Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-10-23
AMlAeLE 6ARBARlANS.


SLAMS ToLstoi and MelikoR
From the car down to the humblest
muiik the Russians are more or less
barharians from the point Of view of
the refined west, but crrtaEly most
/, amiable barharians so far IS foreign
ers are concerned. Their hospitality
knows no limits; no trouble is too
great WI rnit is a question of obliging
a foreign visitor; but, charming as
they are, YOU are constantly being re,
minded Of the wildness of their real
underlying nature by the strange con.
traSts of delicacy and brutality, Of civ.
ilization and barbarism, which their
daily life offers. To hear the Rus
slams talk about the unwritten con
temporary history Of tLeir social and
national life is like listening to the
stories of Arabian Nights" The true
narrative Of SkobeleH's career and
death, and the true narrative of the
circumstances of the assassination Of
the late ,zlr, are far more thrilling
and extraordinary than print has ever
told.
AS an example of the strange con-
trasts of real Russia we vii! cite two
anecdotes that we're related TO us by a
distinguished official, whose intention
was certainly not To throw dust in our
eN,S, OF eycn TO astoniSh US beyond
measure. The conversation happened
10 tIrn on Loris Melikolf, the famous
chief of the dreaded third section
The emperor, we are told by our in
formant, had given Loris Melikoif UNI
bounded power 10 act against the Nj
lilists, and had virtually created him
vice emperor, as Mclikoir himself used
to say. Now, Melikotf had discovered
thai one of the leading Nihilist chiefs
was in the habit of frequently visiting
Count Tolstoi, tie novelist, and one
day he went out 10 Tolstoi'S country
house. Before the visitor had an
nouuced himself, Tolstoi recognized
him, and said:
You are Loris Melikotf, chief of
the third section. Do You come 10
see me officially or as a private mana
Ii you come officially here are my
keys; search; open everything. You
are free"
Il come not officially, replied Nell
koff.
"Nery good" answered Tolstoi; and
calling two mujiks, he said 10 them
Throw this man out of the house!'
The mujiks obeyed TolstUi to the
letter, and LOris Melikoif had to &C.
cept this treatment, for in his way
Tolstoi is a mightier man than even
'our father the ear" In the eyes of
the Russian people lie is an exceptional
being, being more than a saint, and
almost n savior.
The mention Of Loris Melikoff
brought up another anccdote. Some
twelve years ago the emperor sent for
Melikoif and announced to him that
the plague was raging in two villages
of the empire, and ordered him to do
whatever was needful with u view To
stopping its ravagcs, at the same time
giving him unlimited powers.
Thcrcupon Loris Melilsoif went first
ofall to the minister of finance, inform
ed him that perhaps he should require
4 great deal Of money in order TO car.
ry out the emperor's command, and
demanded acredit of so, OOO. 900 rubles.
The minister of finance made a long
face, but was unable TO refuse. Loris
Melikoff then posted 10 the villages in
question, and having observed the sit
%uation, ~telegraphed for twenty fire
engines 10 be sent from the neigh
boring towns, had the pumps charged
with petroleum, and ordered the fire.
men to approach the villages by night,
inundate the cottages with petroleum,
set them on fire, and save nobody.
The order VAS executed; the cottages
and their few hundred inhabitants
men, women, children and cattle
were burned 10 ashes. and these two
villages disappeared from the map Of
Russia and from tie registers of the
empire. The measure WIS radical,
but i. stamped out the plague e~ifcctu-
ally. Loris Nelikoif therefore reported
TO the emperor that his commands
had been executed, and then called
on the minister of finance TO tell him
that out Of the credit Of 50, 900, 900
rubles granted TO him he had spent
only 200 rubles to buy petroleum, and
that consequently his excellency the
minister could dispose Of the balance.