Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-12-28

"A WINDOW INTO EUROPE
A Texas cowboy said that he did not
BY DOCTOR W. q. pALmoaE.

A Texas cowboy said that he did not
need his revolver in Texas often, but
when he did need 1t ''he needed it pow
crful bad" In nearly all the countries
VI the civilized world we have very lit
tie use or need for O passport. but IN
the Russian and Turkish empires you
need them very badly, everywhere, and
all the time. No one, whether u
sian or foreigner, can get lodging or
shelter in the Russian empire without
record OF the %"roostins"' place OF each
and every one Of her citizens. as well
az the strangers within her gates,
every night. The government makes
considerable money In visetng pass
ports every time citizens or strangers
change their 'roost." In our first trip
over Russian u passport was entirely
covered with vises. and 80 worn out
and dilapidated that we kept the parts
together with sticking plaster. Ex-
animation or search OF baggage In
crossing the boundary lines Is another
embarrassment which makes It worth
considering as to through which gate
way you propose to enter the empire.
Their are many points Or custom
houses through which o can enter,
but from our own experiences and
from the testimony of others we would
NuVlSC 10 GIlSCE III 1ClCTSOOIS. Vld1GuS
Lorenzo Taft says that for r~estfulness,
comfort and scenery the steamers Of
the Finnish line between Stockholm
n st. Petersburg are far preferable
to other ways of approach or entrance.
The windings In and out among the
rocky, wooded islands of the Finnish
archipelago remind n of the Thous-
and Islands Of the st. Lawrence river
OF the Matsushima bay OF Japan, so
nat this water route affords a most
fitting and delightful prelude or post
u to the trans-Siberian tourney.
The first objects to arrest our eye on
entering Petersburg were the magni-
ilcent black horses with their shine and
CLEAN. The first installment we saw
we took 1t for granted that they were
all from the imperial stables, and was
Hgreeably surprised to find them draw
ing private carriages and tho best of
the droskies. We soon hired a drosky
and was seated behind one of these
majestic creatures dashing through the
streets with something of the vain
glory and pride of American imperial
ism. For the time we had hired him.
ferfor In measure or movement to those
behind which the Gar rode. Ia
trouble, however, was these horses are
of the masculine gender unmitigated,
and some of them quite vicious. When
u drosky driver seemed to be losing
control, and the horse went dashing
down an inclined plane with his head
high in h air and lifting his front
feet SO high In the air as to suggest
his climbing to the moon or stars, our
vanity vanished and u pride turned
suddenly into ejaculatory prayer! We
suddenly concluded that a Missouri
mule would suit US better. Mules
sometimes run away. but they general
ly stop before they hurt themselves or
anyone else.
1Nhncc ;t Sln1lr A-,,-. -.
when everything is covered with snow,
drawing fine sleighs with occupants
clothed in fine furs, present a very
striking and fine picture. During the
later months of winter the snow has
accumulated and packed down into
gle of the sleigh bells is quite high
above the level OF the sidewalks or
pavelnents on the sides Of the streets.
The charm Of the year here is said to
be during the very coolest weather,
when everything is frozen hard and
and at midday the sun shines with
great power. In the evening and at
night it is cool. Then 1t is a great time
and place to contract toothache and
neuralgia. There Is q large park up
the Nevsky river in which the wealthy
drive late in the evening and at night.
Many return with mouths and jaws tied
and suffering.
It is rather remarkable that this city
ever came to be so generally known as
Saint Petersburg" which conveys the
idea that 1t might ave been named
after the Apostle Peter, a great mis-
take. 1t was named after its builder,
Peter the Great,
who was very far from being a saint"
He called It his window into Europe"
The present czar, Nicholas H., says
that Petersburg Is in Russia, but 1t Is
not Russian" Visitors are often sur
prised to find 1t really a European city.
How Peter made 1t such a large win
dow into Europe was when he issued
his famous decree that all h children