Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-20
A SNAPSHOT AT SIBERIA.
The Trip from Moscow-Accommo-
dations of the New Hallway.

dations of the New Railway.
(Joseph Flynt in Evening Post)
There were plenty of excellent reasons
for going to Siberia, but for awhile, as
we fingered in great indecision around
Moscow, II seemed to both Robb and me
that we were making the trip mainly
to get the use Of our railway passes
The Minister Of Finance had given us
free first-class tickets for three months
on all tho Russian railways, provided
we would so to Nizhni-Novgorod and
write up the National Exhibition Of In
dustries, and after this was done we
were at liberty to go where we liked.
We had complied with the conditions,
and now. as Robb said 1--WE were losing
hard cash unless we kept agoing just as
fast and far as we could Underneath
ali this boyish talk, however, we were
both drawn toward the far-away out
post by more than a silly economy, more
even than by a love OF adventure.
',ro go. or not TO 60" was the subject
Of perennial discussions during which
We fortified ourselves with all the sensi-
BILE suggestions at command, and
finally, as a Settler" Robb declared:
Il want TO find out whether Siberia Is
the God-forsaken bowling wilderness it's
been cracked up TO be-" l agreed with
him. and with this concession TO good
sense we started.
1t was a warm, showery morning In
August when we left Moscow on the long
seven-day journey to Tomsk. We had
planned to go as far as Krasnoyarsk,
the so-called Athens of Siberia, but.
on learning that the railroad was not yet
finished up to that point, we gave up
this intention. 1t is not in working order
even 70 Tomsk, the traveller having 10
leave the train at little place called
Krivoschekovo on the Obi, and take
boat down the river for the last 700
versts.
Our outfit excepting blankets, pillows
and a teapot, was as simple as II we
were merely going from New York TO
Chicago Robb had not even an overcoat
We had also left our revolvers behind,
much az we had fancied from our read
ing that they were Indispensable on such
a trip. Our Russian friends assured us
that we would not need them. 81
IBERIA is Just as safe" they declared. "as
your West: and they will only be
burden to you" This Is not strictly
true, as we afterward learned from tra-
vellers, who had found them very use
full; but, as far as Tomsk, or even IT.
kutsk L would rather have n good grip
on the Russian language than all the
firearms in Christendom. Indeed, there
are so many temptations to shoot. out of
sheer Impotence. particularly if one is
not strong in the language, that | would
| almost advise every traveller who IN
tends following beaten paths, and he
will find such all the way TO Niadivos-
| took. TO leave his revolyers at home.
Robb sighed occasionally for his, as
| surfing me that they would have relieved
us Of many an inconvenience, but L was
| glad that be had not brought them along.
our train was the most comfortable l
| have ever known in Europe, or In fact
| almost anywhere. 1t did not have some
| of the luxuries TO be found on few Oh
our fastest express-trains, but have
never anywhere else enjoyed such undis-
| turbed ease Of travel We had our coupe
| TO ourselves pretty much the entire jour
ney. and slept at night as comfortably as
we should have done in sleefing-cars
| Even when four were in the compart-
ment, which Is the maximum number al
| lowed we all had a place TO lie down.
| for the backs of the seats are hung up at
night, making just as comfortable hunks
| as those below. AT the end or the car
there was a large toilet-room, and the
| brakeman was always ready TO furnish US
|
from him when desired. / slept my ten
hours every night throughout the trip,
| and we both got so accustomed to the
rattle OF the wheels and the motion Of
the train that it was afterward difficult
| Tor us to sleep in BEDS and I'm the Siberian
| hosteries we wished ourselves back IN
| the "perwyj klassa." The second-class
| compartments were also very comfortable
and we saw a number of high military
officers travelling in this way; but when
crowded, as they sometimes are, the
| sleeping accommodations are not so good
as in the first, six persons being allowed
| in each compartment. Third-class was
very much what IL is In France and Ger
many, except that a few cars had Droad
shelves above the seats where passengers
could sleep. Fourth-class was exactly
ike our frelght-cars, and given up ex-
clusively to emigrants.
At the front of the train were also two
prison-cars. with barred windows. The
prisoners were men who had already
suffered short sentences In European
Russia. and were now being taken 20
Siberia, to help settle the country. Their
villages had refused TO receive them,
after being In prison, and the govern
ment knew nothing better to do than
send them East" or "out West as We
would say Their wives and children
were In the second car following them
voluntarily into the new country. Each
prisoner had a place TO sleep, and saw
nothing in their treatment which seemed
TO me cruel or harsh. They were much
more comfortable than the emigrants in
the fourth class, and had more room than
the passengers in the third
was much interested in learning from
these last how cheaply one can go to
Siberia. From Warsaw TO Tonisk. a dis
lance Of about 1900 miles, third-class
fare Is but SIS; second, $2J; and first.
about so The emigrant, who rides
fourth, pays very little indeed, and when
the Siberian line IS finished to Vladi-
yostock. will be able to make the entire
trip. 5000 miles from MOSCOW, for about
sl2. Military officers. soldiers. and stu
dents are allowed 10 travel class higher
than the one they pay for. a privilege
which. in the case OF students at least.
might be introduced into our own cour-
try with advantage. In Russia every
thing possible seems TO be. done TO in
duce people TO travel. and ! have never
been In a country where railway passes
are so freely given. 1t seemed to Rxbb
and me. sometimes. as il all OF our fell
low-travellers In the first-class had free
tickets, and we were told that a great
many officials In the civil service receive
them for their entire families.
The railway restaurants were also ex-
cellent. At each one (and they were
only two or three hours apart. the train
stopped twenty minutes or half an hour
There was no waiting 10 have things
cooked. but table loaded with food
stood ready. and all we had 10 do was to
nick out what We wanted. hot or cold,
~ Gffr fau ko H..
TO the little teapot, which We had
been advised 20 bring with us. we drank
In the coupe. When the train stopped
we put in the tea and lemon. and then