Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-05-07
RUSSIAN MOBILES RUINED.
Despite Government Aid, Their Estates Are
More and More Heavily Mortgaged.

Despite Government Aid, Their Estates Are
More and More Heavily Mortgaged
Mr.. John Mitchell, British consul at
St. Petersburg, In the course of his an
nual report 10 Lord Salisbury upon the
condition of the country, says: Ten
years of strenuous support of financial
character on the part OF the govern
ment of the landlord class has failed to
yield the desired results. The Nobility
Land bank has proved unequal to the
task of arresting the sure but gradual
decay of the class in question. Mort
gagged estates were repeatedly, by hun
dreds and even thousands, destined TO
be dealt with by the auctioneer's ham
mer, but at the critical moment the
government has always intervened with
new acts of grace which postponed the
evil day.
AT the present time more than 100,-
600 estates, or Al per cent of the whole
area of the land owned by mobiles, are
mortgaged to various government and
private land credit institutions, and the
amount of money advanced on these es-
tates has reached 1.269, 100000 rubles
& 126, SOC, ,000), of which sum 1,174, 4,00O,-
600 rubles e117, ,2OO,O00) still remains
owing. In the course of the last five
years (1ss9-1s94), the Indebtedness Of
landed estates to private land banks
increased over s4,o0O,00O rubles (as,-
200,OOO), and these banks last year
reaped a profit Of more than 100000
rubles & 700,Q00) on these operations.
"Of the enormous capital of the No
bility Land bank, exceeding f50,ooo,-
600, created by the government for the
express purpose of making money ad-
vances to landlords, but little has been
paid back, and but little Improvements
has been made in the cultivation OF
estates. 1t Is asserted by those well
acquainted with provincial life that the
millions advanced to the noble land
lord class have not been expended In
the improvement of their estates, but
were spent on amusement, luxury, tray-
els, payment of old debts and unproft-
able enterprises.
"One of the chief causes that threaten
the almost complete extinction of the
noble lapd-owning class is to be found
in absenteeism. The cultivation of land
unfortunately does not afford the no
bility those attractions that are present.
ed by life in towns and by careers In
various branches of the government
service, the latter being, moreover, ac-
companied by the acquisition Of rauk
and social distinction."-N. Y. Herald.
Booths Message Scratched on Glass.
On August 13, 1854, John Wilkes
Booth was playing dramatic engage
ment in Meadville, Pa Upon his arrival
in the city that day he registered at the
McHenry house. then kept by Mr.. Il.
NJ. e. Taylor, and after the perform
ance in the evening retired alone to his
room. When the servant entered hts
room the next morning, after Booth had
left the hotel and city, an inscription
was discovered scratched In large
hand on one of the window panes: ABE
Lincoln departed this life Aug. 18th,
1864, by the effects of poison" Little
attention was paid to the writing on
the glass at the time; but as soon as
Ii was learned that Booth had killed the
president the circumstances connected
with the window inscription were re-
called, the glass was removed from its
sash, framed in plain black wooden
frame, piece of dark velvet being
placed at its back to facilitate reading,
and the signature of Booth entered on
the register August 13 was cut from the
book and attached to the window glass.
The original pane is now in the posses
sion of the war department, to which
it was presented by the daughter of the
owner of the hotel, Miss Mary McHenry,
some time after the assassination of the
president AL of the circumstances in
connection with the glass are certified
to by Miss McHenry and by other resi-
dents of Meadville.-Victor Louis Ma
son, in Century.