Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
Travel in Siberia
Is Trying Affa;'
BY JUNIUS b. WOOD.
Correspondence OF The Star and The Chi
Daily News Copyright 1925

Daily News. Copyright, 1875
( ALTAISK, Siberia, Z. S. S. r., A
gust 25.-Somewhere around 2 o'clo
this morning persistent hammer |,
started on my room door. The ira
for Biisk left at $40 am. and Ru
slams believe in getting TO the static
early, though a train is seldom
time. even in starting. A drosky Wa
waiting outside in the muddy stree
The skies were paling with the ear
da Wight of Siberia in August.
In Russia they also believe il
building the towns far from the rail.
road Novosibirsk is half an hours
ride from the station. Now and then
another drosky sloshed through the
ghostly light. piled with baggage and
bundled-up passenger. The train had
arrived from Tomsk at 2 am. 1t
would stop an hour and 40 minutes
in Novosibirsk. providing 1t got away
on time.
Sleepy passengers filled the station.
Where they were going or where they
had come from, and when. was mys-
. terry. y LuIOiEli AId1 lAOhA A~CAhAb-
grad To Irkutsk. windows dark, and
also waiting. was on the main track.
/ A porter carried the suit cases around
I ii, through the puddles of mud be
tween the tracks. and after much
shouting found the Biisk car. Yes,
there was an empty place in 1t for
whoever had the ticket. I had the
ticket.
Since Russia has become proleta
rian state classes in railway travel
have been abolished. Instead OF
classes there are categories---merely a
change in name. as i'll many other.
things. First and second categories
on sleeping cars differ in price and
the size of the compartment. Not
more than two persons viii be IN
compartment of the first category.
while four may be in one Of the sec
ond The next distinction is desig-
mated as soft" and hard; after
them comes fourth which is only in
Siberia Hard and soft refer 10 seats
or hunks and are as their name I'M
plies
This car was hard: the train had
no others. 1t was of ancient vintage.
a partition dividing it in the center.
each half having rs benches In double
tiers, 12 crosswise and 6 lengthw1se.
with a narrow aisle between and six
little square windows. My ticket call
ed for an upper side board near q
window, which was an advantage-in
daytime. II 81 breath OF fresh air nj
tered in during the night II was De-
cause window was cracked. the car
had all the assorted Odors OF sleep
ing countryside.
My overcoat was doubled on the
bench for mattress, metal camera
case served for pillow and my shoes
were tied together above my head so
they would be there in the morning,
The little wooden car swayed ike
ship at sea, and to the rhythmic
click-click.click of a fiat wheel l SUM
bered
A tOverish in a black shirt. who had
emerged from a bunk across the aisle
was translating the labels on my
suit case for the benefit of a group or
comrades when | awoke in the morn
ing.
Have you been in Vienna" he IN
CURED in German. proving that his
black beard was racial. as all Jews
In Russia speak German. / Admitted
that the label came from Vienna. Ny
neighbor Informed me that the train
was late, which was to be expected.
He agreed TO watch the baggage. We
were at a station. A towel was In my
OF0icoAI pocket ana Went " Nno
creek to wash.
Every station has an open.aiF buf-
let. Lines Of peasant women and chill
dren, occasionally a man, sell fruits
and vegetables and warm food. Pi-
roshki, handful of flashed meat in
-four dough. boiled in grease like q
doughnut, IS the staple diet where
dining cars are lacking. Peasant
women bring them in tin pals cover
ed with a cloth and hand them out in
a piece of newspaper or a leaf torn
from a book. Four piroshki cost is
cents at most stations A whole
roast chicken costs the same; two !
quarts of boiled milk, cents: an
apple. 10 cents, for they are Injuries:
a pint OF raspberries. ~ cents; an
Ice cream wafer, 5 cents; q chunk of
roast pork. 10 cents. Food IL neither
luxurious nor expensive.