The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-27
MI. Beaurcgard Ryan, Tie Att-
lcte, Has Decided to Live
In Richmond.
STORIES or HIS TRAVELS e..
Interesting Experiences Il, Rus-s
s, STA While the Land Was III
the Grasp Of Winter.

- :. d
tIee which follows, was placed ln@a story
Of traveller Of an altogether different
kind on another page Of this seotlon.)
After years Of travelling in many lands,
Mr.. Beauregard Ryan, the athlete. pro-
fessionallys known as John L. Rixford,5
has returned to his homo here, where hp
has engaged In business and VIII reside
permanently
MR. Ryan Is an, interesting talkcr. ana
his varied experiences havo supplied him
with fund OF anecdotes and stories,
many OF which arc Of n personal nature.
He tells an interesting story Of his first
trip to Russia.
81 Petersburg In fearful snow-storm
that continued necessarily during our
Journey OF forty-four hours. In fact,
during tho entire winter we spent IN 81.
Petersburg,aan Warsaw there was no
letSup. on arriving at the Russian from
ter. customs official entered the car
and demanded our passports Then tho
passengers were marched through Two
lines Of soldiers to the custom.housc,
where ali baggage Is. supposed to be RIG &
%idly inspected The Russian officials are
noted for their inquisitiveness and In
tcrrogate you In Russian, German, French
and English. When l Informed the o.
fcer that had no dutiable goods, that
~ Wa2 an GIl IN'AASo " ~
8 Grsburg under engagement to perform
before royalty at Cuiisella, much TO my
surprise and pleasure. my baggage was
not Inspected and every courtesy was
shown me. learned that Americans
were treated better than any other peo'
Il le. Russia has never forgotten the gen
trosity OF America when she sent ship
Sering poor.
BURIED IN SNOW.
"Continuing our journey, Il noticed that
the sta lions were almost buried In snow,
ana to enter any Of them We must pass
through high. solid snow banks. may
Eny that travelling In Russia, while slow,
ranks next to that Of our own country
Tor comfort. When ring ST. Peters
burg. man entered the compartment
in which vas and took q seat opposite
me. felt that he was intruding, but l
might as we'll be diplomatic, 80 said
nothing He was q WELL built man over
Six feetEin height. with long, we'll kept
lair. He was suave and polite, and EVIL.
IDENTIFY belonged to the better class: He
understand him. tried him with
Trench and German. but with tll-suc-
cess, / wished to make inquiries about
81. Petersburg. showed him poster
end he readily understood. II was then
case OF ,pantoml me, TIL We reached the
city. | had heard about spies, 81 when
we got to the depot. tried TO get r'd OF
my whilom friend. but could not.
at must have been fifty degrees be :
low zero My new friend accompanied
me TO nearby hotel. He invited me to
have some vodka, tho national drink OF
Russia, which declined. However.
l.ad some lunch. and wishing to push ON
to Culisella. asked for my bill. was
a told that 1t had been paid by my friend.
+ ,fay. co,- uyaa n ~ 11Gaf Onlv nv tho
royalty, so we entered a sleigh and were
driven four miles to Cuilsella.
2.I have never felt so cold In my life
ns during that four mile ride. My mus
tache was frozen stiff, eyebrows white
with frost. my eyes even seemed to have
turned to ice. Wrapped as was In furs.
j Imagine I must have looked much like
zee In the store windows. ! was so be-
numbed. with cold that l did not care
what happened. After what seemed like
years OF Arctic cold, we reached our des-
tlnaton. and when ] alighted from the
sleigh. my knees were 80 stir that ! Tell
To the ground We entered the building
and found that was among friends.
When i asked the driver for my BILL, I
was told that my friend had again paid
It. Through an interpreter 1 thanked the
gentleman. and stated that would be u.
81. Petersburg for some time. invited
him TO call on me that I might reclpro-
cate his kindness. He accented with
profuse thanks, and we became great
fricnds The Russians are a very So
c.able people and the better classes en-
joy life immensely.
4 CRUEL RULER,
II remember continued Mr.. Ryan.
ION one occasion after performing be-
fore the royal family. ! WAS guest a
the Circus. There was present the Ismau
Of Bokara and about four hundred at
tendants. He evidently enjoyed the per
Torrance. but nothing pleased him 50
q muol, as when one OF the Jockeys. In leap-
Ing over high hurdle. foil, and after being
dragged some distance, lay there un-
conscious The worthy Ismau laughed
Heartily, and the ,grmaces Of his attend
ants had a melancholy effect on all who
saw them. ss
IN Russia tho homes are not at all
like ours. You pass through a high gate
opening into courtyard around which
are many windows and arc heated by
large wooden furnaces. The landlord
furnisheE the wood, which Is distinct
1tam in your bill. No one Is allowed to
rass through the gates leading to the
dwellings without permission OF the por.
tar, who Is always on guard. Wrapped
i iE his great furs and seated there he is
for all the world like big bear, The
peasants come into tho city with pony
and sleigh, and are In great demand
Rich or poor, you must make bargain
with them beforehand or they. will
charge what they please.
FROZEN ~ DEATH.
"It is said that the ponies are nailed
To the shafts OF the sleIghs to remain
there all winter and many q. driver has
been found In his seat frozen stiff in
death All are Inveterate vodka drink
ers. a beautiful sight Is to see horses
hltched to a sleigh, three abreast-one
,rotting one pacing and the other gall
Topping, While out with q sleigntng
rarity our guide asked US where we
thought we were, To our astonishment
we learned that we were crossing the
river Neva, which had frozen oyer and
was covered with snow so deep that It
formed continuation Of the streets on
either side. On either side tires stuck IN
tho Ice. and lighted lamps make the
scene at night beautiful,
"Fron st, Petersburg we tourneyed 70
Warsaw, and OH the way noticed much.
poverty. many Of the people living IN
dug-outs along the railroad, mac, heard
and read much about Warsaw, but IT
Ia.