Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-12

Elliott was in Alaska IN 1877, there were
1,600, 900 breeding females, and there are
now about $50, 900. There were then 120, 600
breeding bulls, and these have now fallen
this summer, the wearing o. sealskin
sacques will be confined to the wives of
kings and millionaires.
Ex-Minister Curtin on Russia.
I had long talk the other day with ex-
Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, who was
for years our Minister at the Court OF st.
Petersburg. He Is very liberal in his views,
and he evidently thinks that Mr.. KennaD's
statements should be taken with grain of
salt. Said ne:
"In order to get proper idea of Russia,
its Government and its possibilities, you
must consider the immensity of the empire
Of the Gar. 1t is the biggest in the world
outside oi that of China. and it has more
than 100.G00,0 900 people, speaking So di.-
ferent languages, and 80 per cent OF them
can neither, read nor write. The educated
Russian is the peer of any man anywhere,
and at st. Petersburg the society is as eul-
tivated as you will find in the world. The
empire is divided up into So provinces.
Each of these provinces has a government
and the abuses of power largely come from
those subordinate governments. l think
the great need of the country is some means
or plan by which the different parts of it
could consult together in regard to the evils
existing in the empire and as to the means
of mitigating these. Had the former Gar
lived he would have accomplished this
thing and would have probably had par
lament. I think that the country must
have this in the future, and in such con-
dltlon lies the only safety of the Czar."
The Power Of the Czar.
sat present the Gar Is everything?"
YES" replied Governor Curtin, "the
Government of Russia is an absolute
hereditary monarchy. The whole legisla-
tive, executive and judicial power is bound
up in the Emperor, whose will is law. He
administers his empire through four great
boards, but only three men in the country
have access to him, and the doings of such
an immense territory and of such vast
number of people cannot be known to him.
The only ones be sees without restraint are
the Chief of Police, the Chancellor of the
Empire and the Governor General of st.
Petersburg. He is SO hedged around that
people cannot get at him, and the only
means can gee by which he could get an
idea of the doings Of his country and tae
remedies for its evils, are in the parliament
I have spoken OF above.
81 do not think the United States should
judge Russia without due consideration, I"
continued Governor Curtin, land with us
the burden of proof should always be placed
upon Russia's enemies in case of trouble.
1t has been our best friend among the Euro
pean powers, and it was the only country in
Europe which was our friend during the
Rebellion. When Napoleon was dickering
with the Confederacy, and when England
was almost openly supporting it, Russia was
the avowed friend of the United States, and
it seems to me that we owe something TO
them for their kindness to US in our hour of
need"
A Visit to Napoleon Ill
81 understand, Governor, that you met
Louis Napoleon while you were abroad.
Will you please tell me the circumstance Of
the meeting and how he impressed you?"
81 met him after the Franco Prussian
war was over" Governor Curtin replied,
''and he was at Chiselhurst, near London.
l had not been feeling very we'll in st.
Petersburg and had taken quiet run over
to London. Not half-dozen people in the
city knew that l was there and was to q
certain extent incognito. Among the men
1 met was Chevalier Wyckoff, who, you
know, was very close friend of n apoleon's.
He asked me il did not want to go to call
upon N apoleon.~ I replied that I did not
that was in London incognito and that
would not think of doing such thing.
But replied Mr.. Wyckof. suppose the
Emperor Napoleon invites you to call upon
him. What would you do in that case?'
Oh replied 1, that would be different
matter, as an invitation from q monarch is
equivalent to a command All right
said Wyckof, and the next day one Of the
aides de camp of Napoleon called upon me
ana asked me if would not call upon the
at noon OF that day. replied
that would, and went in company of
Chevalier Wyckotf to Chiselhurst. Wyckoff
introduced me to Napoleon.
Alone With the Emperor
"He was sitting in a plainly furnished
room when l entered with the Chevalier.
Shortly after the introduction Mr.. Wyckoff
excused himself and left the Emperor and
myself alone. Napoleon looked very much
like his pictures. He had long body and
short legs, and on horseback or sitting down
he looked like big man. He was in vigor-
GUS health at this time, and when he became
interested in conversation he bore an ami
mated and striking appearance. As soon as
Wyckoff left he began to chat freely. He
talked English as we'll as do, and he re-
ferred very pleasantly to his visit to the
United States and discussed national affairs,
veering all the time toward Russia.
"He hinted at Russian matters again and
again, and saw that he wanted to get from
me the opinion of the Russian Government
as to his future. He was evidently anxious
to know whether Prince Gortschakoff would
favor his return to the throne of France, and
he evidently knew was intimately ac-
ouainted with GortsehRkoff
Forced to Come to the Point
ST understood his hints very we'll, but did
not respond to them, though we chatted to-
gether for over an hour. Finally 1 arose to
leave and he half babe me goodbye and then
said: BY the way, Mr.. Curtin, 1 want to
ask you question, which you may answer
or not, as you please. I will not feel
offended if you do not answer it..
''He then asked me as to whether I had
heard Prince Gortschakof express any opin-
ion concerning him and his future. 1 re-
piled that L had, but that the remark was
sucK that I would rather not repeat it to
him. AT this Napoleon bowed and bade
me farewell. He understood as we'll as
though had told him that Gortschakoff
was not friendly to him, and that the Bona
parties could hope for nothing from him.
When got back to Russia I found that
Prince Gortschakof knew al about my
business and the conversation, though how
he learned it could never ascertain"
FRANK G. CARPENTER.
Valuable Inventions.