New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-28
MONTENEGRO'S CAPITAL,
A PRIMITIVE, NOT TO SAY sQUALID. SETTLE.
MENT

| as a considerable place. Even in Tartary II
would be an important village. But for royal
capital in Europe, the seat Of an ancient dynasty,
| it is distinctly disappointing. The Russian Gar
says that the Prince Of Montenegro is his one
| friend among the sovereigns of Europe, and he
intends to marry his son TO the Princes daughter.
| Well IL the whole capital city of the Monte.
| negrin monarch were transported and set down
| bodily in the Cars stable-yard Ills Imperial
NIajesty's groorns would never notice the addition
| was told before coming that there were only
| 200 buildings in the city. ! have counted them,
| and find that there are just 1 o. was also told
| that there were about 1000 people. have
no counted them, but reckoning by the rule OF
three, they ought TO number Just 1880. This
refers to the antbropologicaI population What
the chronological census might show is a theme
too vast for consideration outside Of an encyclo
pedia. But it wuld probably he found. on in
vestigation, that as is to 10000 or 10000. 30
the Montenegrin genus Homo 10 the Montenegrir
genus Pulex var. irritantssmus ct agiliximus.
Riding ND from Cattaro, the first visible sign
of civilization is gloomy edlfce perched upon
O huge rock, and then q little beyond IL a smaller
building of similar aspect. They are respectively
a powder magazine and cartridge factory. Small
as they would seem in an English or American
manufacturing town, they are big enough 10 sup
ply all of Prince Nikita's subjects with all TIN
ammunition they need. And that, in proper
ton to the number of the subjects, is no small
amount; for shooting comes natural TO g
Montenegrin as drinking beer TO a German OF
swinging the knOut 10 q subject Of the Gar.
Fittingly enough for this turbulent truculent
people, the third building one sees is the prison.
And then the whole city Of 1913 buildings breaks
upon the admiring view Two other objects.
however, demand attention before one enters the
metropolis. One is the church, an unpretentioGs
structure surrounded by graves noticed that
all the gavestones lay fiat on the ground, in
Turkish fashion. And the church stands
the one solitary monument in all the realm. II
is not q striking object, being only six or sever
feet high But it is cared for with pious devo
ton, and evidently is TO Cettinie what the Bunker
Hill obelisk is-or ought TO be-to Boston. IL was
erected in memory of, and above the graves of, the
patriots who fell in defence Of their fatherand IN
the great war of 1s6l-62. Those patriots only
numbered fourteen, it is true, but then fourteen
are good many for Cettinje TO lose A few more
such wars, and the capital would be dcpopulated
There are in the city two other objects which
serve as historic monuments though they were
not originally designed such. One is Danilos
Tower, which was built by the founder Of Get
TIME, Prince Danilo The other is a giant elm
tree perhaps 200 years old or more. The
Princes Tree they call it. Under it has beer
placed the Judgment seat of every Prince who ha
ever reigned on the Black Mountain The pres
ent monarch faithfully obeys the precedent ane
always goes out under that tree when he has u
pronounce judicial sentence; which is pretty
often What he does In real bad weather I have
not ascertaned but as he is an absolute autOcrat
it Is probable that he postpones the pronouncing.
Of Judgment until the clouds have rolled by. Any
way it is mighty tree, and 1T Is regarded by the
people with pious veneration.
boulevard Rasch is the principal street OF Get
TIME There are other streets, but il is hardly
likely that they have names If they have, no
one seems 10 know them. There is also a square,
around which stand the principal buildings Of
the 1873. These the Princes palace,
the house of the President of the Senate,
the house of the Grand Voivod, the house
Of the Ministers for War, and the village tavern
The last named is sometimes called cafe, fome-
times hotel. 1t is a dirty, tumble-dOwn little
place, of uncertain antiquity, in which the high
est officers OF State and the humblest peasants
meet together and hobnob on the frendlest
terms. The Princes palace is really nice house.
1t is two stories high, and has tiled roof. It's
most striking feature is, however. it's chimney, or
for there are two or three of them |
has such modern Improvement" In all the
others doors aud windows are thought good enough
places OF exit for the smoke, and if it doesn't
choose TO go out at them it stays ill., Within.
the palace is handsomely finished and furnished
The Princes audience chamber occupies the central
portion of the building, and Is really very fine
apartment Huge mirrors are placed between the
windows, magnificent pictures ornament the richly
decorated walls, and Turkish rugs cover the mar
quetry floor. The furniture is Of irreproachable
and covered with blue damask. Ii
5 quite difficult to realize that one is in Monte.
negro when looking upon all this luxury
/ came up from Cattaro with the mai-train
The mail-tran consists Of two unwashed MOntene-
grins mounted OH mules. They carry huge horns,
Of most unmelOdious tone, and their lungs would
burst blacksmiths bellows with envy As they
approach the city they blow the horns frantlcally
and incessantly and all the $3.50 people rush OUT
into the Boulevard Rasch to meet them. Thl
vociferous and halcyoD event occurs twice week
The pOstoflce has over its door the inscription
:" Prtncely Montenegrin Post and Telegraph De.
Halt the window panes are out al
together. and half OF the glass that is in is only
paper! The door is usually locked. but whether
II is shut or open. no one uses ii. The proper form
is to stick ones head in through the window,
through one of the aDertures where there IS neither
glass nor paper. IL does seem good deal ike
a mouse in trap. especially as the postmaster
who sits Just inside, is armed with a big sword,
a rifle and two pistols.
The Old place is now occupied by various
offices, including the Normal School, tie National
Museum, and the offices OF Montenegros one paper,
I" elias Serusko Gorna" whatever that may mean.
The tavern is the general clubhouse of the city,
US | have said. IL is TWO stories high, and the
upper floor Is reached by climbing a ladder.
Billiards, cards and dominOes are played great
deal, and much wine is drunk. But the wine
only costs about five cents quart, so IL is I'M
usual for even the most reckless spendObritt
get rid of more than ten cents in an evenings
revelry. They tell good story about the Min
ster of the Interior who once ran very heavily in
lebt. Indeed, he owed the landlord nearly $40
md not only that, but he asked the landlord 10
end him $40 more. The landlord said he would
Il the Minister would bring his plate Sc
,urity But as soon as the landlord had got
of the plate, he coolly said that he was
going 20 keep that security for the first $40,
md iaty refused TO part with the second $40 rs
promised And the fun of il was that the poor
Minister didn't dare TO appeal 10 the police, for
hon, tho Aunllld