast of his blue shirt, blew n rousing
b,ast. nodded Mt tho volunteers. and called!
"Aha.SOu little milkSols .rODcnstrcHHic mOio-
kosSossg. 20 You know what that Isl That's
the pipe all hnnCs 10 grOE.'
The girls were in .esctnsics; Jack was trium-
plant. All the other Passengers grinntd in
was serious they we're ready 10 respond. Tie