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)
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