The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-09
8 = Z .
Grip Colds

at a somewhat lower temperature
Babies in arms were making the air
hideouS with vociferOuS protests
against this unreasonable disturbance
of their morning slumberS, and this,
with the noise of rafting dishes, de-
spairing calls for walters and scuff1ing
feet, added din to hopeless confusion.
Although the Cheliabinsk station
house was exceptionally small and ILL
equipped for such an important relay
center, yet it is quite in keeping with
the policy of station building all along
the siberian line. Nearly all the
stations are inadequately small for the
accommodation of even the present
traffic. In comparison with the mag
n.hcent, commodious structures, or
even the branch lines in European
Russia, and in view of the greatly in
creased traffic which is certain to de-
velop on the completion of this trans
continental highway, they appear
positively ridiculous. 1 am aware that
a lack of funds has been advanced as
an excuse for this seeming lack of
foresight, but this plea, it seems to me,
is unbefitting so gigantic a govern
ment undertaking, and would in itself
appear rather dubious in view of the
populations VIGOROUSLY rife IN other
departments of the enterprise. L am
truth than humOr in the jocular reply
of an engineer acquaintance whom
questioned as to this singular parsi-
monious policy. oh said he, I'VE
must have an opportunity for building
larger stations when the traffic in
creases; we don't want to kill the
goose that laid the golden egg.
THE TYPICAL TICKET OFFICE.
Pending certain alterations in the
Cheliabinsk ticket office, all tickets
were being sold from a plain, fiat
table in one corner of the dining room.
The general rush for first place which
came near demolishing this improvised
ticket office and splitting the contents
of the company's exchequer on the
floor. The present rate of firSt-claSs
fare on the Trans-Siberian railway
averages a little less than 8 cents per
mile; for third-class little more than
l cent. Considering the accommoda-
tions afforded, 1 should say that this
rate was somewhat higher than IN
America, but, as 1 am told it is only
temporary. When the line is COM
pleted and fully equipped it is the in
tention to incorporate il with the Eu-
ropean railway system and to insti-
tute the regular zone tariff rates there
in force. This system which, in Euro
p6dn RUSSIA, mas fndue lOllS -QiSIo
travelling very cheap, indeed, would in
Siberia itself-the Land of Distances"
reduce it almost to a bagatelle.
Very little, if any, effort has as yet
been made to encourage traffic over the
present completed portion of the
Trans-Siberian railway. In addition to
the risk attendant upon the use of an
unsettled roadbed, the tardy fulfill
ment of orders for rolling stock has oc-
casioned a scarcity of means of trans
portation for even construction mater
ial. Three regular passenger trains
week each way are now running full
besides the many specials" loaded
with Siberian immigrants.
CLASSES ON THE TRAIN.
The train which carried us out of
Cheliabinsk comprised besides the reg
ular first, second and third-class cal
riages used in European Russia, an ad-
ditional fourth-class, which is nothing
accommodation the peasants pay some
thing more than the ordinary immi-
grant rate of one mill per mile, but
they are thus secured from being
crowded into benchless freight cars,
like herds of cattle.
The higher class carriage is built in
the regular Russian style, with a full
length aisle on one side and a series of
open compartments on the other. The
second class differs from the third in
having cushion coverings for its seats
and berths instead of plain bare boards,
and has therein the disadvantage of
harboring certain deadhead occupants
of a very obnoxious order. The first
class differs from both in having en-
closed compartments with superior up
holstery and the attendance of special
car porter. It's lavatories, however, are
just as filthy and ill-contrived. and
there is the same dearth of washing
water in ALL The Russian spindle
washing tank, which is in use on the
trans Siberian trains, has been the sub
ject of so many heated protests on the
part of foreign travellers that l prefer
to bid for distinction by Withholding
my own. / must say. however, that
with this exasperating dripping-pan
custom in remembrance, 1 can hardly
blame the ordinary Russian for his
usual aversion to washing himself.
Drinking water along the TRANSIT
berian route is almost unobtainable.
In the first place, the ordinary Russian
never uses it, and the supply has been
largely governed by the demand. If
you happen to ask for a glass of water
at any of the railway stations the
waiter stops and gazes at you as much
as to say: WELL I wonder what you're
going to do with that"
WATER AT A PREMIUM.
When the glass is finally brought it
is never full and seldom contains
enough to slack your thirst, but fearing
the suspicion of at least eccentricity
you refrain from asking for another
glass, and as you have often done be-
fore in Russia, sacrifice your personal
feelings on the altar of memorable
Russian custom" The difficulty of
obtaining drinking water along this