The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-03-26 00:00:00

ANECDOTES OF THE LATE CZAR.

The Whitehall Review relates the following anecdote of
the youthful days of the late Czar :

"According to the Imperial custom, the young
Prince made his debut in military service when a
child in years. At fourteen he became a non-com-
missioned officer in the Guards Several days after
his promotion, returning to the apartment which
he then occupied in the Imperial palace, he hap-
pened to cross a room where some military digni-
taries and officers of high rank in the army
were assembled. At his approach they one and all
rose and saluted him. This mark of respect from so
distinguished a quarter immensely flattered the vanity
of the young officer, and he determined to experience
it again. He therefore turned back and passed and
re-passea the room several times •, but to hie chagrin,
the generals, having once saluted their Prince' took
no further notice of him. The little Grand Duke,
much disgusted, ran with his complaint to his father,
who, taking him by the hand, led him back to the
room. My son,' he said, gravely, in presence of the
generals, 'I see with much pain how little you really
understand the duties imposed on your newly-gained
epaulettes towards your superiors in office and the
respect to white hairs blanched in the service of the state.
Do you not know that the very men whom you complain
of being wanting in respect to you are those whom you
yourself ought most to horiour : for it is to them that
your father owes his throne and his life? it is their
fidelity and zeal, and their loyal services which alone
can open up your path to the throne and aid you to
occupy it with glory and renown. Bow low before
them' and consider as the greatest honour every little
mark of respect and devotion they testify towards you.
What you have just done fully persuades me that you
are yet far too young for the epaulettes you wear,
and I shall deprive you of them until such a time as
your conduct proves you more worthy to wear them
honourably.' 'The Emperor then detached the epau-
lettes from his son's shoulders, and advised him to take
the lesson to heart.
"The murdered sovereign was devoted to sport and
also to whist. After a hard day's bear-hunting he
would sit down to a little whist table in the Imperial
salon and play for three or four hours. Many a
Russian general has risen from the green cloth winner
of a handsome fortune. A lucky Frenchman once
gained 300,000 roubles in one evening alone from the
Emperor Alexander. Like his ancestors Pierre-le
Grand, be loved l'incognito. One night after going
the rounds of his capital in a hired drosky, he found
that he had forgotten his purse, and bade the isvost-
chik wait for him at the entrance. Ivan refused,
remarking with much truth that the palace had
many exits- beside that particular one, and, as he
didn t mean to be cheated of his due, he required some
security that his fare would return. The Emperor
was obliged to leave his cloak with the wary nwujik,
and presently it was redeemed with a hundred francs
for the course,"

A meeting of railway servants has been held in
London in favour of a movement to limit the duration of the
ordinary day's duty to nine hours,or fifty-four hours per week ;
and in case of signalmen and shunters to eight hours, or
forty-eight per week; to obtain an adequate increasing rate
of pay for overtime, or duty performed in excess of the ordi-
nary day's duration; to secure to every grade payment for
Sunday duty as for extra duty; to reduce the amount of Sun-
dity toil; and tb dose goods yards at 1.80 pan. On Saturdays.

wd atns