Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-02-06
THE MERCHANTS GF RUSSIA,
According TO Their Capital and Stand
They are Divided Into Three
Guilds.
They Nay Attain to Profitable Rank
After Years of Profitable
Trading.
a Russian Merchants Word as Good
as His BOnd-N0 Notes
Required.


The merchants of Russia are peculiar
class of people and their social position a
| most UNIQUE one In habits customs and
manners. they differ from those of any
other in the Empire. They are the link
between peasant and noble. During the
reign of Catherine the Great, the mer-
chant class was divided into three grades.
| Mem bers of the first guild (hupletza pier
vow guildye) must have capital OF So
! 900 rubles. and on that are compelled to
| nav A yearly tax OF 800 rubles, which goes
! to the state treasury members of the sec
! ond guild who must have capital OF 25,-
| 600 rubes on which they pay yearly rate
| of $50 rubles. Members OF the third or
! lowest guild must have Il capital of 5000
and are taxed 40 rubIes yearly. Members
/ of the first guild are privileged TO con
| duct wholesale trade with all parts OF
| Russia. Merchants of the second guild
must confne their wholesale trade within
| the limits of the province IN which they
reside. Merchants Of the third guild must
confne themselves to retail trade within
their province. They are exempt
from the per capta,jax. .(poduhny podatl )and
corporal punishment, providing that they
are in good standing, and have not been de-
prived of their rights by sentence OF the
court.
Upon those who have in any way dis
tinguished themselves the government
confers the honorary title of Commercial
or Manufacturing Councillors. The high
est rank to which they can attain Is that of
Hereditary Respected Citizen. If mer-
chant of the first guild has continued his
business hOnOrably and unlnterruptedly
fer the space of ten years, he Is entitled to
the rank of an II. r. G. If merchant OF
the second guild has, in like manner. con-
Quoted his business for twenty years he Is
entitled to the same rank The children
of merchants attending the universities
and graduating with the degree of Doctor
or Master, also have the title of Fl. r. c.
conferred upon them. The uniform worn
by the Hereditary Respected Citizen class
is more gorgeous than that of general in
the army. 1t is made of navy-blue cloth,
the trousers having gold stripe down the
side. The coat and vest are embroidered
with gold cord while numerous golden
epauets adorn the shoulders. A three
cornered hat with long ostrich plumes and
a large star attached to one side, completes
the costume. The members are invited 70
the court balls. but are not permitted to
address any member of the imperial fani-
ly, and must content themselves with a
view of high personages from distance.
The highest ambition of every Russian
merchant is to secure the title OF Heredita
ry Respected Citizen, which he considers
equal in rank to that of general in the
army. He is addressed as Nashe Sepen-
stow (your respectability). The peasant,
well understanding the merchants weak
ness, when he wishes to secure bargain
addresses him as Fasho STEPHENSON,
and seldom tails to obtain the coveted ar
tice.
The education of Russian merchant is
very limited, being regarded as a second
ary consideration to his preparation for a
business life. When a child, he is taugf
reading. writing and arithmetic; y
slight knowledge of all three, and he Is
considered sufficiently well educated for
the life of a merchant. In one thing alone
must he be proficient, and that is the man
ipulating The counting board, IN the in
terest of rub!es and kopacRs. While little
more than child, he Is placed i'll store,
usually his fathers, and when lie reaches
manhood, if he has not already succeeded
to his parent business he starts for him.
self. Russian merchants are the most
conservative people in the Empire; they
still adhere to the routine and business
methods of their forefathers, and stubborn
" resist all inovatiOus with dogged,
silent opposition. Larger business trans
actions are conducted in a manner peculiar
to these people The interested parties
appoint an hour for meeting, but instead
of Immediately proceeding to business the
merchant invites his customer to a restaI-
radt or hotel, where tea IS ordered. While
disposing of the national beverage neither
saow5 any disposition for business.
Suddenly one of them says: Ivan
Ivanovitch. how about that contraet?'
Ivan answers: stephen Afanosievitch
lbatinshkal, my little father, your prices
are altogether to high. There Is no profit
on money invested in this enterprise, and,
besides, have SO many other schemes on
hand that fear to undertake more, and,
then. money Is 50 scarce Just now. My
friends advise me not to undertake any
thing more for the present.
Ivan then suddenly turns the conversation
on other subjects, but be, at the same
time. stoalthily Watches every movement of
Stepan Afanosievitch, knowing how
anxious the latter is to SELL and that he Is
conceaIing his eagerness TO close the bar
gan. well, Stepan Afanosievitch says,
''it is your own business. You know best.
am not anxious to sell, and, perhaps,
YOU had better wait for lower prices be
fore you by but ! consider present rates
very low indeed. | have other customers
to see this afternoon" Then he, 100,
changes the cOversatiOn, as he returns to
his tea drinking.
After some time the subject is again
slightly touched upon, and by degrees the
story Is apeated. Finally, as if by accl-
dent. Ivan Ivanovitch's LAWYER, Cabler,
appears on the scene. He is invited to
Join the others, and becomes interested In
the business in hand, and tries to induce
Stepan Afanosievitch TO come down in
his price. After considerable argument
on both sides, they finally decide to close
the bargain, which they do by both stand
ing up and turning to the icon, make the
sign of the cross, concluding with the e1-
clamation. God blesszus'' They next
congratulate each other by shaking hands.
The contract is then drawn up and signed
by both parties.
In business transactions the Russian
merchant Is very clever and cunning an
interesting subject to study. He fire.
quentIy reverts to an old Russian proverb,
which says: I'VE have to bargain like
| Jews and live like brothers. The word
of business man IN Russia is sacred and
is never broken. They frequently bor-
row money from each other, sometimes to
| the extent of thousands of rubles, simply
| giving their word in return for the ac
cOmmodation; always punctuaiiy paying at
| the promised time. Even to the hour 1t
| had been promised. it is returned, with
| thanks 1t Il rare that promissory note
| Is given on such occasions; therefore the
| credit of the Russian merchant stands
! high in the community. and he Is entitled
! to transact large business operations on
very little ready cash. If the merchant Is
/ unsuccessful IN business he calls meet
/ ing Of his creditors, and truthfully de-
| scnbes to them the condition of his af-
! fairs, and offers 10 settle for what he feels
/ himself able to pay. Confidence restored,
/ the merchant resumes business.
The Young merchant wheE he first starts
/ in business for himself. TO some extent
breaks from the quiet family life he has
been accustomed TO. and an uncontroii-
/ able desire Seizes him to celebrate his
emancipation in the flowing howl. He
betakes himself to the frst-ciass hotel,
/ where Ia orders the best edibles the place
I affords, together with plenty Of v0dkl and
champagne. When partially intoxicated
the young merchant turns the establish
ment into varitable pandomonium, sing
! ing. shouting dancing and turning