Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-07-31

turns. linen, THIS man devised the means
of putting his hand upon some of the pre-
cious metal, the color of which the govern
ment would never see, thus depriving the
grantees, his prosperous rivals. of commits
sions to which the results Of their operations
entitled them.
In his capacity of life proprietor, he had
the right TO keep liquor shop upon his
lands for the accommodation of his work
men, but, as he did not employ a single
toiler, his spirits were sold to his neighbors'
people at the reasonable price of a half
pound of gold dust bottle. Two barrels of
brandy, worth at most fifty dollars, brought
him in about one hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars 1t goes without saying that
the purchases were paid for so magnificent
" with the precious ore stolen by the gold
hunters.
Khabarof was despoiled of portion OF
his ill-gotten wealth, after having been left
for dead upon the public square. But,
while he was being cared for, his method
of enriching himself at the expense of the
State was discovered, and misfortune over.
took him.
In consequence OF these outrages, the local
duUuOElIlSS ZOdlOuS1f oCO IId OA 1OOu
Then. it was suddenly discovered that q
band of gold-robbers already famous through
odtous exploits, had made this double stroke.
and that the son Of the Ipravsnik, or Justice
of the Peace, had for long time been asso
ciated with this band.
Everybody esteemed the Ipravsnik He
was proud and honest Russian named Yer.
mac, descendant perhaps, of the Cossack
who, followed by his gallant companions
conquered Siberia.
Yernac had been at Nertchinsk for few
years only, in disgrace exiled, in fact It
was said that he had filled an important
post in the magistracy in Moscow. AGO uiring
there a reputation for austerity and incor-
ruptibility, and pitilessly denouncing the
prevarications of his colleagues. The lat
ter. uniting, had succeeded in undoing him.
Such man could not remain Indifferent
to the too well-founded suspicious in regard
to his son. He resigned his office, and, as
he was not permitted to return to Russia
and did not desire to make further efforts to
crcate an independent and honorable situa-
ton for himself, he solicited and obtained
the position of superintendent among the
guards Of the Oukboul mine Yermac was
the keeper whom Yegor Semenoff had in
suited and struck. No doubt, if he had
been acquainted with the rectitude of the
man Of the whip, Yegor would have repent
Cd Of his fury, for he was capable of appre-
ciating in others qualities he himself pos
sessed in common with them.
Yssor SemenoH had been exiled for politi-
cal causes. Arrested at Kieff, where he
attended the university, he did not know
what was his crime. One evening the police,
making descent upon his residence, had
selzets MS letters, papers and books and led
him t> prison.
Two weeks later, he was hurried over
the roads leading to Siberia. He had de-
parted for "the land from which no one
returns
Being noble, the law spared him the pain
of travelling on foot, a slight amelioration of
a punishment inflicted in an entirely arbi-
trary manner
By dint of reflection and from few ques-
lions which he remembered had been asked
him, Yegor felt satisfied that he owed the
seventies OF the police to the friendship
which existed between him and the aged
poet Abel Davidoff who had been exiled tc
Siberia three years before.
Davidoff had been accompanied in his
exile by his only daughter, Nadege, whose
portrait, convict number 1867 wore upon his
breast.
For him, alas she was no longer of this
world, and the little sentimental romance
begun between student in his twentieth
year and a young girl of sixteen had had a
sad epilogue!
Their destinies, however, seemed to have
this in common; that she and he, in all
probability, would end their days far from
Kieff.
Yegor, who, as soon as he had arrived at
Oulkboul had studied the country with the
intention of escaping, suddenly renowned
every enterprise of that kind on learning
that Davidoff and his daughter resided at
Irkoutsk.
Hence he strove to accustom himself to
the terrible life of miner, making super
human efforts to succeed. Was it not posi-
BILE that he also might in time receive an
amelioration of his lot. He was innocent
guilty only OF sympathy for certain victims
Of the Cars memorable justice.
At Omsk, offended by the rough tone Of
one of the officials charged with fixing the
place of his soiourn, he had answered him
haughtily, almost arrogantly. This man,
whose pride was wounded, had taken a
cruel joy, at the close of his consultation
with his colleagues in announcing to him
calling him ''Monsieur'' this time-that he
was destined to work in the verdigris
mines at Nertchinsk. Was it not possible
that this severe decision might be reconsid-
eredl He felt that he must arm himself
with courage
His squad was working in an interior gal.
la1-U already commanded in the vein An
excavation was being made. Two miners
struck, turn by turn, upon the wedge which
a third miner held In the darkness, the
flinty rocks emitted sparks beneath the re-
peated blows, of the iron.
There was not sufficient air for respira-
ton; vitiated and fed, it was also
charged with deleterious dust and deadly
poisons. When the rock was split, the
work with the pick-axe began. 1t was then
necessary to extend the gallery through
soft stone which crumbled to pieces, in
cessantly threatening to bury the toilers
beneath falling masses; and this labor
continued uninterruptedly for ten hours
daily.
Yegor fell from sheer exhaustion when
he reached the mouth of the shaft, in the
evening, after an ascension which lasted
nearly two hours.
He struggled stoutly, but, nevertheless,
discouragementf finally took possession of
him, fever brought on additional weakness
and with it came the cortege of black ideas.
Soon he could no longer eat; his brain
dried and burned and there was constant
buzzing in his ears.
In this condition, the poor young man was
haunted by thoughts of suicide; he repulsed
them, at first as he would have repulsed