The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-19
THE CAR AT HOME.
ALEXANDER III OF RUSSIA AND
HIS LIFE AT ST. PETERSBURG.

Streets-ais Wonderful Muscular
> Strength-How the Empress of Rus
sis bookseller Fear of Assassina-
ton.
From the Washington Star
ST. PETERSBURG, Aug. 15.-The car has
returned with his family from a visit to
Denmark, and he is now dividing his time
between his two favorits suburban palaces
Of Gatchina and Peterhof. Henever spends
his summers in st. Petersburg, but he comes
60 the city about once a week, aud il will
be surprising to Americans to know that he
drives about quite like an ordinary citizen.
1 saw him on the Nevski Prospect, which is
the Broadway OF st. Petersburg, few
days sgo. His carriage was a rich
dark-blue landau, and he drove with
out outriders, the only sign of his
rank being his Inverted coachmen and foot
men. Down at Gatchina you may see him
almost any afternoon walking about the
palace grounds and now and then tnking O
Stroll outside of them. He may have
guard about him, but IL so it is invisible.
aud as far as can see his majesty has fewer
attendants than the other monarohs of
Europe The most Of our information oon-
corning the czar comes from England, and
the English newspapers disseminate more
false reports about public men and
matters than any other newspa-
the ozar as spending his whole time trem-
bling ia his palaces. They say he is a
tyrant and q sensualist and that he never
has q peaceful moment. The truth seems
to be Just the reverse. OF all the people |
have met in Russia, including many enc
mics Of the Czar. have not found one that
could say anything against his private
character. All say that he is a brave and
conscientious man, and his relations to his
wife and family are the models for the
empire.
THE SULTAN AND THE GAR
saw the Sultan of Turkey at Constants
nople year or so ago, and the contrast be-
tween him and Alexander III. is striking.
The sultan Is lean, sallow. nervous fellow
with a frame ana a face for ell the world
like that OF jay Gould. He lacks, however,
Jay Gould's nerve, and as looked at him
could see by the way his eyes restlessly wan
dered from one part of the crowd to the
other that he was afraid of assassination.
be had troupe of about 1000
soldiers about him and Gen. Osman
Pasha, the b ero Of Plevna, sat in
the carriage by his side Nevertheless he
trembled as he passed along on the way to
worship at the mosque. and he inspired me
rather with pity than with respect. I was
told at ConstRntinople that he feared to 90
until daybreak. He had his watchmen
always about him, and in the towers Of his
palace there are guards who are ever on
the lookout. The czar has nothing Of the
coward about him. He looks like a mon
arch, and every inch of his feet ia
Bingly. The Romanoff family from which
he comes has always been noted for the
splendid phySiques of its members, and
Alexander III. is a giant. He stands
feet inches in his stockings and he
weighs $50 pounds. His biceps are as big
around as the ordinary mans leg and bis
strength is prodigious. He can take horse
shoe, am told, and bend it double in his
hand, and he can take a gold coin the size
of a dollar and fold it in halves with his
fingers His head rises above those of his
suite, aud the Russian costumes which he
wears make him look even taller than he ia
When saw him the other day at Gatchina
he had a visorless Russian cap on his head
and his massive frame was clad in a long
overeoat and his trousers were thrust into
pair OF top boots. His uniform was that
OF one OF his regiments and he wears differ
ent uniforms from time to time In compli.
meut to such companies of his soldiers
as most see him. A regiment considers il a
great fattery TO have the GEAR wear It's uni
FORM and this is one of the ways in which
he shows his approval OF the drill of his
soldiers He Is very fond of his soldiers
He addresses them as his children and
HOW THE ozAR EXERCISES.
The daily life of the car is simple In the
extreme. He keeps his great frame in good
condition by regular exercise and, like
Gladstone, he often goes out and cuts down
trees in his forests. He sometimes saws these
trees into lengths with a cross-cut saw and
he does all sorts OF manual work, He is an
athlete Of the first order aud he is fond OF
playing with his children, and during his
stay at Denmark he had a number Of
wrestling matches at the palace there. In
each of which. l am told, he came out VIC
torlous. He is fond of horseback riding and
be has $50 saddle horses in his stables here
His stud contains some of the finest horses In
the world and he knows all about horses and
is anxious to improve his stock and is very
careful as to the character of the horses
which are brought into the army. He often
drives himself, with his wife beside him, in
aphaeton about CATCHING, and he holds his
reins with his arms stiff, in the Russian
fashion. visited the museum in which
the imperial carriages are kept the other
day and spent hours wandering about
through the hundreds Of golden coaches aud
gorgeous landaus, each of which is worth
many, many thousand dollars l handled
harness which was inlaid with precious
stones and the metal work of
which was of solid gold or
silver. I saw harness cloth embroidered
trappings aud coaches run high into the |
millions Of dollars. AS looked at them |
could but think of the simple carriages
which the car really uses and how far his !
spirit is removed from that OF ostentation. |
he leads more simple life, in fact, than |
many or his mobiles, and he cares nothing |
whatever for style. He is one the |
hardest-worked men of his empire. He |
rises at daybreak and takes cup OF coffee, |
says bis prayers and then begins work, look |
ing over his state papers. AT l o'clock he |
taxes breakfast with his wife, and after |
breakfast he exercises for awhile before |
going back to work. He keeps his system |
In perfect condition and his stomach never
goes back on him. He has his dinner at 6 |
O'CLOCK, like many big men, he eats little, |
ana his drink is confined to glass Of Bur-
gundy. He always dimes with his family, |
ana MS family relations are most beautiful. |
IN LOVE WITH HIS WIFE.
The Gar of Russia Is in love with his |
VIE. This is an extraordinary thing for a |
RUSSIAN monarch, and both peasants and !
noeles nave spoken to me in the highest !
terms Of his purity in this regard. He |
sPends MS evenings with his family, and |