The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-02
Why Monarchs are ASsassi.
mated.

mated.
1t is announced that 1900 victims OF
the Cars anger. or Suspicion, h I'VE pass
ed through Moscow, already this sprtnq
on their way to Siberia. Here is d
specimen of one of the colonies to
which they are sent:
In tbs cherries region of ArkangeI
of which the abori9ines say, God
made Russia, but the devil made Ar
kansel'-there are hundreds of ban
ished ones, men ard women, al! young,
all poor most of them sent without
trial. few among them knowing ever
Of what they are accused. Victor
l%vanovich dimes with his friend b.,
for instance, aid after a stroll along
the Boulevard, they separate. b. is
arrested that very evening. and when
Victor, astounded and horror stricken,
h~astens, to inquire the cause, he finds
everybody, even BIS " father, as
much in the dark a. he is himself; all
questions and petition. III the subject
receive vague administrative nSwers;
all friend and relatives are systemati
cally discouraged and silsnced: eagerly
they wait and watch for the numerou.
political trials that come on without
lntermission, hoping to see the missing
ones name on the list of criminals or
see his face once more, let it be even
in the prisoners dock but as they wait
aud watch the prisoner is, without any
trial, en- route for Arkangel.
Arrived there, the routine is the
same. Whatever the crime alleged,
the 9 or sex, the prisoner is taken
to the police ward-a dreary log bnild
ing. containing two sections, one for
men. the other for The soil
tary table and chair, the four walls
and even the ceiling, a-e covered with
the names of youthful predecessors,
whose penciled jcsts and clever
~caricatures bcal witness to the
strength and confidence in themselves
with which they began their life in
exile. La this dreary abode a week or
ten days is spent, while the Governor
of Arkansel, after due reflection, marks
out of this dangerous parsonage some
final place of exile, some miserable lit
tie district town He is then told that
his ''doouments' ale ready, ar,i 4 gen
darme enters, saying that it IS time to
start. the prisoner imps into the
jolting post wagon. TWO gendarmcs
Jump in after him, the tiloka bell
above the horses head begins to ring
aud rings on for days and weeks.
through wood and swamp anu plain,
arctic roads ircon,eivablv drcar and
lonely, until the weary Convoy at length
arrives at its destination. The little
town is small aud black; consists of
log huts, two unpaved streets. i wood
en- church painted green, and the only
live stock visible, ten or twelve law
boned horses, a heard Of SiCky COWS
and thirty or forty rciudeer. The
population rarely exceeds one thous
and, and consists of the iuplavIik ten
subaltern officers, the Arbiier Of the
Peace. the Crown Forester, d priest, d
few shopkeepers, thirty OF forty ~eXIles,
Il chain gang of ''God-for-gotten' Rus
sian felons and Il crowd of Finish beg
CARS.
The poor fellow takes up his little
bundle and, fully realizing tIat he has
now hidden farewell 20 the culture
and material com ort of his past life,
he walks out into the cherries street.
A g:oup Of e~xllss, all pale and ENACT
ated, are there to greet him take him
to some Of their miserable lodgings,
and feverishly demand II, W. from home.
The new conner gaZes on tpem as one
in q dream some are melancholy mad,
others ~nervouSly irritanie, and the re
mainder have evidently tried 20 find
solace in drink. They live in comnu
mites of twos and threes, have food, Il
scanty provision Of clothes, money. and
books in common, and consider 1t their
sacred duty to help each other ia every
emergency, without distinction of sex,
rank or age. The noble by birth get
sixteen shillings a month from govern
ment for their maintenance, aud com