The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-08-24
A TYPICAL sIHILIsT
An Americans visit to nm Exile in
Siberia.

Il find il extremely difficult now
after a whole year OF intimate associa-
ton with political exiles, TO recall the
impressions that had OF them before
made the acquaintance OF the exile
colony In ~emipalatinsk. know that
! was prejudieed against them. and
that ] expected them 10 be wholly I'M
like the rational, cultivated men and
women whom one meets in civilized
society. but cannot. by any exeFcis.
Of will. bring back the unreal, fantas-
tic conception OF them which | had
when crossed the Siberian frontier.
As nearly as ! can now remember,
regarded the people whom | called
Nihilists' as sulien and more or less
ineomprehensihle 'cranks,' with some
education, a great deal OF fanatical
courage, and 3 hmilless capacity for
self-sacrifice, but with the most vision
airy ideas of government and social
organization, and with only the faint
est trace OF what an American would
call hard common sense | did not
expect 10 have any more ideas in COM
! mon with them than | should have in
common with an anarchist like Louis
| Lingg. and, although | intended TO
give their case against the government
fair hearing. believed that the re-
suit would be a Confirmation OF the
Judgment had already formed. Even
after an that Mr.. Pavlovski had said
| 10 me, / think | more than half ex-
pect 81 - find in the drop-curtain
artist a long-haired. wiid-eyed being,
who would pour forth an incoherent
recital of wrongs and outrages, de
nounce all governmental restraint rs
brutal tyranny, and expect me to APP
prove of the assassination Of Alex
ander.
| The log house occupied by Mr. Lob
| onofSki as a workshop was not other
wise tenanted, and We entered IL with
out announcement As Mr.. Payloy-
| ski threw open the door, | saw. stand
ing before a large square sheet OF can
vas which covered one whole side of
the room, blonde young man, appar-
entity about 80 years of age. dressed
from head to foot in a suit OF cool
brown linen. holding in one hand an
artists brush, aud in the other plate
or palette covered with freshly mixed
oolors. His strongly built figure was
erect and well proportioned his bear
ing was that of cultivated gentle
man and he made upon me, from the
| first. a pleasant and favorable impress
sion. He seemed in fact, to be an excel
cnt specimen OF the blonde type of Rue
sian Young manhood. His eyes we're
clear and hlue; his thick, iightbrown
hair was III cut. and rumpied little
in q hoyish way over the high fore
head the full, blonde heard gave mar
| illness and dignity 90 his weii-shaped
head; and his frank, oren, good tenn
pered face. flushed a little with heat
and wet with Precipitation, seemed t.
me to be the face OF warm-heaFted
| aud implisive. bat, az the same time.
strong and well balanced man. 10
was. ut any rate, face strangely opt
OF harmony with all my preconceiTed
ideas OF Nihiii~t-.
| Mr.. PavlOvSkl introduced me TO the
/ young artist rs an American traveller,
| who was Interested 10 Siberian seen
cry. who had heard of his sketches,
| aud who wauld like 10 see some OF
them. Mr.. Iohouoisk greeted me
| quietly bat cordially, ami at once
/ brought out the sketches apologixing,
however, for their imperiection, and
asking Us to remember that they had
been made in prison. on coar>e writ
| ing paper, and that the outdoor
views were limited 20 landscapes
which could I've seen from prison
and etape windows. The sketches
were evidently the work 81 an
| unframed hand, and were mostly rep
re sentations of prison and ciape inter
iors. portraits OF political cNiles, and
ssch bits of towns and villages a
could be seen from the windows of the
various cells that the artist had occu
pied in the course OF bis Journey to 81
| IBERIA. They all had however, \ Ger
tain rgde force aud fidelity, and one
OF them served As material for the
sketch Illustrating the Trumen pr on
ward in the Crngxrv AdgarsRe for June
Nv conversation with Mr.. Lohonot
ski at this interview did not touch 20
Btical question:. and was confined for
the most part 10 pies suggested ey
the sketches He described his jour
ney Ia siberia just as he would have
described il II he had made Il volun
tarily, and but Tor an occasional refer
enec 10 prison or an escape the0'
Was nothing in the recital 60 remind
one that he Wa Nihilst ard an exile
His manner was quiet. modest an
frank. he followed any conyersatieiia
lead with ready tact. and aishoush
| watched him siasslv ! could not de
teet the slightest Indication Of eeoeo.
tricifv or "crankipess He mus
have felt conscious that | wss Sc ret :
regarding him With critical curiosity.
I hooking al him, in fact, a one lcoE'
for the FIRST time at an extraordinary
type o. criminal bat he uia not ivan
ifeSt the lea-t awkwar,iEess, tfoa4r
rassmeut, OF self cunsctous mess. Ia
I was simaiv a quiet. weA-hred, SELF pos