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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1933)
PAGE ETOTTT BEDFORD MAIL TRIBUTE, MEDFORD. OREGON, FRIDAY, OCTOBER. 13, 1933. Former Medford Girl Gives Intimate Glimpse of Russia CONTRAST WITH AMERICAN LIFE TOLDINLETTER Helen Schoeni Now in Mos cow, Says Patience of People Astounding All Hope, Work for Future A moving story of "tremendous confronts," as they exist only In flatlet Russia, la told In s letter received here today from Helen Schoeni, former Medford flrl, now engaged In motion picture and piny production In Moscow. The niece off Dr. J. D. Blckert and Mr. and Ma A. E. Lyman of this city. Miss fichoenl waa gradu ated from the Medford high school and the University of Cali fornia, and later took graduate work at Yale university under the noted 8am Baiter. She waa also graduated from the American Laboratory theater In New York and for the po.it two years, pre ceding her recent Journey to Rus ala, waa director of the commu nity theater at Waterbury. Conn. She 1i also remembered here aa the sinter of Arthur Schoeni, now with United Press In Portland. Her letter, written on thin, onion-skin paper, rather badly soaked with Ruslan Ink, tells the following story of modern Russia: Life In Moscow Is full of new ad ventures and 1000 and one things to do In a day. I haven't wanted to take time out to alt writing when there are things to be done. First of all, let me tell what life la like here because I know you get a great deal of atreaa on "famine" Jn the American press. All I can say la If It exist along the Volga or in the Caucasus, It la not ao in Moscow to date. I am very fortunate In my arrangement In thla regard. Rooms Are Scarce. Itooma are practically impossible to get here the overcrowd tng 1a un thinkable tn our big country. No one person has more than one room to himself and I know of ten people crowded Into one large room. I met a Jewish fellow quite by acci dent here one day I knew him In New York. He had been a guide for "Open Road" tours. Now he wants to stay In Moscow. He told me of a room with a lawyer and his wife. This room Is the portion al lotted to his father and step-mother, w'io were in the country. Tills lawyer la an Oxford graduate, he Id, and asked If t cared to take the room. I went out to see It and was rather shocked. You must real lee that the standards of living are quite different here than In America, I could only see the dark walla with blue and brown paper ho crazy quilt patterns the dust all around ; and the furniture falling apart. 1 thought I couldn't put up with that, but then he promised to give It a thorough cleaning. Hotels Evpenslre. Xt wasn't a question of choice at all It was either paying a prohibitive price of 5 a day at the hotel or tak ing this until I could find a better one. So I came when It was dusted and awept and It wasn't half bad, although the bronee and plaster "statlM,, the plush furniture with tassels about the arms of the chalra were not my Idea of beauty. The worst waa yet to come when I found a good dose of "flit" was needed In the bed. Also the bathtub which doesn't work and drains very leisurely and had a drowned mouse floating In It one morning. Thla aeemed too much, but there were no rooms to be had. They have no bureau or advertisement system here at all. One must hear of a place through acquaintances, so I proceeded to cultivate a whole batch of people, all of whom are looking out for a room for me. I get this "room" for 10 a month rent. I can endure It because I am home ao little and where I eat It la very pleasant. The food U excellently cooked by an old servant Anna Oa elpovna who haa been with them for 3S years. I pay M a week for two meals and feel well nourished. With my American dollars they can buy food in the well-equipped foreign storea which sell only for "valutta" or foreign money, whereas the Rus alana living on rubles must stand in quea for hours in the rain to get cabbage, potatoes, bread or kerosene. Delays After Delay. These people can stand In a shorter cue. The merest detail of Ufa is complicated here It la full of frus tration until one learna the rope and ateela oneself to the anall-llke pace of Russian activities, it la moat exasperating and time-consuming at best. For Instance, I go to "Torgsln" to buy a fur hat for winter and a half down apples and a box ot cookies to have in my room to eat with the perennial tea that the little servant makes for me when I wish It. Water Is Impure. Here one cannot drink the water from the Up, but must boll It or have it aa tea. It la a brown-colored mess at that how I long for a good draught of clear Medford water again! To return to "Torgsln." This Is the "red tape- I went through. I chose the things by waiting In three different lines at each counter. 1 was given slips of paper with the price on them. I go to the "kaaaa" or cashier and wait In lint I am told there they don't cash American bankers checks, but that I must go to the Ooa bank four blocks off to get it cashed. . I go there only to meet an American girl who tells me Torgsln does cash them that one must "stage a scene" get hysterical and call the manager. Moreover the bank take BOc fee for each HO cashed aud Torgsln give full value. With the drop In the dollar this la worth knowing. So back I go to call for the manager. He will come "Im mediately" thla mcana anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour in Russia. I wait for him and finally he yells at the girl and finally bows with pro found courtesy to me. This la fol lowed by signing on the dotted line and profound computations on the bead or abacus board. Then It U ground out on a weird looking cash register. At last they know how much la due In American money and I go to the next window to pay It. Then I go back triumphantly to the three different departments to wait in three lines to get my purchases. I decide I will go to the theater. I Exchange Is