6 4 SECOND TRIP TO RUSSIA 



somewhat tiresome journey, arrived at a small wayside 

 station about half-way from between Kharkof and Kief. 

 Troikas (Fig. 16) and immense fur overcoats were waiting 

 for us, and the drivers took us as quickly as their horses could 

 gallop through the fast falling snow and across the dreary 

 plain to the Grand Duke's establishment, which consists 

 of a few houses and a large number of stables, riding 

 schools and a straight covered drive a quarter of a 

 mile long. 



Two Americans, Starr and Murphy, presided over the 

 training of the trotters, and had under them several Russian 

 drivers and an army of grooms, strappers and boys. Starr 

 and Murphy were well paid and had, if I remember rightly, 

 10 per cent, on all the winnings at the various trotting 

 meetings at which the Grand Duke's horses competed. 

 In hazarding a guess, I would put their earnings at about 

 ^40 a month each, exclusive of "chances," which play a 

 larger part in Russian stable economy than even in English. 

 The straight quarter of a mile covered drive was an im- 

 portant feature of the place. It was laid down with 

 sawdust, which was kept moist during dry weather by 

 having pounded rock-salt sprinkled over it ; the quantity 

 employed from time to time being sufficient to give 

 the surface a coating resembling that of hoar-frost. 1 

 need hardly say that salt acts here by reason of its great 

 affinity for water, which in this case it absorbs from the 

 atmosphere. Colonel Ismailof put us up in comfortable 

 quarters, gave us the best of eating and drinking, and 

 paraded for my inspection during the two or three days 

 of my stay at Doubrovka, all of the very large number 

 of brood mares, colts, fillies and stallions in the place. 

 Just before our departure, the expected report book was 

 produced, and I wrote down a supposed spontaneous 

 account of my impressions. I did not like the way this 



