Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-01-11
PETER THE GREAT.


Created Modern Russia.
In 1Te2 he created himself Emperor.
placing the imperial crown upon his
own head, and soon after on that Of the
Livonian peasant girl whom he married,
Menschikoh. once an itinerant vender
OF meat pies; she afterward succeeded
Peter as Empress Catherine I. His
merciless cruelty was shown early, on
his return from his first journey, after
pulling down the revolt of the Streletz,
q body OF janissaries who had risen to
replace his sister Sophia on the throne.
He executed 1900 OF them In cold blood.
His only son Alexis, who had opposed
his measures and was accused among
other crimes OF defending the proscrib-
ed boards and chaftans Of the peasants"
had gone abroad with his wife, but was
lured home by an offer OF reconcilia-
tion, when he was seized and condemn
ed to death by his father and executed
In prison.
His interference was as trying in
small as in great things. One story OF
his didactic tyranny sounds like lesson
out of ''Sandford and Merton" IL is
told by Frenchman who heard IL on
the spot in Finland, where he was sent
by Louis Philiipe's government TO OBJ
tain blocks OF red poryhyry which
the Czar Nicholas had granted
for the tombof Napoleon under the dome
Of the Invalides at Paris. Peter was
travelling incognito in part Of Finland
just conquered, where he was executing
some naval works. He mcs an over-fa,
man. who told him he was going to
Petersburg. What for?' asked the
Gar. ITO consult q doctor about my
fat, which has become very oppressive.
do you know any doctor there?" mo. =
Then ! will give you word TO my
| friend. Prince Menschikon and he will
introduce you to one Of the Emperor's
physicians" The traveller went to the
princes house with q note, the answer
| was not delayed; the next day. tied
hand and feet, the poor man was dragged
of on u cart to the mines. Two years
after Peter the Great was visiting the
mines when suddenly the miner threw
| down his pick, rushed up to him. and
| fell at his feet, crying: Grace. grace
what il II have done?" Peter looked
at him astonished, until he remembered
| the story, and said: ''Oh, SO that is you
hope you are pleased with me. Stand
up. How thin and slight you have be
come! You are quite delivered from
your over-fat; IL is frst-rate cure. Go
and remember that work Is the best
| antidote against your complaint" Prob
| ably. as over-fat is disease, the pool
! man died of his cure"
( "The impatient activity OF Peter" Al
u German writer calls IL, attempted i'm
possibilities; a perfectly barbarous peo
pie could not be dragged up to the leve
OF civilization OF other nations by mers
force OF a despot's will without passing
| through any OF the intermediate stages
Accordingly the mass of the Russian
people continues much the same In hab
its and education as they were whel
Peter began his reforms, and q sort o
yaneer among the people and militar,
classes covers degree of bar
barism and corruption which tn,
rest OF Europe has long lef
behind. The restless ambition which
he bequeathed to his successors has gon,
on TO the present day. Cut of at frs
both from the Baltic and Black seas
they conquered the intervening terri
tory In each case, and now declare tina
they will never rest until they get pos
session of the Dardanelles, '.withou
which we have not the key to our owl
house," said Alexander the First.-Nine
teenth Century.