Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-10-15
AN ex,LE.s STORY.
rns Mental Tortures Endured by Oncs
Promising Russian Author.

and sympathetic of the Tomsk exiles
was the Russian author Felix Yolk-
hofski. who was banished to Siberia for
life in 1873, upon the charge OF belong
ing to society that intends. Mt a more
or less remote time in the future. to
overthrow the existing form OF govern
ment He was labout thirty-eight
wears of age at the time made his ac-
ouaintance, and was a man OF cultivated
mind, warm heart and high aspirations.
He knew English well. was familiar
with American history and literature.
and had, believe, translated into Rus
sian many OF the poems OF Longfeliow.
He spoke TO me with great admiration,
/ remember. OF Longfellow's arsenal
at Springfield" and recited IT to me
aloud He was one OF the most winning
and lovable men that 1t has ever been
my good fortune to know; but his life
had been terrible tragedy. His
health had been shattered by long i'm
prisonment In the fortress OF Petropa-
vlovsk; his hair WINS premature'y white,
aud when his face was In repOse there
seemed 10 be an expression OF profound
melancholy In his dark brown eyes.
became intimately acquainted with him
and very warmly attached to him; and
when babe him goodbye for the last
time on my return from Eastern Siberia
in 1866, he put his arms around me and
kissed me. and said George Ivan
ovitch, please don't forget us! In bid
ding you goodbye, feel as II some
thing were going out OF my life that
would never again co.ne into IT."
Since my return to America have
heard from Mr.. volkhofski only once.
He wrote me last winter e profoundly
,ad and touching letter, In which he In
formed me OF the death OF his wife by
suicide. He himself had been thrown
out OF employment by the suppression
Of the liberal Tomsk newspaper, the
Siberian Gazette; and his wife. whom
remember as pale. delicate. sad-faced
woman. twenty-five or thirty years OF
age. had tried TO help him support their
family OF young children by giving pri-
vatc lessons and by taking In sewing.
Anxiety and overwork had finally
broken down her health. she had be-
come an invalid. and In n morbid state
Of mind. brought on by unhappiness
and disease, she reasoned herself into
the belief that she was an incumbrance,
rather than help, to her husband and
her children, and that they would ulti-
mately be better OFF II she were dead.
A little more than year ago she put
an end TO her unhappy life by shooting
herself through the head with u pistol,
Her husband was devotedly attached "a
her; and her death, under such circum.
stances and in such IA way was terrible
blow TO him. In his letter to me he re
ferred TO copy OF James Russell
ISwell's poems that had caused to bt
sent TO him. and said that In reading
After the Burial" he wildly realized
for the first time that grief Is OF M
nationality; the lines, although writer
by bereaved American, expressed tn,
deepest thoughts and feelings OF
bercaved Russian. He sent me will
his letter small, worn, leather match
box. which had been given by Princ'
krapotkin to his exiled brother Alex
ander; which the latter had left I,
Volkhofski; and which Volkhofski has
In turn presented to his wife shor
tame before her death. He hoped. h
said. that 1t would have some value I,
me. on account of the association witt
the lives OF four political offenders, al
Of whom had known. One Of then
was refugee in London, another wa
In exile in Tomsk, and two had escape
iali al To-. q h..
ment by taking their own lives,
tried to read Volkhofslxrs lette
aloud to my wife; but rs / recalled tn
high character and lovable personalit
OF the writer, and imagined what thi
last blow OF fate must have been
such n MANN exile, in broken health
aud with family of helpless childre
dependent upon him the written line
vanished In mist of tears. and with
choking In my throat | put the lette
and the little match box away
The Tsar may whiten the hair G
such men ~ Felix Volkhofski In the s.
lent homb-proof classmates of the for
ress, and no may send them in gra
convict overcoats to Siberia; but II tim
will come, in The providence of Go,
when their names will stand highs
than his on the roll OF history, an
vheu the record of their lives and su
ferings will b. source OF heroic II
spiration to all Russians who love III
erty and their country. 49, George Kei
nan, ~ Century.
A French paper reports a case
which tuberculosis was transmitted |
the EARRINGS OF II girl who died OF 90
sumption To another girl. Shortly aft,
the second girl commenced to wear Il
warnings. an ulcer containing tuberc
bacilli formed on the left ear. and 81
subsequently, developed pulmonary co
sumption.
1t had been noticed OF late tn
many OF the suckers and catfish in Il
creek near Marshall's paper mill
kennett Township. Chester Count
Pa, WAS found dead or stupid. al
upon examination il was found tn
the fresh water leeches get into Il
gills o. the fish in large numbers Nj
sap their blood.
The province OF Ontario. Canad
Is possessed Of the most extensive d.
post OF rock-salt which has yet bee
found OF the America continent. II
salt WAS first discovered at Godericl