The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-16
NOT A DESIRABLE PLACE
Some Stories About the Russian Mis-
ainn


sion.
The appointment of Charles Emory Smith
as United States minister to st. Petersburg,
says the New York Star, has caused con-
siderable surprise among the politicians
and newspaper men of the country. The
| newspaper men especially wonder why Mr..
Smith wants to get to st. Petersburg. Be-
| fore he is at the Russian capital six months
| the Philadelphia editor will find that st.
| Petersburg is one of the most disagrseable
places of residence in Europe. No man of
this country sent there as minister, since the
| post was first established, ever filled out his
term. Every one of them either resigned
| or died. The climate is a killing one in
winter and a detes.able one in summer.
| The city itself is badly kept in SO far as
sanitary conditions are considered, and even
to one accustomed to the QIaker-like quiet
of Philadelphia, the graveyard stiffness OF
| the Russian capital, for many months of
the year, is as chilling as the freezing
winter weather. A jaunt to st. Petersburg
in summer is enjoyed by some of our trav
| cling countrymen who are on the continent,
but none of them linger long among the
| clouds of dust which sweep up from the
streets and the miasmatic fogs that roll
| from the river.
| There is nothing to be saved from the
salary, although it is $4,000 a year, with
| additional allowances for rent of legation,
| postage, and other expenses. Living Is
| very expensive, and a single official enter
| tainment given by the minister to the car
and his court will make a big hole in the
minister's purse. Should Charles Emory
| Smith follow the example of the other dis
| tinguished Pernsylvanians who have occu-
| pied the post of minister to Russia, he
will not linger there long. William
| Wilkens was the second one. He was
United States senator, and resigned
| to please Simon Cameron, so as to make
| James Buchanan his successor. Mr.. Buch-
anan had been minister to Russia, and
| wanted to return to the United States.
| Gen. Cameron made the deal whereby the
two men exchanged places. Good old
| Simon Cameron himself tried the place
once. and came back to the United States
| in hurry. So did Gov. Andrew G. Curtin,
| and he staid hardly long enough to get &C
| quainted with the car. Mr.. Smith, how
| ever, will find one Pennsylvania there
| who dares the climate, and has dared
it successfully for seven years. That
has been secretary of legation
since February, 1888. 1t is wonder
full how he has done it, but he remains
| faithful at his post But then Wurts is a
| peculiar species of man. He is a bit of a
| dried-up specimeu Of aristocracy who would
rather live in Europe, even if it be in st.
| Petersburg, than reside in America. He
belongs to a class of people residing abroad,
| American in name, who have lost all pride
in their nationality. They have existed so
| longawithin the shadow Of foreign courts
| that their only object in life seems to be to
| retain their places in the diplomatic or con-
| sular service of this country for the pur-
| pose of keeping themselves amid the sur
| roundings of foreign lands.
| There have always been some curious
/ stories afioat concerning some of our diplo-
| matte representatives at foreign courts.
| One about st. Petersburg may be of inter
| est to Mr.. Smith. Not 50 many years ago
| distinguished American, who held high
1 official position in this country, was ap-
! pointed minister to Russia. He had been a
/ good deal of a christian statesman. No
| one would suspect him of any Of the ordi-
| nary peccadilloes of less moral politicians.
| He remained as our representative at the
! Russian court only few months, and to
| the surprise of his friends, returned sud
| denly and unannounced to this country,
| and few days afterward his resignation
was rendered to the state department and
| accepted. This is why he rendered his res
| ignation:
There was a bright, beautiful American
woman travelling in Europe when the
| minister went to St. Petersburg. She
! carried with her face and figure that
| was the envy of her less fortunate sister,
| There was court ball to come off in st.
| Petersburg one night, shortly after the
| minister's arrival, and the lady was i'll the
| city. Naturally, she wanted to be present.
| and not to particularize matters too much,
| it may just as well be stated. that
| she did Attends the minister's wife, One
| of the grand dukes, who in his day had
| not been overscrupulouS in his wandering
| life, had once been sharply and suddenly
| taught by this same brilliant and beautiful
woman that title is not the open sesame
| to every woman's heart, and that night he
revenged himself by sending her history
| broadcast throughout the palace rooms.
| She. was a nervy creature and she
stood it, knowingly, till the waning
hours of the night. But when she went
back to her hotel, and the minister
! had left her, she found a squad of silent
| Cossacks awaiting her, and, in her fossy
ball dress and furry wraps, she was hurried
| to the Russian frontier and warned never
| to tread the soil of the country again.
| Well, what was done with the ministers
| There was a quiet intimation given to the
| secretary of state at Washington, through
| the resident Russian ambassador there, that
the gentleman had better be promptly
reca'le and he came home under the usual
| pretense that the climate was too cold for
him.
| Marshall JoWeu Oh OOIneCtlCuJ uldue
good portion of his great fortune while
| minister to Russia. The story runs that he
| bribeG a servant to give him the secret of
the manufacture of Russia leather. With
| it he returned to America and became
wealthy man 10y making an excellent
imitation of the genuine and ever
costly article l remember also that
H. II. Hunt of Louisiana, who had been Sec
rotary of !the Navy under Garfield, was
| made minister to Russia, and died before
he had warmed his seat in the Muscovite
capital. VIII lie the precedents are not only
! pleasant for CHARLES Emory Smith, no one
will wish him either the short stay or the
cruel fate that has overtalIen every Ameri-
can diplomat sent to the land Of the car
since 1850.
At Windsor, Ont, there is Ia Roman
Catholic scaooi under the control Of toe
nnblic school trustees, several Of whom are
Roman Catholics. The board proposed to
fiji a vacancy in tho teaching staff by APP
noiuting a certified lady teacher Of the
Catholic faith. The Roman Catholic mem
bers demanded the appointment Of nun
;retaad The nuns have no certificates, SO