The Shasta courier., 1864-04-09

respect, Is that Of the reigning family in Rus
sia. According to Baron Won Eaxthauson.
more than million square miles Of cultiva.
ted land and forests besides some two mill
ions square miles of uncultivated land, noun.
tains and steppes, partly in European and
partly IN Aslatic Russia, belong directly to
the Emperor and are under his absolute con
troll. The real revenue derived from these
gigantic possessions is unknown, but it is
generally estimated that the expenditures of
the Russian court, including the allowances
paio to the numerous grand dukes and duch-
esses, cannot be less than about three millions
sterling year. The rate CT exper diture of
the imperial family may be estimated from
the recorded fact that. V Bhen the late Empress
Dowager, the widow of Nicholas, went to It.
ally in the summer of 1860. her suite comprs-
ed above 200 persons, with an adequate mum
Der of horses and carriages. the cost of the
maintenance of which was calculated at the
period by German newspaper correspondents
at L, Geo per diem. The coronation of Al
exander the ii, at Moscow, IN September,
ls56, is estimated on like authority to have
cost tabout eight millions of roubles, or some
Fl, 100000. These enormous fortunes of the
imperial family of Russia, as well as of the
house OF Hapsburg. are gradually getting dis
triblted through blood alliances. Many of
the smaller German families, Tor example,
have greatly enriched themselves by matri-
m0nal connection with the reigning house of
Russia. Czarina Catharine H., Princess
of tie house of Anhalt, made a present of
mos valuable domains in Southern Russia,
comprising an area of about go square miles
to Ter kinstolk at home. the income of which
thy enjoy to the present day. 1t is this la.
wish lberality which has not little contrib
ued to the eagerness with which Russian al
liances are sought after in Germany. and the
Consequent influence they exercise.
: Leaving aside the wealth of the imperial
holse of Holstein Gottorp, which can scarce
ly be called private property, the richest
sovereign family in Europe is commonly be-
liefed to be that OF Austria, and next to it
the house of Nassau Orange, ruling the Meth
erlauis. The riches of the latter family have
been acquired almost entirely within the last
few generations When William VI of Mas
sau O,ange was called in 1915 to the throne
of the Netherlands, which he afterwards FIJI.
ed as William |, he was possessed of but
modest private fortune, which he increased
enormously by investing 1t in commercial
undertakings patronized by the government.
As leading partner in the colonial Mats
chappg,' sort of Dutch East India Company,
he was able to employ proftably both bis
cash and his royal prerogatiye, with the net
result of leaving to his heirs private for
tune Of one hundred and fifty millions of for
ins, or twelve and a-half millions sterling.
The Successors of King William /, continued
his trading specrlations, ;hough net to the
same extent. and are still considered as lead
ing personages on the Amsterdam exchange.
1t is very probable that this commercially ac-
L.. Al 4
tifv the Nassau Grange dynasty, in country
where riches are worshipped to this day more
than in any other part OF Europe. Many
German sovereigns have traded for the last
half century in exactly the same manner with
the first King of the Netherlands, with re-
suits equally fortunate in comparison Some
reigning princes to this day are stock iobbers
some cattle dealers, some farmers, and some
mining adventurers. The shrewdest of them
all, the late autocrat of the Prncipality of
Schwarzburg Sonlershausen, hit upon an Or
iginal idea for making money. lie set up a
large brewery an distillery and forbade his
subjects, under heavy penalties, to consume
any other ale or spirits than those issued from
the princely establishment. CT course. he
drove roaring trade Notwithstanding q the
fact that his beer and brannwein' were much
dearer and much worse than Ike articles fur
nished by plebian brewers and distillers to
the subjects of neighboring tentates. Prince
Gunther Of Schwarzburg Son9ershausen in
this manner realized some 10000, 600 thalers.
which he invested in the purchase of larger |
estates in Bohemia and the Grand Duchies of
of Meeklenburg. But the more money he
made the more greedy he got and at last his
beer and gin became so dear and so bad that |
his faithful subjects could not stand it any !
longer Consequently. on one fine morning
in August, 1885, one half of the sixty thous
and inhabitants of theprincipality assembled
in front of the Schloss of their master, and |
burst cut shouting for beer and liberty. The |
Prince misunderstood their cries. and feeling |
the remorse of actions not spirit proof. he fled
in great haste, leaving behind his deed of alb
dication. His son and successor did not |
think it safe to continue the brewing and |
distilling business, and he set mp. therefore, |
as paper maker and wholesale dealer in chif |
fons, making it penal to buy paper or sell |
rags elsewhere than at the princely factory. |
Many fortune has been made in this way, !
in modern times. in the fatherland of princes |
The movement which thus changes poor SOW |
ereigns into active traders and alventurers. |
to convert them finally into wealthy capital |
lists, is not without its political importance |
The great royal family in Europe. taken as
class, might. perhaps, be in danger of losing |
part Of its prestige, at the side of rising and
all powerful money aristocraey. were IT not
carried forward by the same tide of success.
1t is evidently wide spread feeling of mod
ern royalty that in our days it will not do
even for kings to be poor A characteristic
little aneedote. showing the views on this sub
ject entertained by modern princes, is told
of the present Emperor of Austria. Soon af
ter his marriage, Francis Joseph was pressed
bv his eonsort to allow himself to be solemn
ly proclaimed King of Lombardy by placing
the iron crown of Charlemagne on his head.
Whereupon the young Kaiser replied, smil-
ing. Iron crowns are no good w-a-days:
none but golden crowns will do, my DEAR |
A nATHEaAr1cAL PRoBLEx.-Suppose a
ship IS sailing ahead at the rate of thirty
miles an hour and suppose A cannon hall to