The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-07-04
THE RUSSIAN CABMAN
he MAKES A SINGLE VEHICLE DO
WORK FOR TWO DRIVERS.

A Sort of "Box nnd Cox" Game Which
He Plays With HIS Partner Enables
Him to Save the Cost OF lodgings
and Stable.
The cab driver Of Russian towns DIFF
fers In many ways from our own jehu,
ready answer which does not turn |
away with wrath for both friend and
foe h, seems 20 he closely related.
There l, no large cab owners and !f
those OF he tram companies be cX.
cepted ~ large stables In either Mos.
cow or 1t. Petersburg, and almost ev-
cry driver owns or has ut Il st u share
III the lot lie drives. Although ut first
sight cnb diving iii the capitals of the
empire can hardly be considered as
village industry, yet in Russia it is
considered as such. The "isvoShtchilis.'
as the 1ymen are called, nro nearly al
ways members Of far distant village
communcs. who spend the whole or
part of the year at town work. but
who remit the greater portion Of their
earnings to their native place, ana
themselves return to it when agricul.
tural work or fishing Is at premium
and wien city work or health gives out.
This connection between farmer and
factory hand, townsman and tlllcr Of
soil, is characteristic Of all Russian in
dustry; 1t is no uncommon sight to
see q cotton or linen factory empty
during harvest. The coachman Of the
city is generally q member of peas
ant family, whose males outnumbcr
the females, so that some Of the for
mer arc forced to forsake the allot
ment which proves insufficient to pro-
vide support or labor for them all, aud
turn to the town for q living. he
comes to the busy center, learns his
way about It, buys "droshky," q
small but not uncomfortable vehicle on
runners, and four wheeled chaise Of
about the same size for summer use,
takes out q license from tho police and
makes start. His horse for. unlike
the London brother, he seldom has
more than one) he brings with him
from the farm, or perhaps, to be literal,
| it brings him, and often the possession
| Of the animal is the reason for the
| drivers change of fortunes and Of
scene.
This isvoshtchik is strange object
rs he sits on the narrow board which
| serves him as seat mt the front OF his
droshky, clothed in long blue gown
| which reaches the ground, Is heavily
| quilted with down and tied In at the
| waist with strap or ornamental cord
and n heavy shecpskin cap over his
ears lie lives nomadlc life, seldom
F! having any fixed residence or stable in
the town, and lie Is thus often to be
seen asleep In his droshky, while his
horse feeds at the public troughs which
the local authorities put up In almost
/ every side street.
One may see him, when lie has put
down passenger and earned his fare,
go to the nearest corn merchant, buy
| just sufficient hay and corn for one
meal for his horse and place 1t In the
manger. Then he gets fodder for him
self from the ambulant venders of
black bread, tresca (odorlferous cod
J hshj ind weak, milkless tea who stand
at the corners Of most Russian streets,
and, afterward he sleeps peaceably in
his sleigh until his horse be rested aud
! at for another journey. Then on ho
goes again until, soma hours later, he
repeats the process at the other end Of
the town. --c.raa ..aiI:s J:s 4, a,i ,tis:.Ses..,sszs.
Atnighs ne plays "3ox and Cox" witt.
his PARTNER, with whom he forms q linn
ited liability company. Alta fixed time
he must meet him in some tavern yard,
take out his own tired horse and sur
render the droshky. The second man,
whose horse is fresh, now takes his IL
hours and ut the appointed time in
the morning must meet in the same
tavern. After a week they change
over = the night man takes the day
work, and Vice versa. Thus one ye-
hicle; with no lodgings or stable-for
the men rest In the pothouse, the
horses In the yard or sheds adjoining
it-supports two men whose sole object
In life Is to earn and save enough to
enable them to leave the city and re-
turn to the land, the mistress of every
moujik's affections.
The isvoshtchik is an excellent ex.
ample Of that absence of fxity Of tariff
whichsis SO prevalent throughout Rus.
sin, for In the matter of charges he is
a law unto himself. When you show
signs Of wanting q droshky, all the
drivers within hail assemble and bid
one against the other for the custom.
This one will take you for SO much,
that one for less and so on. One takes
ones choice, a good. fast horse and
smart sleigh ut good price or bad
one for fraction Of it. Should one,
however. select poor looking beast,
the drivers left behind will make en-.
couraging remarks rs one drives away.
HE is lame," "He stumbles," "The
driver is drunk" they will shout In
chorus until one is out Of earshot. One
natural result Of this elastic system
Is that the old law of supply and de-
mand makes itself felt, eoT, " lille fares
are low during slack hours, they arc
apt. ut close Of play or commencement
of storm. at once to "rise several
points"
The isvoshtchik is not, bad coach