Crooked, go to the box office and learn they are all sold out to the factory workers from the Gorki plant and the street car conductors trust moreover I cannot pay for a ticket In valutta and I haven't enough rubles. One exchanges aa little aa possible. There are two "exchanges" herethe white and the black. "Intourlst" glvea you one ruble, about 25 kopecks, now for a dollar, which is nothing in buying power. The black exchange where one finds a Russian eager to have American dollars to buy things In Torgsln which cannot be purchased anywhere else. In this exchange one can get 10 rubles for the dollar at least. Some difference! Seeing Lenlne's Tomb. From the theater I decide to go to 'Intourlst." the official travel bu reau which handlea all foreigners. They call up and sure enough no tickets for tonight, but I can get them for another play on the morrow. I don't want to see that play so 1 order a ticket for a repeat perform ance of the one I want several days later. For thla I pay three dollars. I get more and more disgusted and decide to visit Lenin's tomb on Red Square aa I am in the neighborhood. It la chill and pouring rain. At the tomb stands a Jong three-deep line, watting to get in to see their leader. There are three umbrellas only in the line of several hundred persons. Some of them have removed their shoea to protect them and are stand ing In their bare feetl It la cold enough for my fall coat now. The endurance power of these Russians la amazing to behold. Their life la still unbelievably bard, but they look to the future atate and find courage to go on. The old "aristocrats, who are still here are the ones who have the hard time making the adjust ment. They cannot leave the coun try, so they must chew their own tongue and try to adjust. The guard tells me the tomb won't be open until 4 o'clock, so I decide to come another day and not wait in the rain. The tram cars are packed always and one la hard put to get through Intact if you carry bundlea. Hereafter I carry my brief case or a suede shopping bag. Street Cars Packed. In getting out, the paper cornu copia containing my apples tore, and I reached the atreet cursing aa t clutched two applea and my hat on one ear. The system on the tram la this: You enter at the rear, pay yout fare and start squirming toward the front entrance In order to be able to get out ten stops ahead. When you finally reach halfway through you start asking In Russian, "Vyzdyea' shodyltye" (or so It sounds In Eng lish) which means "Do you get out here." If no Is the answer they try to edge over to let you pass. If "yea" Is the answer you wait because you will move with them. The front of the car Is used for entrance only by mothers with chil dren, pregnant women, officials and old people. There la a special seat reaerved for them to alt down no one else can occupy them If there are enough of these people to use them. They relay their fares back to the woman conductor and she re lays back the change . and ticket, which shows you paid. Her Watch Is Stolen. These are kept because often an in spector comes on the car and If one hasn't the slip you are fined a ruble. The usual car fare la only 10 kopecks or one-tenth the amount of the fine Stealing la carried on In the tram. I lost my watch already which Uncle Jud (Or. J. D. Rlckert) gave me when I graduated. I registered It with the police, but nothing will come of It. Paper la so precious here I must conserve my American supply, so when you come to the end, go back to the first page. It makes It hard to read through thla thin paper, but I have too much newa to go In this letter, unless I write double. Theaters Are Fine. From all thla you may think "why" would anyone go to Russia? This Is all the negative side. You must re member Russia la a country of tre mendous contrast even today. There la such ' a marvelous atmosphere of happy work and enthusiasm in the elr and the richness of the cultural life la unbelievably fine. The the atera are without doubt the most vital In the world today. Each play I have seen has been a new masterpiece of acting, clever staging and fine technique. Their actors are so mar velously trained It makes the Ameri can actor seem like a' sloppy infant at his trade. Where they have limita tions for supplies they have evolved a whole clever " new technique or staging. In the street one meets only drably, ill -dressed people. In the theater one finds a riot of color beautiful, artla tlc form and color. I soon found out how to get to the theater. I "met key people tn two r the most famous theaters so far and have free passes to seven playa. I have met with the most marvelous generosity among the Russians. They are finely courteous and generous to a fault. They are ao without foolish pride in their own magnificence, i have met Internationally fam'tia dl trlbutora. designers and actors and they are all as simple and naive and gracious as can be. What strikes me la how accessible those people are. While I was at the Karmery theater I was Introduced to the famous di rector, Talrov. He waa so charming, talking through an Interpreter to me for 20 minutes about my work and how I like Russia and then ahaklng my hand warmly, he wished me well tn my work. Any old time an Ameri can director would atop long enough for such simple courtesy) The Rus sians love to hear about America particularly the condlttona of the working men intrigue them. Great Interest In 0. S. A. Their curiosity about our life Is child-like. America la some fairy tale land to them. I gave some Wool worth pencils away and you would think I had presented a $100 check. Pencils are rare and beautiful things to them. The young engineer of the family where I eat went Into ecata cles over the "zipper" on my suede shopping bag and when I appeared in my London brown rubber boots the whole family gathered round to see them and admire the shiny beauty of them. The simple peasants often stroke the cloth of one's clothes. I came