, 1880-05-09
A NIHILIST NEWSPAPER.

Tie 1Ox3 Sheet that a Staff Of One Stu"
dent Writes, Prints, and Distributes.
st. Petersburg Correspondence Manchester Gttariion-
/ have just seen one Of tho greatest typo
graphical curiosities in the world-a Russian
revolutionary paper. It measures about
three inches by ten, and is printed on one
side Of a single sheet, 1t bears the
imposing title Of The viii Of the People.
This little sheet took such possession Of me
that could not rest until learned more
about it. I made inquiries in the proper
quarter, and obtained most interesting rev.
elation' Of the whole "inwardness" Of one
: Of these Russian revolutionary papers which
SO perplex the police. The office of Russian
revolutionary journal is usually little back
room in O very big house. The room must be
so insignificant that it is, as it were, lost in
the house, and policeman would hardly
think Of looking into it i'll a general search.
It bears on the door an humble business an
nouncement to the effect that artificial
1owermaking or some such harmless handi-
craft is carried on inside. The room
is scantily furnished, and the staff of the
looking ex-student who has been turned
out Of college for insubordination and
who is now living by his wits on pawnng and
and small allowance from a revolutionary
hair and 2 face which, is rarely washed with
anything, but its own tears. It wears long
cloak, or wraprascal, lined with what was
once fur, but is now merely 2 bald surface
Of hide, and the only glimpse. or hint
you can get Of neither garments Is in certain
frayed ends Of trousers peeping. out from
below. Within this wyaprascal is the all in
all Of q revolutionary joural,-its soul and
spirit and its material life. When the cloak
moves the Statf d and d. the type the pen and
policy-all go with it. Ii is, a triumph OF the
;rtof packing. It Is still rather inaccurate to
say that the staff is pure Individuality. It
is dual one. 4 woman shares the Wretched
enterprise. She, too, has been a student,
and she is still young. She studied medicine,
perhaps at Zurich or at Paris, served as
Queens meSsengefn between the home
police made Russia too hot to hold her in
her own name. To the other half Of the
staff she Is devoted heart and soul, and
/ through him to. his hobby-tne universal
revolution, She Is voluntary ontcast from
fully 10y down her life as amy p6troleuse of
Paris for her creed.
The journal is not a daily journal, but
What may be called an interlnittent one: It
is to collect material. For this purpose the
reporting staff, after scanty meal on the
cold remains Of last nights supper, wraps
itself intts cloak and sallies out to: watch
paesa asa fysnss sort T. Of dFnetc ETssstGy saat at
to pass places where there may be some
body to shoot at Itgoes to the great square
IN front OF tho Winter Palace, or to the
enyirons Of the public Offices. It has pistol
ill Its pocket as well as Il pen. There is no
knowing what may turn up, and the staff
has generallya standing order to put Car
For Minister out of the. way. With this
double duty in view. it is always sure
enough to xiii, it can still manage to obtain
information Of goings-out and comingsin
which may be useful at some future moment
of action. 1t nllngles with the crowd of i'd
1ers. 1t works It's way gradual to the front,
and finally, when the Gar or Minister drives
by, with swift trOttlng horses and Cossacks
before and behind, it darts such q look Of
hate at him as would do the work more
etfectqa!ly than Knife or pistol. If looks could
account OF how things are looknlgin tie city
it becomes the editors turn The leader is
generally composed under the trees in a
.snoW-coye1e4 public garden. 1t IS written
on sheets:of paper torn from tiny pocket.
book a1d as each sheet IS finished it Is
rolledup IN ball, ready to be swallowed at
moments notice: l believe there is no
instance known in which the most Wig
.:wriEf in fiagrante delicto. At the first sign
OF t4 policeman approaching the scene Of
llt9aIy labor down 60 The pills. The next
ssse = IN ne ts setthE up II t{ps The staff
ceeas to the little back room. The little
bsek room is locked and bolted, and a chest
$nn 11s praWers Is pushed ,ag1fhst the dolt:
vb$ 13{er dual athin 'nenibsE assv 1a loaded r
nIffAting department Is .iin full activity,
Tlaa type ia taken from nnsler the mattress
anhale leader is slowly and painfully COM
posea: p with many a sIarb at the. sound of n