Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-05-08

bility lide at st. Petersburg, and then
we have our season. Directly summer
comes society breaks up, the Emperor
and Empress going generally to their
Castle Cronenberg in Denmark, while
the mobiles spread all over the continent.
st. Petersburg is the axis of Russian 80
ciety for, although there are mobiles at
Moscow, they are the commercial
nobility.
EMPEROR NOT GEAR.
ST notice that you always call the ruler
of your nation the Emperor and never
the Gar" said the reporter. why Is
this"
1.-The Emperor is what he is always
called in Russian society,"" was the reply.
"Czar is the expression used by the
people,"
"How are your new railroads progress
ing" asked the penciller.
Every we'll indeed, and altogether we
have $4,000 miles in operation now.
There is a railroad over the Ural Noun
tains to Siberia, and the Trans Caspian
Railroad running from the east side OF the
Caspian Sea for l 900 miles. We run our
railroads on the American plan, with long
open coaches, instead of the boxed-up
com partments they have in England.
By the way, the first rail line ever con-
structed in Russia-that from st. Peters
burg to Moscow-was constructed in 1853
or 1856, by an American from, believe,
Philadelphia. You have no doubt heard
the story of it's building. TIE proprie-
tors of the great estates began to SQUAD
BILE as to which way it should go, each,
of course, wanting it across his property.
The matter was brought up before the
Emperor, and the mobiles presented
themselves and gave in their respective
claims. The arguing was at its height
when the Emperor interrupted them by
asking for map. Then, taking ruler
and pencil. he drew straight line be-
tween the two cities. "That is the way
| it must CO." he said. And 30 it did. We
are very anxious now regarding this rail-
road to the Pacific, and Russian Amer
| lean Company has been formed for the
purpose. The idea is to build across ST.
IBERIA to point on the Pacific Ocean on
about the same latitude as San Francisco,
and then connect with your side by
| means of line of steamships"
According to your form of govern
ment, the people have no direct repre-
/
they ?" asked the HERALD man.
"Well, no; they do not elect parlia.
ment or anything of that sort. The prin-
cipal legislative body is the Council Of
the Empire, which considers everything
before it is carried to the Emperor. The
members of this body are, however, ap.
pointed by the ruler of the nation. II
must not be forgotten, though, that Russia
has to be governed in peculiar manner.
Here, and in most other countries, you
have one people, but there there are
many different races-hence republic is
impossible. Our government is, there.
fore, called an absolute despotism and in
the sense of the expression it doubtless
is, but the tyranny that some people as
sociate with such rule is quite mis-.
Judged. For instance, you bear terrible
stories regarding Siberia, and the man.
ner in which the convicts are treated
there. These reports are exaggerated,
though-the men are made to work, but
that is all. The brutality and horror Of the
place are imaginary. You see we rarely
have capital punishment in Russia, and
the consequence is that with such a
mighty Empire, there is bound to be a
big collection of criminals, and many OF
them have to be treated harshly to keep
| them in subsection. But those who are
we'll are always remembered by
good treatment"
! Mr.. Rauner then chattsd pleasantly
for several minutes on affairs in general,
and expressed his delight at the hos
pitality he has found wherever his
American wanderipgs have led him. He
will doubtless, therefore, do some big
advertising for this section when he re-
turns home aud relates his adventures
in the wild West"