well-stocked with soap, clothes, tooth paste, stationery, pencils and leads, aa all such things are scarce here. I presented' the poet Brusov's widow with a tea strainer and a can of con densed milk and she was so delighted and grateful she gave me an illus trated copy of Lermontov's poems. I have met auch a galaxy of inter esting people: Playwrights, the bead of the news reel bureau here. He gave me a private showing of bta films and. gave me some fine "stills' of Moscow and events I cannot buy or take with my camera. One Isn't permitted to photograph certain things, auch aa Lenin's tomb, red army militiamen or- ports, railroad stations, etc, Thla Russian ink is very thick. I have Just one bottle more of Ameri can Ink and that Is packed away for future use. A Gala Dinner. Last night at supper we had a gdla time. Ordinarily they eat from oil cloth, because they can't get enough good soap to wash their fine linens left over from tlie pre-revolutionary days. This evening a distinguished visitor la due the head of the equiva lent of the "Red Cross" in Tashkent. He turned out to be a very handsome Tartar with warm brown skin, fine sculptured nose, gleaming black eyes, with a merry twinkle, high cheek bones and strong chin. He cut a romantic figure. He was quite taken with an "American woman" and In vited me to go to Tashkent with htm! When I left he asked that his address and name be written for me so 1 could visit him in Tashkent, where their civilization resembles the Mos lem. It Is one of the Soviet minori ties" now. He sang us Tartar love songs in a strange scale with a fall ing Inflection. It sounded more like a funeral dirge than a love song. Then Alex androvltch, the doctor who brought him, gave us a sample of the prayer calling on "Allah" In the minaret. The Tartar language Is not under standable to a Russian, but this Tar tar speaks very good Russian also. When I left he stood in the corridor and bowed, his left hand over his heart and his right to Bhake my hand. The Tartars were one of the wildest and most romantic tribes of all Rus sia. Now they are under Soviet re gime with their own government. They used to have man wives, now they have only one the good Soviets I Great Singers and Dancers. Afterwards we all sang lovely Rus sian folk songs. I am ao eager to learn the Russian language, more quickly to be able to learn all these songs. I want also to learn the peas ant mass dances that are taught in the "park of culture and rest." They are so vital and have fine rhythm. I saw tiny children dancing them before a play began one afternoon last week. "Between the acts" the children are lead In games and mass dances to rest them from sitting quietly. The children are so eager at the plays they move Into the aisles and edge toward the stage to see the play. The Russian child la a serious little fellow and full of charm. Race of Dreamers. The family life Is still very strong in spite of what one hears to the contrary. The Russian today Is a hard-working, eager-minded person with great self-sacrificing attitudes a race of kindly dreamers it seems to me. They crave nice things, too, and some day they, too, will have a form of luxury THEN will be the test for their idealogy of communism. The amount of privation and bodily dis comfort they can put up with Is amazing to a softened westerner wrapped round with cotton wool of American easy life. Their eagerness to learn would put the American graduate to shame. One sees workers late at night poring over books on English, engineering and all forms of learning. The amount of magazines and books printed is amazing. You must remember that in Russia there are 150 nationalities! It Is without doubt the most Inter esting, alive nation In the world to day. They have a plan and they know where they are going and why. This has an amazing effect on the atmos phere of the people In the trams The New York subways are full oi nervous, weary people, bored witn their existence. One never aces tired or sleepy people here. Of course, one sees plenty of squalor and raea gerness of life, but alwaya there Is a look of hope In their faces. A Wonderful Spirit. They are all made to feel that this la THEIR country and every mans's good work helps the whole tone to rise. There are still distinctions, of course. The "officials" dress well, warmly In the uniforms provided oy the state. They live better than the common worker. In the "factory kitchens" or dining rooms of various establishments one finds the "com mon worker" and the "white collar class" do not eat together, but tn separate places. Right now It Is an "honorable thing" to be a "shock brigadier" In completing the Moscow subway on schedule. Several thous and young workers between 16 and 20 enlisted last week for work wo men, girls, as well as men are busy with It. One sees women as brick layers, cement mixers, atreet clean ers, streetcar conductors, motormen and inspectors. There Is an easy camaraderla between them. No Flirtation a la If. S. One sees little or no "flirtation" as we know it going on in public here. Men and women are iirst of all com rades and after that of two different sexes. It doesn't mean the Russian men are not aware of women, but they are more gallant and subtle and not so "open" about their feelings before a formal proposal la made. They Ilka American women because we can dress better and are myste rious to them. I have not lacked a great deal of attention. I haven't had contact with boorish peasants the better class Russians have a charm and social grace that American men might emulate very well. I am eager for the snow to come. This fall has been unusually rainy. (continued on page nine) DO YOU NEED CASH? The Mail Tribune Classified Ads Give You Many an Opportunity to Get It and Save It! nn JLhINGS you no longer need ... or things you wish to replace with something new always find a ready market in the Mail Tribune Want Ads. 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