Evening journal., 1897-05-21
AMERICANS ABROAD.
Russia Looked Like Another
World to Them.
oELAwARBAEs ALL HOME AGAIN

NO POLITICAL NOR RELIGIOUS
LIBERTIES, WOMEN LABOR AS
SERFS, CHILDREN HERD THE
CATTLE AND THE COUNTRY IS
600 YEARS BEHIND.
The Delaware workmen of Norris,
Tasker & Co.. who have spent nearly
seven months in the far-ofr town OF
Mariopol, South Russia establishing
large ipe-making works for the Rus
ian-American Company, arrived home
last evening. In a number OF homes
last night, It Is said, tears OF joys were
shed over reclaimed husbands and
fathers.
Superintendent William ID. Greer was
seen last night after he had become
comfortably settled in his cosy home,
on Delaware street, and the genial fore
man did not hesitate to express his Joy
at being once more under the stars and
stripes again a Delawarean; and,
above all. restored to partnership in an
American home.
UN-ANdERICAN RESTRICTIONS.
1--WE never knew how blessed an
American is" said Mr.. Greer, until we
took the trip, and never realized how
grateful to God an American woman
ought to be that she lives in the fairest
country on earth.
zone OF the first written orders we
got on starting from Philadelphia was:
Talk to no person about religion or
politics. And when we later looked
down the barrels of those threatening
Russian rifles carried by soldiers, whom
you see everywhere. we thought that
| good rule to live up to.
"Then In every public place or inn
where the ears picture was displayed
everybody was Obliged to remove his
hat and bow submissively. II this was
not done your hat would be promptly
knocked on. There were no churches
but the Greek Catholic, and there were
no seats in these churches. 80 that ex-
cept for the priest and chanting they
looked like veritable market places.
The priest wore long hair down his
back and never faced the audience.
That was all the religion in South Rus
sia.
HooTED AT THE JEWS.
"There are Jewish churches through
out the country. but in settlements OF
Jews, who must live apart from the
populace. When they enter town
, they must keep on the move until they
get out OF it. Nearly every party of
Jews passing through Moscow would
be followed by jeering small boys, maxi
O ing pigs ears of their coat-tails and
wagging them at the Hebrews. We
again concluded that there were others
who had cause to thank heaven for
: America.
DODGED RUSSIAN KISSES.
cone religious ceremony caused me
to do some lodging in St. Petersburg,
800 miles north OF us, but which de-
termined to visit for Easter. There
a entered the first Protestant church
{ have seen the interior OF since leaving
g home--a Swiss Lutheran. II Is the GUS
. tom on Easter, after their long feast, to
; stop the first person they meet on the
: street and say, with uplifted hand:
"'Christ is risen!'
, ITO this the reply must be, in SINH
! lar attitude;
"'He is risen indeedl'
! Then the two men must kiss three
y times.
Il didn't mind the dialogue in the
= least, but kissing a Cossack or Circas-
sion was against my grain, and the
y FIRST fellow who accosted me was hid
z eous. l hurried through with my risen
n indeed part OF It and then made a
II break for my hotel until the day was
n older and the kissing could be cut out.
= CHILDREN GROW UP WITH CAT
K TIE.
II "There arc no fences in Russia, and
Ian the stock is herded by children, who
o ought to be at school. ! saw hundreds
n Of little boys, who should have been
Ie feeding their brains and developing
1t human mental power growing up With
It cattle on the plains.
le Women worked everywhere with
1t men. bareheaded and barefooted. They
)r we're known as Russian serfs, and on
J. the railroads they picked and shoveled
and tamped cross-ties. In our works
there they ran carriages and trucks.
Many Of them, after May /, sleep just
where they work.
TRIED TO "DO" AMERICANS.
a "Our only real hardship was the in
Is ability to get proper food. We COM
* planned once, and the firm sent all the
u way to ST. Petersburg for special chef
Is but he. too, soon prepared inferior food
ed In order to gouge the Americans,
Everybody seemed to believe that
e. their mission was to do the Ameri-
IL cans and show us that we we're awfully
'r slow. In dealing with them, however
we soon took the trick, and when they
a asked fve roubles for hat, we offered
ld three and started away, only TO be call
lg ed back and handed the hat.
st "Ham and eggs we're dish we cpulo
C. net get because the Russians do not eai
nd pork. and hogs were so scarce that they
brought $35 alive. Beef and mutton
however, were very cheap.
ST. PETERSBURG LIKE PHILADEL
cd PHIA.
-, Il was greatly pleased with st
re ','s,, i,l,o o,,, pbiladeInhia Hal
as the population are English-speaking
remember how glad / was to meet al
old colcred man there looking yer,
much like a Delaware negro. graspes