The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-06-18
Miscellaneous.
RUSSIA.
4 Description Of the Govcrnmcni, Country
and People, by EX-GOy. Curtin.

The following is an abstract of ex-Goy.
Curtjn'a lecture on Russia, which he has de-
liyercd at various points over the State. The
lecture required about two hours for It's de-
livery:
lie went on to speak Of The great exten,
of that empire, occupying as lit does onc-ffth
in area Of tie continents Of the globe, and
embracing nine millions Of square miles.
Some idea Of the magnitude Of these figures
may be gained when it is remembered that
the United States, including the tarrito-
rics, contain an area of but two millions,
fyc hundred thousand square miles, or less
than one-third that Of Russia. This great
empire contains about G0.O0O.O00 people of
Scayonic origin, and all Russia, in Europe
and Asia, contains from ninety to one hun
drcd millions of inhabitants. The people
speak eighty different languages, and are dis
trbutcd among ftty-nino different provinces
or governments. There arc about 100000
Roman Catholics, about The same number Of
Protcstant-, and the bulk Of the rest be-
long to the Greek Church. There are, how
ever, in remote provinces many fire wor-
shippers, sun worshippors and other idola-
tors.
Russia was settled long before the Chris
tian era, became an empire in the ninth cen
tury and was converted to the Christian re-
ligion in the tenth century. Very little was
known Of the country by the ncighboring
nations and a. an illustration Of this fact
the lecturer stated that in the sixteenth cen
tury an English navigator having sailed into
the mouth Of one of the northern Russian
rivers, reported to his own government that
he had discovered q new country. Old as
the empire is, Russia Of to-day Is compare
lively Il new country. There were great cit
! les long before Moscow. Noyrogod, the an
| cicnt mart where the transfers between Euro
pean and Asiotic Russia were made, was 4
wealthy and beautiful city, and contained
half million people; but to-day Noyrogol
| is in ruins, and barely thirty thousand peo-
pie exist there. This and other cities -four
ished when Moscow was a mere hamlet and
when The site of St. Petersburg was an unin-
habitod moraSs. This latter city, now 4
place Of 100000 inhabitants and the seat Of
government, was founded after Boston, Phil
adeIphla and New YORK were "eI''Nno"h
cities.
The speaker then proceeded to relate his
experience in Russia when acting as Minis
ter to the Court Of St. Petersburg lie said
he first entered the empire by the German
| frontier, and Travelled to the capital all the
way on the highc.. ridge Of the country.
| From the car windows the land appeared to
be all droly uaiuhabtcl waste. Atgroat
distances apar. there were little clusters OF
mean little lodges, one story high, and Iro-
quculy without. board ll)rs, but except at
these i1,igujlitau. ham'ets there were no
signs of life %. all. A the train drew near
! It. Petersburg there were seen none of the
ordinary indications Of the approach to a
great city-noae Of the ont lying villas and
country seats OF the wealthy citilen5-no
Struggling suburbs, but all ut once the spires
and minuct' Of the city burst IN the view
over the sterile plain. After reaching the
city he remained three weeks at his lodging
and not soul came to see him, and he be-
gan to thiaS that life at Court might turn
out to be very lonely one At the end O
that time however, iunctionary of the
Court called upon him and told him tina
the Car would give him an audience thu
next day at two o'clock lie noticed in tho
public prints anannounccment that the GA
was to review the Imperial Guard the mex
morning, and so he went to see th'5 grea