The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-09-28
AMIARLE sARRARIANs.
OF Tolstol, the Russian Novelist,
and General MeIikoff

.o'e OF Tolstol, the Russian Novelist,
and General MeliI<Off.
from the Tsar down to the humblest
mulik, the Russians are more or less
Daroarlans. from the point of view of
Tue refined West, but certainly most
aliiaoie oarbariaus. so far as foreign
ers are concerned. Their hospitality
KNOWS no limits; no trouble is too
great Wnen it is a question of obliging
foreign visitor; but charming as they
are. you are constantly being reminded
OF the wildness of their real underly-
ing nature by the strange contrasts Of
oelicacy and brutality, of civilization
ana oarbarism. which their daily life
oilers. To hear the Russians talk
ABOUT the unwritten contemporary
history of their social and national
lie Is like listening to the stories of
the Arabian Nights. The true narra-
tive OF Skobeleff's career and death,
ana The true narrative of the circum-
stances OF the assassination of the late
Isar, are far more thrilling and ex-
traordinary than print has ever told.
AS an example of the strange con-
trasts Of real Russia we will cite two
anecdotes that were related to us by
distinguished official, whose intention
was certainly not to throw dust in our
eyes, or even to astonish us beyond
- The conversation happened
q tdFn upon General Loris Melikoff,
the famous chief of the dreaded third
sectioI' The Emperor, we were told
by our informant, had given Lorin
Melikoff unbounded power to act
against th Nihilists, and had virtually
created hin vice emperor, as Melikoff
himself ued to say. Now, Melikoff
had discovred that one of the leading
Nihilist chafs was in the habit of fire.
quently wishing Count Tolstoi, the
novelist. ant one day he went out to
Tolstois country house. Before the
uisitor had announced himself, Tolstoi
recognized hin, and said:
You are Lois Melikoff, chief of the
third section. DO you come to see me
officially, or asa private man? If you
come officially here are my keys;
search. open very thing, You are
free"
81 come not tficially," replied Nell
koff.
Every good, answered Tolstoi; and
calling two mljiks, he said to them,
Throw this man out of tho housew
The mujiks tbeyed Tolstoi to the
letter, and LorisMelikoff had to accept
this treatment, Tor in his way Tolstoi
is a mightier man even than our
father the Tsar." In the eyes of the
Russian people he is an exceptional
being, being more than saint, and
almost a savior.
The mention of Loris Melikoff
brought up another anecdote. Some
twelve years ago the Emperor sent for
Melikotf and announced to him that the
plague was raging in two villages of
the empire, and ordered him to do
whatever was needful with view to
stopping its ravages. at the same time
glAeS,Rim unlimited powers.
Threupon Loris Melikoff went first
Of all to the Minister of Finance. in
formed him that he should perhaps re-
quirea great deal of money in order to
carry out the Emperor's commands,
and demanded a credit of fifty millions
of rubles. The Minister of Finance
madea long face, but was unable to re-
fuse. Loris Melikoff then posted to the
villages in question, and having OBJ
served the situation, he telegraphed
for twenty fire-engines to be sent from
the neighboring towns, had the pumps
charged with petroleum, and ordered
the fremen to approach the villages
by night, inundate the cottages with
petroleum, set them on fire and save
nobody. The order was executed; the
cottages and their few hundred inhab-
itants-men, women, children and cat
tle-were burned to ashes, and those
two villages disappeared from the map
of Russia and from the registers of
the empire. The measure was radical,
but it stamped out the plague effectu-
ally. Loris Melikotf thereupon re-
ported to the Emperor that his COM
mands had been executed, and then
called on the Minister of Finance to
tell him that out of the credit of fifty
millions of rubles granted to him he
had spent only two Hundred rubles to
buy petroleum, and that consequently
his Excellency the Minister could dis
poes of the balance.
In both of these stories, which we
have reason to believe to be literally
exact. we find that curious mixture Of
the graniiose. of ostentation and of
barbara rockies sness which are char
acteristic of the Russian temperament.
Child, in Harper's Maya
zine.
A Predatory Dog Outwitted.
IL I u L