Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-08-26
One of the Lopez Expedition.

An American by the name of Rogers. one OF
the prisoners taken with Crttenden in the Lopez
expedition, and afterward pardoncd by the
Queen of Spain, started few months ago from
Paris to join the Russian army. He was nearly
out of money when he started, but he managed
to find his way to the Russian frontier the
border of Prussia. He passed on to Russian
soil without sou in his pocket, and Immediately
demanded to be enrolled into the army. He
was asked whether he hal ever seen service,
and if he acquainted with military tactics.
He replied that he had served as an officer I'M
der Crittenden in the attack on Cuba. They
Immediately gave him lieutenancy and sent
him to the '.Nlodel School to study for short
time the language. Soon after entering the
school, a copy Of the army regulations was pre-
scented to him, in which he found that to make
his lieutenants commission perfect, it WAS re-
CURED that he should pay bonus of 1000
roubles. This is one of the fixed regulations of
the Russian army, from which there is no de-
Walton. All officers pay a bonus for their COM
MISSIONS which goes into the state treasury,
and which is regulated according to the grade
of the commission. The pay afterward is 50
SMALL compared to the expenses of living among
| the rich, stated before, only those having
an income independent Of their army pay can
hold an Office
There are two other drawbacks which operat-
ed seriously upon our friend of Lopez celebrity.
No officer can resign his post in the Russian
army without paying a bonus almost equal to
that paid for the commission, and no foreigner
can leave the country who owes debt, no
matter how tritiing Here he was then, every
day contracting new debts; he was unable to
pay for his commission, he could not buy him
self out of the army, and he could not leave the
country if he was out. The commanding officer
at the school was pressing him to pay for his
commission; so Rogers asked the privilege to
go up to St. Petersburg to see the American
Minister, and to join his corps there. His
situation OWNED, the privilege was granted,
and the Lieutenant soon arrived in the presence
of the Minister, repeating, with an evident con-
viction of its truth, that 'sJordan was hard
road to travel. Mr.. Seymour laid the affair
before the Minister of War, and on account of
his being an American, an arrangement was
suggested by which he might Withdraw himself
from the difficulty into which he had fallen.
The Russian Minister proposed that Rogers
should ask for leave of absence for a week, and
in the mean time could leave the country, under
the promise Of returning, but in fact to remain
away. This was accepted, but he was in debt. |
and had no means of paying Besides he was |
expected to pay the price due for leave of alb
sence from the army, a sum which is refunded |
when the absentee returns. The bonus for COM
mission, being payable at any time during the
first week, perhaps months, of service, was not
a question The first week stole away. and he
did not get the money In the meantime he
grew terribly home sick, and declared if his life
was spared to get ont of Russia he would leave
for the United States as quickly as possible, and
remain there contented for the rest of his days
At the end of the week, application was made
no 90 ~, NJ
self, who now understood the difficulty, for an
other weeks furlough, which of course was
granted. This about two weeks ago, at
which time my informant left st. Petersburg:
out at that moment efforts were being made to
% raise the necessary sum to get him out of
he scrape. The last thing he saw of poor
Rogers, on leaving the Russian capital, he was
tting in a thoughtful attitude, on the railing
# bridge across the Neva, squirting tobacco
uice furously, and swearing ''Jordan is hard
cad to travel, I believe.'' {
GUNPowpER.- Our readers may
ave heard the story of the Yankee shoemaker,
vho purchased of pedlar half busle of
hoe pegs, all neatly sharpened at one end, and
to be the best of MAPLE and who
ound them on inspection to benothing but pine
Tot caring to be g taken in and done for'' after
hat fashion, and being constitutionally fond of
1hittling, he went at them with his jack knife,
nd sharpening the other end of each peg re- :
old them to the pedlar his next trip for 4
ats The celestials, whose initiative faculties L
ave always been notorious, have improved their
ecent opportunities of intercourse with the
ankee barbarians by learning lesson or two
ut of their book, and indicating their
apacity by beating the originals. This is seen
portion of the return cargo of the ship
-, AL
SEQ. In what particular disguise the COM
onent parts sent out, we cannot learn, but !,
le shape in which they have come back, shows
lat the Cinnamon are quite shrewd enough to o. o.
rosper by the side of the cutest Yankee in Ia
le land of their adoption. We have before US m
specimen of gun-poraer tea, said to be fair &C
nipple of go tons, which arrived from San
rancisco in the ship Eagle, to order. There
not the least smell or taste of tea about it, s.
1t in appearance it is the most complete i'm
alton we ever saw. 1t is probably made of
in paper rolled in mud but in weight, color, X
,culiar shape Of the leaf, and every thing else .
it favor it cannot be distinguished from the ar r
nuine article. Even the little bits of broken
ones seen in good samples of gunpowder tea, fiji
e initiated to the life-apparently all from the W
me material Once mixed with the genuine sa
a, the adulteration could hardly be discovered; (
ID 1t may be well for dealers in this vicinity !
keep lookout as to the disposal of this in :
ice. Meanwhile the San Francisco operators "a
10 have thus returned us oats for our fine q
oe pegs, can have their diploma. i
IN Y journal Of Commerce.
ali
VIRTUE.-Virtue is the brightest ornament of au
nth. AS on the one hand, religion never APP an
ars more lovely and engaging than when it Of Of
Tels on the lips and is exhibited in the lives
Young people So on the other hand vounr |
rsons never appear so amiable, and deserve =
much esteem and confidence, as when they Sa
. religious; when they walk in the paths of