The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-05-24

be intoxicated, along With nODlemon ana
princes and governors and ourself. The
procession shall be closed with sledge
drawn by four big hogs driven by gen.
tleman Of high rank! Our court jester
shall be Neptune. There shall be sledges
rugged like boats, and our admiral shall
command them. At the harbor ship
shall be launched. and those taking part
shall not 60 ashore undrunken. Our adj
miral and Prince Reconsideration We
beat with a stick--and we, the autocrat,
shall drink and revel and swear together.
but none shall PROSTATE himself before
us. We are the father Of our people, and
their servant also, even in rout and dis
sipation
All this was real to degree. 1t was
enacted to the letter. No honester man
than Peter saw the dawn Of the eight
zenith century. He reformed the mill
tary and the church in the same startling
manner. Nothing could surpass the au-
dacity with which he struck down and
rebuilt the ancient usages. He sent his
Young men into Europe to be educated
for command. Forty Of the more prom
Using youth were dispatched to Konigs-
burg, to study finance and political econ
omy. The GEAR plunged into the offices
Of his subordinates. He took their
ledgers without saying by your leave and
ran them through, and woe to him who
was in error
Opening the book Of his secretary Of
the treasury one day, Peter showed him
that by his own figures he was robbing
the state, and then in another column he
; showed him that one Of the under Off
GERS was robbing him! Peter admins
tered the punishment to the secretary by
beating him with his stick, and then
told him cheerfully to go and do the
same to the rascal who had cheated him.
Such was the order OF the day. Every
thing was turned upside down, and the
wonder of the modern reader is that the
car could for one day escape assasSina-
ton. Nor would he, but for two reasons
The people knew that he was sincere to
his Utmost fiber, and. secondly. the mat
ter of killing Peter, if it fail, was the
most fatal experiment that any human
being might attempt.
Peter reformed the education Also No
system Of free public schools could be
then established, bnt special institutions
were planted at all advantageous places.
Nearly all Of these were technical in
character. The young Russians were
taught commerce and agriculture, man.
ufaoture, tactics, engineering, mining in
particular, and as to scholastic branches,
every young man Of good birth must be
able to speak one language beside his
own. In st. Petersburg an Academy Of
Sciences was founded.
Peter himself made new alphabet,
using the old Muscovite letters in part
and the Roman alphabet more freely,
and the new was substituted for the old.
The car lived to see four printing
presses at work in st. Petersburg, and
there were two in Moscow-six in all
the Russian empire But the Imperial
Academy was manned with capable
scholars, most Of whom were brought
from western Europe. In gathering his
men, Peter selected from several nations.
He got him an astronomer and an arch
biologist, several linguists, experts in
chemistry and in all the current branch
O. Of the higher education.
Meanwhile Peter made the headquar-
tiers Of the empire in the little wooden
house which he built for himself at his
new capital. Two rooms were sufficient
for him. The cottage still stands and is
regarded with veneration, as sort Of
shrine for those loyal Muscovites who
believe that a military autocracy is the
true empire Of man and that Force is
the greatest secretary Of state. In that
plans for his military campaigns and
for the civil reconstruction Of Russia.
He worked with his own hands. He
sprang from one thing to another with
the bound Of leopard. He conceived
that he could do everything. II. work.
man was injured in the street and the
surgeon was not at hand, the czar rush
ed out and used the knife himself. He
considered himself capable dentist and
would snatch out an offending molar
from the jar Of field marshal Or prince,
whether the victim would consent or
not. If history, with her sphinxlike
face, could be brought to smile at any
thing, it might we'll be at the inspired
antics Of Peter the Great.
The manner and spirit Of Peter were
shown by his conduct after the peace Of
Nystad in 1881. He had then been at
war almost constantly for % years.
With the defeat of the Turks he was
able to exact an advantageous treaty.
Returning to st. Petersburg, he appear
ed on public platform and drank to
the health Of the Russian people. He
decreed that q week should be devoted
to masquerade and feasting. He ordered
that $4,000 fublea' worth Of powder
should be exploded in celebration Of the
peace. He got himself into . fancy
dress. He danced on the platform and
sang songs. Strange that the shrewd,
cool headed. broad minded founder Of
the Russian empire should in the day of
final victory and accomplishment give
expression to his joy and set example
for his people in the manner of Sioux
chief returning from the warpathl
JOHN CLARK RIppATH.
A Brute.