| OCR Text |
Show Trr.ltORS OF RU30IAK WINTER. It ,) Cs Cold That AH" HUm.an Activity Activ-ity Is Nearly Suspended. "Wirier In Kussla," said a travefor. "'.3 a tiaio of rest. Tho only work pos-o'.b!o pos-o'.b!o in thocountry Is woodchopplng, and slncQ very fow can ongage in this profitably tho majority of tho peasants peas-ants spend tho cold months beside their stoves sleeping. "When tho first snow falls thoy heap It Ui against their huts, nnd. Ik. helps to keep them warm. In the' towns oery street Is plied with mcunds of snow ten foot high, restricting tho fain.ny of traffic to. half tho' usua,' brOH'lth of tho road. "Honflrcs burn at all street corners, round which tho policemen on duty, thb orrand boy and tho casual loafer stand thawing out frozen toes nnd trying try-ing to gain comfort ln tho .cheery sight of tho blare. In Moscow tho municipality has this year erected hundreds of llttlo huts warmed (to fever heat with stoves. Between these and the government drink monopoly shops a great many wofrthy citizens, who, but for hat terrible wind, would' bo seeking work ln a score of different directions, hover to and fro. Vodka Is copsumed in astonishing quantities, and It has the property of enabling the generous drinker to withstand this ley blaBt for hour after hour ln fdet, so long as tho stuff is procurable. Dut thoro Is no credit In the government drink monopoly shops, nnd when thoy. closo the streets beco'mo strangely deserted de-serted by all but tho fow well-to-do who care to faco tho cold on business or pleasure bont. "Tho only garment that will keep out frost and wind Is tho Siberian dakha; ordinary fur-lined coats with huge collars embedding the ' head covorod with well-wadded fur cap, are useful only for short drives; for anything any-thing .over a fow miles the dokha Is Indispensable. In-dispensable. This Is preferably reindeer rein-deer hldo without nnd some heavy, closo fur within, and Is made large enough to envelop tho wearer with clothes and ordinary fur coat, it need be, as well. "It Is astonishing what oxtrcmes and sudden changed tho human frnma will accustom Itself 'to.. You sit' Id a warm houso at a tomporaturo of 68 degrees ono moment and tho next you nro out ln tho street breathing' with exhilaration generous lungfuls of air nt 40 degroes below tho opening of tho first foor and tho closing of tho third you always havo at least three doors to got in and out of during a Russian winter." |
