New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-19

with her until her death at Nice Subsequently
he set up In private practice here, although sun
retaining his court appointment and Tie FAVOR
of the Imperial family. His usual fee for con
sutation was 100 rublcs. one day he was Wis
tied by Prince Demidon. who was as mean and
avaricious as he was rich. After having pre-
scrbed the necessary remedies, DR.. Botkine no
ticed that Prince Demidor had extracted TWO
tive-Tuble notes from his purse and that he was
about to tender them III payment OF the cOnSulta-
ton.
Thanks no, nothing at all. my dear Prince,
he exclaimed in the most kindly and even alice
tonatc manner. You ought TO know that
never accept any fee from tie poor
An extraordinary petition has recently been
presented to the Minister OF Communications by
the directors of the Baskuntchak Railway Com
pany, praying that measures he adopted by the
Government to prohibit the conveyance Of salt
by peasants on floats drawn by oxen, as this
kills the goods traffic OF the line" In comment
ing on the above the Grashdanln states that
the competition between the railways and oxen
is extremely Keen especially III the South of
Russia and that the oxen are actually driving
the railroads out Of the grain transport business
Huge quantities Of the corn shipped from Odessa
arrive at that port from the interior, not by
rail, but by od-laShiOncd wagons drawn by
bulloclls In this way. millions of bushels are
annually withdrawn from the railway. The
farmers allcgc that they are forced 60 act thus
by reason of the utter unreability of the rail
road service and by the damage, loss and delays
to which their shipments are exposed al the hands
Of the railway companies. The latter defend
themselves by pleading lack Of rohnS-stock: But
the fact is that however large the number of
goods wagons might he, the mismanneemcnt IS
so colossal that half the rolling-stock might he
mslaid and not discovered for a generation or
two This is no flight of fancy, but IS state,
ment founded on fact. Some time ago several
hundred railway cars, both for passengers ana
freight, were casually discovered in one of the
distant suburbs OF this city, after they had Leen
entirely forgotten for more than ten years Ihcy
were standing in an immense held, which was
surrounded by high wooden wall, but without
any overhead shelter. and therefore exposed 10
the action of rain, hail and snow. They had been
built twelve years ago by the firm OF GoluDcl
* Co for the Rybinsk IIologoGSl,y Railway, and
had been stored there pending some dispute
relative TO the contract, and had been entlreIN
forgotten by the railroad company me wooden
parts of the cars had Tottcd, and the moss ana
grass of ten wears growing on the roof gave them
the picturesque appearance of a portion OF
ruined abbey.
Notwithstanding all the steps that are taken
by the Imperial Government to suppress every
symptom of independence of character the people.
especially the merchant class are rapidly ABANDON,
ing their former attitude Of ahlect ana plhd
submission To Imperial bchcsts. Thus for IN
stance. the Russian Steam Navigation and Com
mercial Company has commenced conillct WIN
the Government which would have appeared I'M
possible a few years ago The company IN qneS-
lion has its Headquarters al Odessa. and enjoys
almost a monopoly of the Russian trade IN the
Mediterranean II possesses magnhcte,nIN
eouippcd fleet Of steamships. md has untll re-
Gently been most subservicnt to tie lmperal Al
miniStraton. The general manager, Mr. van dcr
Flcvt even went SO far about ten years ago as ="
devote one of the best steamships of the company
TO the conveyance of cream and butter anu zee
from the Crime. weekly, for the use of the
Grand Duchess Constantine Nlcolacwltch: during
her tour 20 Greece and the Holy Land. Last No
vember however, the Minister Of Finance. who
is of an economical turn of mind and who has n
difficult task 10 make both ends meet. announced
the Withdrawal Of the annual subsidy paid by the
Government to the company The latter lmmcdi-
atclv retaliatcd by placing the service on a purely
commercial basis II withdrew It's vessels from
n quantity of branch lines which II had estab-
IShpd IN Difference to the request OF the Govern
mont and a number Of Black Sea ports are IN
CONSEQUENCE deprived Of communication by steam
with the remainder Of the Empire. The com
many has also refused 10 continue 10 convey the
mails as formerly between Russia and Constant
noplc. Athens and ileNandria. and the CzarS
ervo,e 10 Turkey. Greece and Egypt are nm con
sequence forced 10 send al their non-tcecraphlc
DISPATCHES by special conricrS. VI. Nclldon. the
Ambassador AZ Constaniinopc, is especially pni
ont ahout the matter and is urgent IN his appeal,
10 the Government to come 10 an UNDERSTANDING
with the company whose tactics subject him E"
immense inconvenience The general impress JON
is that the Government Will hc forced 10 -lvc
way and to restore - subyenuon. But IFS
surrender will be dangerous precedent 20 cS-
tablish. and one OF which others Will hasten 10
take advantage.