The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-06-05
SIBERIANS ARE
 DIRTY AND LAZY People Have Never Heard Of
 a Bath Tub ARE VERY 0lS0RDERLY They Do Not Know How to Keep House and Eat at All
 Hours of Day and
 Night.
From the Washlngton Tlmes.

From the Washington Times.
 Tate gave us our relatives; thank heaven we can choose our friends is the way the Russians regard their s. berian half-brother. Anyone familiar with the overdressed, much uniformed society of the large Russian cities hardly wonders at the air of patronizing toler- anc the Russian accords his relatives across the Caucasus, says traveller who has recently returned from a trip through Siberia.
 The upper class are much like well fed tame animals, lacking all the savagery and picturesqueness of the peasant, and, therefore very unsatisfactory to the cu- riosity seeker
 The allne finds them interesting-ahd annoying because of their systemless system of doing business. They have ab- soutely no Idea of time Anyone except Siberian paying visit. to a Russian bank, is driven to desperation by the un- winding of the thousand yards of red tape" that bind the drawing or deposit ing of money
 System Slow One.
 The proces takes from one to two hours and the foreign patron is rendered fran tic by the uniformed clerks who leisure ly sip afternoon tea and daintlly puff odorous Russian cigarettes while the ex- citabe outsider stamps about. mentally cursing system that knows no time.
 On entering a shop a man must re- move his hat; an office meets with the courtesy of doffing overcoat hat and overshoes. When calling upon the gov ernor, even for business, one must wear approved afternoon dress. Fine feathers make fine birds, in Siberia, as elsewhere Anyone acquainted with the customs of this country knows exactly to what class of society a Siberian belongs by his foot and head wear. Only an aristocrat Is permitted to don a hat and kid boots a middle class woman wears scarf or face mantilla and calfskin shoes; the peasants, handkerchiefs on their heads and coarse, heavy boots.
 Homes Are Filthy.
 The homes of the wealthy and middle classes are pretty and attractive in the front but filthy in the rear. Of house. keeping they know nothing, and are forced to hire a force of indrgtrious Chinese or peasants to do the work they will not do for themselves. Their habits are irregular and dlsorderly in the ex- treme.
 From to 10 is the time to rise and partake of tea and bread; F o'clock sees the real breakfast served. Any time from to midnight Is the proper hour for a heavy repast of soup, meats, vegetables wine, and vodka" the national bever- age, distilled from wheat A mc%l al- ways ends with glasses of tea, brewed in the samovar, instead of the black coffee of more conventional countries.
 Always Shake Hands.
 The hour for social calls is from 10 to II In the morning. Friends meeting in the street shake hand continually until parting no matter how many times t day they may see each other. Men al- ways bow to the women first and on the more important holidays-Easter, Christ mas and New Year-they are permitted to exchange kisses. Of sanitary laws they have never heard; a bath is an unneces- sary trouble. One might gain unlimited wealth by exhibiting in Siberia the curl osity known as a bath tub. He would have a constant flow of curious, wonder Ing spectators.N
 In the peasants. or ''mujlks." the trav- eler finds more condensed oddlty than his widest dreams ever pictured. They are the most ignorant, the dirties, and laziest people on earth.