The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-11-07

rhysical strength and Courage.
Alexander III was man Of remarkable
physical force. He stood feet inches In
his stockings, and it Il told Of him that he
could take a silver coin Of the size OF q
dollar and double Il between his thumb
and forefinger. When in 1888 his train was
wrecked and a number Of persons were
killed, It is said he saved those who were
In the same compartment with him from
injury and perhaps death by supporting q
portion of the fallen roof with his shoul-
ders till assistance came He kept himself
In good condition by the most severe man.
ual labor. Like Gladstone, he was fond OF
thopping down trees, and in the winter
time he used to shovel snow paths in his
palace grounds.
During the last war between Russia and
Turkey he showed that he had plenty Of
personal courage as we'll as physical
strength, and although during his entire
reign he was in constant expectation OF
being murdered he never hesitated to show
himself to his people when he thought the
occasion demanded it, and he oftentimes
was accounted even rash in his manner OF
doing this.
! For instance, ON several occasions when
members of his household died, and no.
ably when his English nurse passed away,
he attended the funeral services like any
common person, following the hearse on
foot. 1t was his custom frequently to
ways, the czarina and the whole family
accompanying him in an open carriage,
and at the annual fetes given in honor of
the czarina's birthdays he used to take
the reins on the front seat Of high wagon,
with the empress beside him and the re-
<xf nj
back seat, and drive slowly through the
grounds of the palace, which were bril-
liantly illuminated, In the evening.
1t is a fact that whenever Alexander III
appeared In public he was greeted with
the most extravagant demonstrations of
loyalty on the part Of the people. 81
His Daily Life. .
All authorities agree that Alexander III
was very hard worker. He rose at IN the
morning, and after quiet stroll through the
grounds of the palace partook Of an early
breakfast, which was followed Immediately
by severe manual toll AS soon as this task
was finished he plunged into the official busi-
ness Of the day with energy and dogged per-
sistence. His work consisted principally Of
the examination of edicts, ukases, laws and
all sorts of reports on all sorts Of subjects, on
the margins Of which he would write decis-
ions or impressions with frankness and an
abandon that were refreshing.
1t is claimed by those who do not favor the
theory that he was kept in ignorance Of the
real state of affairs throughout his dominions
| that the documents submitted to him included
detailed statements of every trial of political
offenders of any consequence, and that these
| reports were almost without exception &C.
curate to the last degree; that their accuracy
| was insured by habit he had Of summarily
visiting condign punishment upon any officia,
who was detected in presenting an incomplete
| or false report.
Whatever he wrote upon the margins OF
the documents submitted to him was pre-.
| served by glazing 1t over. and carefully filing
| it in the imperial archives. His phraseOlogy
was not always very correct nor the senti.
ments very refined. "They are a set of hogs =
| was favorite comment. "What o beast he
isl" (ekaya skotina) was another. "Discourag
ing" (neyooteshitelno) was his favorite word
for the report Of fire, of a failure of crops o,
| q famine.
The Gatshina palace was his favorite resi-
dence, though for what reason it is difficult te
understand, for it is a dull, .dreary and dingy
backs alexander Ale al r III lived in the s worst suite
of apartments in the palace---a range of small
low rooms on the entresol, the ceilings OF
his hand. OF the famous winter palace fe had
q superstitious horror, and even in the An
itshkoff palace he seemed to foel out Of hi,
Five children were born to thu, czar annd
Gzarina; NICOLAS AleX;sasndrowitch, kan rowit born at st
petersburg May 49, l66S; George Alexandra
witch, born May 0, ISL: Xenia Alexandrowna
| born April 9, 1875; Michael AlcxandrOwitch
| bofn Dec. B, 1878, and Olga AleXandrowna
born June 13, 1882. or his children the czar
many stories are told Of the methods he USED
to adopt to give them pleasure He was YER,
fond Of amateur theatricals. and he was nevel
happier than when getting up plays in which
his children were to figure as actors.
! An Intensely Religious BIan.
To NJ. Pobiedonotsoff, in later years th,
much feared president of the holy synod O.
the Russian church, were due many of tn,
characteristic traits of Alexander III, fol
| PobiedonotsoR was his tutor in childhood
This man was highly intol' rant lin religious
he abhorred Liberalism in every form. Ii
ing honor and integrity of purpose, and b
despised everything savoring of corruption
unfair dealing or immortality, and while tn
world may blame him for the narrow minded
ness of his imperial pupil 1t must honor hin
for those qualities in Alexander III whicl
made for good, Especially to the teachings o
M PObiedonotsof may be attributed tn
czar's personal morality. It is claimed b.
those who ought to know that Alexander ii
was almost the only European sovereign o
his time who did not keeps mistress.
The czar was essentially q religious man
end he believed implicitly that he ruled b
"Divine right" He was lie head of the Rus
sian church as well as civil and military hea
IT the empire.
Nomidally their head, 1t is claimed tha
lhe ecclesiastics, and here again is seen the In
| Huonce Of M pOhied OnOfSotr