Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1896 — Town of Vladivostok. [ARTICLE]

Town of Vladivostok.

Vladivostok luts tlie aspect of an Inferior Hongkong, of about a quarter the size. Hills crowned with forts rise around II up to u height of 800 feet, li lies on the sooth side of n peiilnsohi twenty miles long, called Murovlef mursky, In 4B degrees 0 minutes ill seconds north latitude, and Ifll degrees 54 minutes and 21 seconds (Mist long) tude, The town Is between four and five miles long, lmt Is struggling nod unconnected uud of no breadth. Home streets are very steep and all are horribly dusty In dry Weather, being never watered, uud being continually crossed in nil directions by droshkas driven at a smart puce. Instead of pavements the streets have "sidewalks" of plunks, ns commonly seen in new American cities. You take six stout, planks, some twenty-five feet long, and lay them side by side, uud you continue the process for the requisite number of versts or mlh's (three versts are two miles), and the “sidewalk" is complete, save for a few props and nulls, where the ground Is too soft or the foundation degenerated Into holes. • The droshkas are driven by redheaded, snub-nosed Kusslun Izvozehiks In low, glazed, stovepipe hats, with very curly brims, red sleeves, pleated black skirts and high bools. In them one often sees. lolling as passengers, a couple of frowsy Chinese, or a still frowsier Corean. Tlie fare Is only eighteen kopeks, or one shilling, and eighteen pence an hour, or over littlf an hour; and from point to point there are tenpenny and flvepenny fares, according to distance. The regulations forbid charging more; but, with fine irony, allow the driver "to take less if he likes.” He may not leave Ills cab to take care of itself, may not "sing, make a noise or cause a disturbance,” lie must temper his pace to a "town trot” and "keep to the rlght-lmnd side of the road.” Tlie troika lias a dashing look; the horse in Ihe middle trots under the arched duga, whose object find effect, when properly put on, Is to keep tlie shafts at the right distance apart. The small horses right and left are cauterlug and their bodies Incline a little outward from the cnr. In Vladivostok are few complete triple teams; generally there are only the “middle horse” trotting and one other cantering on its near side. The water barrel on wheels, drawn by horse or bull, and often driven by a soldier, is a frequent sight, carrying water up to the forts and to the upper town, A funnier horse vehicle is the sit-astrlde, cushioned beam, on which izvozchik and cloaked ytnd spurred officer sit, with dangling legs, one behind the other—the officer behind.— Fortnightly Review.