Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-11-07
ON A RUSSIAN PULLMAN.
Men at One End of the Train, and
Women at the Other.

Moscow Correspondence OF Chicago
Chronicle ST. Petersburg has seven
railway stations, and not q track crosses
the city nor does whistle toot coming
into it, nor do clouds of smoke belch
over the Inhabitants and make life mis-
cradle for them Trains for Moscow
go out at the Nicholas station, named
in honor of the handsome and generous
Nicholas ! who commanded the road to
be built between the two capitals. Win
ans, the American, was the builder OF
the road 1t was entirely created by
American hands, American energy and
Russian money; run by American en-
gineers. and is an enormous success.
The railroad engineers suggested to
the emperor that the road should curve
gracefully round in serpentine be-.
tween the different towns But Nicholas
said, drawing sharp, straight line with
his ruler. make it so and let the towns
come to the railroad, which they have
since done in great numbers. The fare,
first class, including sleeping accom-.
modations called the wagon lit. :
amounts TO just $l3 for the ride of ID
bad Unless You pay a large subsidy,
or are extremely lucky, you are sure
to have companion de voyage ia your
stateroom. the men being at one end
of the train, women at the other. My
hated fate proved to be an ancient Rus
sian dame of vast proportions with a
curly name, who had little. cruel,
twinkling eyes like lioness high:
L 4 Ca, a
illusion by a robe of fancy-colored linen,l
which proved to be her night dress as
well as her travelling costume. She soon
addressed me in her own tongue. which.
was her only tongue, and tried her
in several others, after which matters
would have come to deadlock had she
not placed her vast face near mine and
howled some more Russian very dis
tinctly at me. thinking, doubtless. l.
could not fail then to understand, but
the lioness' illusion only became the
more intense. Finally she produced a.
small satchel full of cigarets, invited
me to have smoke with her and soon,
with my permission, was enveloped in
mist that she blew busly out from tiny
cgarets hardly larger than fat straw,
and was Offering me fine fruits and
dainties that were drawn from enor-
nous packages of hers. with which the
compartment was filled
When il came time to retire, as the
noble lady appeared to weigh few
thousand pounds and thought it might
appear unseemly for her to mount aloft
into the upper berth, not to mention the
derailment that might ensue should
she plunge off in the we STA II hours.
| was polite and changed places. 1t
was then | saw the thrifty sight that
explained why all Russians carry so
much luggage in travel, One of my
lioness' most enormous rolls turned out
to be huge pillow, pair of blue and
white sheets and wadded quilt. She
spread this neatly down on the long
seat. removed her bonnet and her cap
and behold, underneath the one was a
black cap and the other concealed a
fawn loose blouse. Then she was com
plete and a sight to dream over. No
American living would carry such a
roll about for 80 cents which is all it
costs to have fresher, cleaner bedding
provided than we find in our Pullman
cars.