Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-07-29

lam, however, looks cramped and
crowded by the closeness OF the build
ings surrounding it and one would al
most fancy that the prancing war
horse was about to jump over the
distractions that hemmed him in.
On towards Russia through Austria.
via Odenburg and Cracow in the
! through express Or "consier" as they
call it, which has the great addition of
an American dining car (so-called)
If it ever came from the states I
should say it must have seen service
in the early days on the Black hills
route. Its inside fittings SCARED by
many a spur and boot heel and later
hacked by sabres, windows cracked
and joints started and dirt in every
cTevice. a new 33 foot grain car on
the Northwestern would have been
much more inviting place to eat in.
AS we approach the Russian frontier
we go through the great camps where
25,00O Austrians troops are now going
throui ! their summer manouVers.
Many officers were among our passen-
Sers. Soldiers and officers crowded the
stations and | must say that | think
the Austrian troops are the finest
looking soldiers that | have seen in
many year. We reach the boundary
at PondOlozzyska. For some distance
the railroad follows near the frontier
after leaving Cracow and Russian and
Austrian forts are on both sides. There
is another feature of the line that is
very marked. AS you leave Austria
you pass the line where they tuck
their shirts inside of their pantaloons
to the Russian side where they tuck
them on the outside of their panta-
Icons. This gives them a little of the
appearance of a Greek soldier, but
more oriental as the Russian shirt is
often bright red, blue, or yellow. If
you didn't pass the customs you
could tell when you get into Russia by
the shirt hanging on the outside, often
below the coat. Another thing made
me realize my nearness to Russia and
still | could not in a moment recall it:
A strange burning desire, a sensation
of uneasiness, a longing for relief of
some kind and fear that seemed to
prevail. Was my passport all right?
[ felt. Yes, it was in my inside pocket.
Yes, that strange feeling, that some
thing was wrong and that passage
came to me, flee from the wrath to
come" Then it flashed across my mind
that | had felt it all before. Yes, it was
the Russian flea getting in his work.
the flea that is never where he was
last, that you cannot corner and that
none but woman can catch | had
no time to try to catch him, for we
were at Pondolozzyska. This is on
the Austrian side and some half mile
or more away is WOlozzyska on the
Russian side. Between the two is
neutral ground. There are two lines
of railroads. that OF the Russian eX-
tending to the Austrian side and the
Austrian railroad extending over to the
Russian side. Our train is stopped at
the Austrian side and our passports
asked for to see that no one is trying
to get in without one. Then guard
takes his place on the outside of each
car to see that none escape, and we
are run over to the Russian side
Here the passports have to be given
up, luggage is examined in the GUS
toms house and then after about an
hour we are run over to the
Russian side. In going out the
thing is reversed and customs passed
on the other side Neither of the trains
can run on the others track on ac-
count of military precautions. The
guage in Russia is just the width of
rail wider than the Austrian, so that
in case of hOstilities ones trains could
not run on the others road. Even
man with a hooked nose like mine has
to swear that he is protestant before
he can get his passport signed for
Russia. Once turned out on the Rus
sian side we are let into cars built
something on the American style so
you can travel through the train, but
the same custom prevails here of
charging heavily for all luggage not
carried in the cars with you and this
makes people take such large bundles
and so many of them that the cars ars
soon filled. AS you have to pay extra
for a bed in Russia, half the people
who travel carry a sort of a bed rolled
up with them, which is often as large
as -four barrel They have no sleep
ing cars except that these cars have
their seats about feet long and the
back are hinged so at night they can
be swung up and hitched by brackets
and straps so that it makes a double
decked berth where two can lay out at
full length if you are lucky enough to
get one all by yourself; but often it
is crowded by 4 in a seat and then
there is no chance to put them up.
| reached Odessa about a. m. Ever
since daylight I have been travel
ing through some of the finest wheat
country in Russia. They have had an
unusual amount of rain this spring
and grain crops are looking heavy and
promise beautiful harvest. The reads
| in the country look almost impossible
and the bullock wagons and drOskys
| that l see along the route are thick
with black mud. Odessa is g fine city
and the most European in appearance
Of any in Russia. 1t is built on a
plateau which is some 200 feet above
the Black sea and has a good harbor
protected by fine breakwater. 1t is
/ Russia's greatest grain port and is
always crowded with ships. The city
was laid out in French style by a
brother of the great Cardinal Richeleau