Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1881-07-28
RUSSIAN EITLES.


straight to the police ward, where he is
inspected by the ispravnik, police
officer who IS absolute lord and master
of the district. This representative OF
The Government requires of him to en-
swer the following questions: His
name? How old? Married or single?
Where from? Address Of p'rents, Or
relations, or friends Answers to sl OF
which are entered in the books. a sol
emn written promise is then exacted of
him that he will not give lessons OF ony
kind, o. hy to teach any one; that
every letter he writes will go through
the ispravnik's hands, and that he will
follow 10 occupation except shoemaking,
carpentering, or field labor. He is told
he is free, but at the same time he IS
solemnly warned that should he attempt
to pass the limits of the town he shall
I've shot down Like dog rather than be
allowed to escape, aad should he ee
taken alive, shall be sent off to Eastern
Sib, ria without further formality than
that Of the ispravnik's person i order.
The poor fellow takes up his little
bundle, and, fully realizing that he has
now hidden farewell! to the culture snd
material comfort Of his past life, he
walks out into the cherries street. A
group of exiles, ell pale and emaciated,
are there 10 greet him, take him to some
Of their miserable lodgings, and fever
ishly demand news from home. The
newcomer ga2es on them as one In q
dream; some are melancholy mad,
others nervously irritable, and the re-
mainder have evidently tried to ind
solaee in drink. They live in eomnu-
mites Of twos and threes, have food,
scanty provision OF clothes, money, .nd
books in common, ond consider it their
sacred dnty 10 help each other in every
emergency, without distinction of sex.
rank or age. The noble by birth &c:
,ixteen ahillipgs month from the Gov
eminent for their maintenance, end
,ommoners only ten, although many OF
them are married. and sent into exile
With young families, Daily gandarme
visits their lodgings, ;nsrects the prori-
yes when and now he oleases, and now
md then makes some mysterious entry
IN bis Dock. Should any Of their
number carry 3 warm dinner, pair OF
uewly-mended boots or o change of linen
to some passing exile lodged for the
moment il the public ward. It is just as
likely Us not marked against him as o
crime. 1t is crime to come and seen
friend off, or accompany him a little on
the way. In feet, should the ispravnik
feel ont O. sorts-the efect Of cards or
drink-he vents his bad temper on the
exiles and, as cards and drink are the
fayorite amusaments in tho.e drealy
regions. crimes are marked down against
the e1iles in &C. Jnishing numbers, and
report OF them sent regularly TO che
Governor of the province.
Winter lasts eight months, pariod
during which the surrounding country
presents the appearance Of nciseless,
ifeless, frozen marsh-ro roads, 10
communication with the onter world,
no means OF escope. Iii course OF time
almost every individual exile is attacked
by pervors commissions, followed by
prolonged apathy and prostraticn.
They begin 10 quarrel, an even to
hate each other. Some OF them con-
trive to forge false passports, and by o
mira ,lc, as it were, make their escape,
but the greet majority of these victims
OF the third section either go 'luad,
commit suicide, or die OF delir um
tremens. Their history, when the time
comes for it to be studied end pub
lished, will disclose . terrible tale Of
human suffering, and administer d
evils and shortcomings not likely to hnd
their equivalent in the contemporary
history OF any other European state
London Standard.