Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-04
That Made Milwaukee am

at St. Petersburg. the sorry old plugs that
haul the street cars OF Warsaw look quite
disreputabe, and the street cars are Of the
most primitive type-little. old-fashioned We
hecles drawn by hungry-looking crowbaits.
But the tramways are to be "electrifed by
a German company which has a contract
to lay underground trolleys similar to those
at Budapest. 1t is practically the same sys-
tenn that the Westinghouse people are put
ting down in St. Petersburg.
The WESTINGHOUSE company has agency
here, and was unable to learn why it did
not secure this contract, but l suppose the
Germans underbid them. The Standard Oil
Company and the harvester trust nave
branches and warehouses here. and you can
identify the advertisements Of several other
American firms in the newspapers. There
is comparatively little trade between Poland
and the United States. however, and most
Of it is conducted through Hamburg, which
Is free port, and, therefore. a great con-
venience for manufacturers In the United
States and England. They can establish
warehouses and ship goods to fill them
without paying any duty in Hamburg and
from there can fll the orders of their agents
in different continental countries. Prac-
tically the only trade we have with Poland
is in machinery and agricultural imple-
ments
The same business depression that exists
everywhere in the Russian empire Is felt
here, and perhaps 1t Is even more severe be-
cause Warsaw has been under martial law
for months The Poles are in an almost
continual state of instruction. The farm
erS nave kept at Work, however,, tnolr mar
vests a re abundant this year and the people
generally are doing much better than in
other parts Of Russia. Under the circum-
stances Poland is to be congratulated.
No Drunkenness in Warsaw.
You see no drunkenness in Warsaw as In
st. Petersburg and Moscow. The Russians
are the most Incorporate people in the
world. The Poles are generally temperate.
There are comparatively few saloons. Most
Of the drinking is done at the cafes In the
open air along the sidewalks under awnings
Or under the trees in the parks. where the
people sit at tables surrounded by their
families or cronies and sip their wine and
beer. You will notice that wherever drink
ing Is done under such circumstances there
is very little intemperance.
AS a rule. the Poles are considered an
smpracticable people, visionary. enthusi-
astic and extravagant. but they tell me
here that the working classes save their
money. There are savings banks for their
beneft-the only ones have found In Rus
sia-and as soon as they get enough ahead
to buy steamship tickets many Of. them go
to America Those who stay at home buy
small shops or pieces of land. 1 am told
that more homes are owned in Poland by
working people than in all the rest of Rus
STA combined. The manner Of living is not
conducive to home ownership. Ninety-five
per cent Of the population in the cities and
towns are housed in enormous apartment
houses. The only places you can find cot
tages are the suburbs or the outskirts Of
the towns and in Russia they are very
scarce. You see more Of them around War
saw than anywhere else
The emigration business seems to be
thriving. Advertisements of steamships
running to America appear on every dead
wall, In the shops an market places and in
the windows of unoccupied stores. The
government Is encouraging emigration of
Jews to the United States, and that is why
the steamship line from Libau to New
York has recently been established. Last
year Q906) the German steamers carried |
$4,000 Jewish emigrants from Russia to the |
United States. In 1890 the total was A, COO |
The average annual total for the six years
from 1909 to 1905, inclusive. was $500, |
which shows how rapidly the population |
of Poland and other Jewish centers in Rus |
STA Is being transferred to the United States. |
A fanciful idea Is to be seen on a house |
down in the oldest section Of Warsaw. An /
eccentric old baron who was building him. /
self home in the latter part OF the eight /
zenith century made frieze above the win
dows of the first story on the outside wall
of portrait busts of all the kings Of Poland,
thirty-six in number from the year 962 to
1886 A row Of nfe-size busts on the wall of
house makes an extraordinary effect. There
are no queens in the list.