The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-24

are many places Of interest in and about st.
Petersburg that the traveller should visit.
large gallery, the Hermitage, the best gal
lery in Europe; the St. Isaacs and Kazan
Cathedral; the Alexandraneosky Monastery;
the Alexander III Museum: the fortress
where all the members OF the i'm
perial family are buried the original
house in which Peter the Great lived while
islands, which is one Of OF the finest in the
world; the imperial porcelain factory;
Peterhoff. where the summer palaces of
the Car are located. and Tzarskoe Selo and
Provost, thirteen miles across the Gulf of
Finland, where there are number of pal
aces of the imperial family, the grounds
and surroundings of which are very beau
tiful"
Colonel Holloway was asked the length of
time that the tourist could spend protitably
at St Petersburg, and if women travelling
alone, or in parties, as they do in other
parts of Europe, get about without
trouble or annoyance.
THE length of time TO be spent there de-
ponds, of course. largely upon the traveller"
he replied. 1t would require five or six
weeks TO see all of interest there is to be
seen in and about st. Petersburg. Women
are treated with every considera ton and
are subjected to no annOyances. and | be-
lieve there are more women tourists than
men. Many of them, some travelling alone
others in small parties, spend several weeks
there in the spring and summer, which are
the best seasons to visit St Petersburg
The Russian summers are perfectly delight
full and that is really the only season to
make a visit there. To illustrate the ease
with which women travel there, by the way
/ recall two women who went into Siberia
and said upon their return that they On
joyed the trip immensely"
Does the tourist stand chance of
catching a glimpse of the Gar or men,
bers of his family
Yes" replied Colonel Holloway. lit is a
very common thing. The Car goes about
just as freely as the President Of the United
States, although il is true that he is al
ways driven very rapidly. OF course the
Car is closely guarded. much OF the time
without his knowledge and against his
wishes. Every morning when he dresses
his valet knows by the uniform he puts
on where he expects to go. and immediate
ly communicates with the chief OF police
who promptly details two or more special
officers to follow his every movement"
Colonel Holloway has great store of
interesting information concerning the con-
ditiOn of the people of Russia. their hab-
its. customs, social life, etc.
There Is more caste I'm Russia than in
any country in the world, he said. land
the class lines very closely drawn. The
people are divided into eight classes-the
nobility. all Of whom are in a degree re-
lated to the imperial family, the army Off
GERS the navy officers, the professional and
literary men. bankers. wholesale merchants
and manufacturers, retailers and peasants
There is no such thing as rising above class
no minglng of the classes. and only mem
beTs of the nobility : re any part in what
is the real society o. Russia Occasionally
the daughter or wealthy banker m: v
marry prince or count. and her children
If she bear any. are noble. In time she
may be summoned to court and given the
recognition Of the nobility. but none of
her family is ever given such recognition
Many of the nobility are impoverished
perhaps three-fourths of them are hope
lesSly in debt, but they manage To live and
keep up appearances on their credit. i'm the
expectation that by marriage money may be
brought into the family some time All
business Is done on tick in Russia. and
the shopkeepeTs frequently sur r from ex-
tending credit; but they do thrust do it,
in fact, IL they remain in business men,
Der OF the nobility may not work, or go
into trade 10 recOuD his finances. Most
Of them have estates, more or less encum-
bered. and some of them own real estate
from which they get some returns.
Russians, of all classes take life i'm all
its phases very seriously" concluded
Colonel Holloway. They are not "A light
hearted people On the contrary they are
a sad people. but are fun of humor, i'm a
way. In their amusements they like action
and display In their theatrical produc-
tions they care only for gorgeous ballets.
full of life and color, and such productions
are, a. q rule. well stage6s