The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1908-08-15
George N. lift mt Warsaw.


George N. lift, formerly editor of the
Pocatello Tribune, and at present
consul at Annesberg, Germany:
Warsaw, Russia, July 1, 1905
Armed with a correctly visaed pass
port from the Department of State
and an open letter from the Russian
consul general of Berlin, l have sue
ceeded in breaking into Russia and
for three days now have gone about
the streets of Warsaw, the capital of
ancient Poland,-a huge, sprawling
city Of about 100000 population on
the banks Of the muddy Vistula. The
scene of the latest terror, where
bombs were tossed about like tennis
balls and the streets were the scenes
of bloody combats-where on the very
evening Of my arrival young an
archist accidentally dropped a bomb
which he was carrying along a busy
street, blowing himself to pieces and
seriously injuring a half dozen pas
sersby, 1t is still the home Of care
free and pleasure-loving people, who
throng the streets and parks in the
evenings or sit in open air cafes lis
tening to concerts. Thousands of
droskies, drawn by sleek little ponies,
run up and down the streets all hours
of the day and night, absolutely with
our order, twisting in and out among
the streets Is absolutely a dangerous
| undertaking. The carriages of the
Russian mobiles, low, little wagons
with the horses hitched under great
yoke of bent wood over their necks
and drivers so padded that their rear
view is something like the view of
the north end of an elephant going
south, and attenuated country wag-
ons drawn by scrawny looking horses;
sional modern electric train add va
riety to the scene. The foot passen-
gers are even more motley in appear
ance,-well dressed men and women,
gaudily bedecked public women and
girls from the dance halls, miserable
and hideous beggars, soldiers in filthy
varieties OF uniforms, Jews, all in
coats that come to their ankles. and
skull caps, some prosperous looking.
m m rtnfc with
ringlets and mapy who bow cringingly
with uncovered heads as you pass and
at the same time curse you under
their breath with that awful curse of
the Hebrew-may your incoming and
outgrowing be accursed, your waking
and sleeping; may boils break out on
the back OF your neck, your hair fall
out and your children and children's
| children to the utmost generation be
accursed.
| never imagined that the things |
have seen on these streets existed.
The beggars are, perhaps, the most
awful. They throng the streets and
| crowd the steps OF the many churches
exhibiting hideous deformities,
loathsome rags, the piteousness of
neglected old age. Often they num-
BILE prayers by the hours, tell strings
of beads, with trembling and dirty
hands. hold out dirty cups. bowling
and whining their tales OF misery.
for blocks. screeching their petitions,
and kissing your elbow at every op-
portunity. Miserable and ragged wo-
which. thank God, l can't understand.
Tndescribably dirty urchins follow you
men with more miserable babies hang
ing to their fiat breasts cling to your
coat tails and can't be shaken on.
The dirty, ragged Jew is even more
miserable in appearance. He whines
out his begging petition but spits in
scorn when he has received the kopek
for which he asked. The Jewish quar-
etrs are miserable and dirty and
swarm like hives. The streets are
narrow and I often see fifteen and