The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-01-06
THE YANKEE BOY AND THE RUS.
SIAN EMPEROR.

Mrs. Lydia Maria Child, in one of
her admirable letters from New York,
dated October It'll, 1871, relates the
following interesting story of Yankee
boy. It will be of interest to all Ameri
can boys, particularly at this time,
when the Emperor's son is visiting
America:
"At the navy yard, Brooklyn, l saw
the ship of war Independence, on which
came out Mr.. Dallas and his family,
when he went ambassador to Russia
On their arrival at Cronstadt, they OBJ
served a barge containing nineteen of
the Emperor's state officers put off
from a steamboat near by and row to-
wards them. They came on board
leaving behind them the bargemen, and
a tall, fine looking man at the helm.
While the officers were in the cabin
partaking of refreshments and exchang-
ing cOurtesies, the helmsman leaped on
board, and made himself "hail fellow,
well met with the sailors, accepting
cuds Of tobacco, and asking various
questions. When the officers returned
Cd deck, and be had resumed his place,
one Of the sailors said to his comrade,
with q knowing look, | tell you what,
Tom, that ere chaps more than we take
him for. He's a ioRdlubber, I can
tell you. Old Neptune never had the
| dipping of him
| An officer Of the Independence over,
heard their remarks, and whispered to
Commodore Nicholson that he shrewd-
ly suspected the tall, plainly dressed
| helmsman, was the Emperor Nicholas
in disguise; for he was said to be fond
OF playing such pranks, A royal sa-
| lutte, tOrty-tTo guns, was immediately
ordered. The helmsman was observed
to count the guns; and after twenty
| one Common salute had been fired
he took off his cap and bowed. The
Russian steamer ran up the imperial
| flag; all the forts, and every ship in the
| harbor, commenced q tremendou
aannonading, rendering the air, as when
from crag to crag leaps the live thun-
der
La courteous acknowledgment of his
discovered disguise, the officers of the
independence were invited to make
| The palace their home during their STAY
at ST. Petersburgh, and the Emperor's
carriages, horses and aids were at his
service; q compliment never paid to G
vessel of any nation.
Yet was similar honor conferred OF
an uncouth country boy from New
England! The following is the sub
stance of the story, as told by Mr.
Dallas, at q public dinner given him il
Philadelphia, on his return from Rus
STA, in 1888.
One day a lad, apparently about
nineteen, presented himself before oul
ambassador at st. Petersburg. He
was pure specimen of the genus Yam
kee; with sleeves too short for his
bony arms, trousers half way up to his
knees, and hands playing with coppeIs
and ten-penny nails in his pocket. HI
introduced himself by saying, I've
just came out here to trade, with few
Yankee notions, and l want to get
sight of the Emperor
Why do you wish to see him?"
I've brought him a present all the
way from Ameriky. / respect him con
siderable, and L want to get at him, to
give 1t to him with my own hands.
Mr.. Dallas smiled, as he answered, 1T
Is such common thing, my lad, to
make crowned heads a present. expect
ing something handsome in return, that
m afraid the Emperor will consider
this only a Yankee trick. What have
you brought
! An acorn
An acorn! What under the sun
induced you to bring the Emperor of
| Russia an acorn
Why, just before l sailed, mother
and | went on to Washington to see
| about a pension; and when we was
there, we thought we'd just step over
to Mount Vernon. I picked up this
acorn. there, and 1 thought to myself I'd
bring 1t to the Emperor. Thinks, says
l, he must have heard a considerable
deal about our General Washington,
and expect he must admire our insti-
tutIons. So now You see I've brought
1t and [ want to get at him
My lad, it's not an easy matter for a
stranger to approach an Emperor, and
am afraid he viii take no notice of
your present. You had better keep it =
tell you [ want to have a talk with
him. | expect / can tell him a thing
or two about Amenky. 1 guess he'd
like mighty well to hear about our
railroads, and o1lr free schools, and
what big swell our steamers cut; and