Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-30

are offered for sale because use two en-
terprising nations have entered into a treaty
of permanent peace. They have botn
agreed to disarm and tie themselves to-
gether with olive branches The Russian
government, however has no money 10
srend for cruisers and battleships just
now. So Mr.. Flint is watching events
When the political troubles are over and
things settle down he thinks that Russia
win be the most profitable field for enter
prise in all the universe In the meantime
he Is learning the language and making
valuable acquaintance among Influential
men In financial and political circles Mr..
Flint spends a good deal OF time at the
douma. where the coming men, the pros
pective leaders of Russian affairs and fu-
ture cabinet minister's, are TO be found
The leaders of the douma are eager to get
his advice and counsel
Electrifying the Street Railways.
The Nevsky Prospect, which is the 5th
avenue OF St Petersburg and other streets
are now being torn up by Mr.. Meloy, fore
man of Westinghouse s. Co., who have a ST.
100000 contract to ''electrify" the street car
lines. Twenty-three miles of surface tram
ways are to be converted into underground
trolleys, a power house is to be erected and
the power is to be brought 40 miles from
the falls OF the Imatra river in Finland
After this contract, which Is with the mu-
nicipal government, Is finished. 1t is ex-
pected that there will be others. The
Westinghouse Company is also engaged In
negotiations with the municipal officials al
Moscow for contract to ''eleetrify' It's car
lines. which have a mileage of more than
fifty miles. William E Smith. whose
father built the government railroad from
St. Petersburg to Moscow for Ross WI
mans of Baltimore fifty years ago. is in
charge of the Westinghouse interests here.
There are several large American manu-
featuring establishments in st, Petersburg
and vicinity and more at MOSCOW, but bust
ness Is very dull just now. Since the
with Japan and the political disturbances
there has been decided Industrial depres-
sion and most of the factories are closed
working half time, with compar-
atively few hands.
The street car system of st. Petersburg Is
owned by the municipality which took it
over from private corporation about two
years ago paying 400 per cent premium for
the stock. 1t has been an exceedingly
profitable enterprise, but pays smaller
profits since the government took charge
because 1t is not run on such an economical
basis, the fares have been reduced one-half,
wages have been Increased and passengers
are given transfers on all connecting lines.
1t is managed by a committee of the COM
mon council The receipts average about
SIS per car daily. The cars are about the
size OF those used in Chicago. but have
seats on the deck well as inside, and can
carry thrice as many passengers. The In
side fare averages L cent mile and out
side fares about Ia cents The cars are
drawn by two horses. generally; on certain
lines three, and at the bridges hill horse
Is added to the team. st. Petersburg is as
level as Chicago. There are no hills ex-
cept the approaches to the bridges over the
river and the canals with which the city IS
Watered in every direction, and the trarlc
Is economically handled. 1t Is very heavy
in the morning and the evening hours when
the working people are going between their
homes and places of employment
The Droskys.
The more prosperous classes patron:ze
droskys miniature yictorias peculiar 10
Russia. Formerly they were only large
enough for single person. but gradually
the seats have been growing wider. unth
low two slender people can sit very com
fortably in a drosky. The wheels are
small. the front ones being not more than
eighteen inches in diameter and the back
ones thirty inches; and there is hood or
top similar to that of an ordinary carriage
which can be drawn up in wet weather
These baby victorias are drawn by the
most beautiful horses in the world, of
breed introduced into Russia from Arabia
by Prince Orloff. one of the favorltes OF
Catherine H. and supposed to have been
her norganatic husband. They are taD'
long-legged. graceful animals. with luxuri-
Gus names and tails that reach to the
ground. Their coats are as black as the
plumage of a crow, and their iuster SHOWS
the care that is given to the horses None
but stations are used and they have great
speed and perfect style The harness Is
very light, consisting of round cords OF
leather ornamented with silver or brass
The load is pulled from collar to which
the thlls of the drosky are attached and
reinforced by straps to the axles of the
front wheels.
are a peculiar clan, unique in many of their
ckara cteristics They live with their horses,
and many of them have no other homes
than the stables. Some of them own their
a Ginin f.th 81
two horses and a droSky and pay from 3
to rubles day TO the owner; but the
greater number are hired by livery stables
at the rate of IS a month and what they
make over g. 4 or 5 rubles a day. which they
are required to bring in to the employers
If their daily earnings amount to less the
difference is charged against them ana mas
to be made up.
The legal charge for the use of drosky
is 10 cents for fifteen minutes, and 80 cents
an hour in our money, but only small
portion of the patrons stick to that rate,
and a foreigner Is expected to pay twice as
much. No matter what or how much you
give. an isthvostik always grumbles ana
asks for more. particularly If he sees that
you are stranger and unacquainted with
the customs OF the country. The more you
give him the harder he will grumbie par
tieularly IL he Is overpaid the first time,
because he is smart enough to realize that
he has a tenderfoot TO deal with ana makes
the most OF 1t.
The Drosky Drivers.
They are peculIar-looking fellows. these
isthvostiks, and are always objects of In
terest They wear long cloaks of blue cloth
belted around the waist with an embroid-
Ell ed girdle and are stuffed out like feather
beds What they wear under their long
garments is a mystery, but they are SO In
Hated that they look IL they would col
lapse If anybody stuck a pin into their
backs. II is said that the fatter they are
the more wages they get when they go
into private employment. and some of the
coachmen private vehicles must receive
very high wages on that basis. They wear
Iow-crowned beaver hats which resemble
an ordinary silk stovepipe as daehshund
resembles an ordinary dog, and this adds
to the oddly of their appearance.
They drive like Jehu. passenger VINO
enters a drosky for the first time is likely
TO be alarmed for his safety. The horses
are very fast. They tear up and down the
streets like whirlwinds and dash around
the corners in most reckless manner, but
you never see an accident. Sometimes
there is only hairs breadth between the
hubs of the wheels, but there is always
enough room to prevent collision.
A drosky ride, therefore, is an exciting
diversion as well as a necessity to person
| who wants TO go anywhere In this city of
una Cufficent distances and does not care to