The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-26

| The principal occupation of the people
is hunting, for there is very little ulable
| ground in the Black Mountains. The
animals that abound there are excellent
| for food, and much Of the meat that is sent
| to St. Petersburg is found in the kingdom
| Of Montenegro. 1t is also a mining coun-
! try, but none Of the mines belong to the
| Crown; consequently, the King and his
| family have always been poor
There is tradition that the warriors Of
| Montenegro have been in the hahj: OF
| replenishing their stores from the country
| around 1t is certain that they have
! thought nothing of dash icto Turkey
and the Sultan has made no attempt to
! stop them. There are pages IN the history
| of the Black Mountains that should never
| have been written in tile life of any
| nation. pages of blackness and ravase!
| The sovereignty might be opera-bouffeish
were it not for the fierceneSs of the warlike
retainers and their 2ctual bravery in war
y HARD VIEW.
Prince Nikta, of Montenegro succeeded
to the throne on the assassination of his
uncle in 1860. He is about ffty-five years
or age, is very tall and somewhat stout.
His mustache and whiskers are trimmed
in the style affected by the late Alexander
II. HIS strength is prodisious, and ne is
skilled in all sports. From the first the
King made an excellent ruler, we'll adapted
Once finding his subjects unwilling to
perform manual labor. the Prince followed
the example of Peter the Great. and spent
an entire day in hammerinS iron and SHOE
ing horses. thereby successfully proving
% the MonteneSroins that it was not he
meath the dignity of warrior to soil his
hands by welding hammer and bellows.
Prince Nikita next turned h-s attention
to shoemakins, trade which he could not
I,:e ord r,0-y
pat;ble with their dignity. He worked
whole day mending shoes in a coboler'5
shop, which shamed his subjects and in
duced them to learn shoemak.nS.
The Princes good points are offset by
his passion for gambling, and his drinking,
which is at times heavy. As soon as The
I o'clock dinner is completed the Prince
and his friends adjourn 10 the billiard
room, on the ground floor. where he gene
ra-1 remains til near daybreak. playing
oi.|ards first and then cards, al which the
Prince loses considerable sums.
The Russians do not CRAFTY ike the
Prince of Montenegro; and caustic Rus
sian writer describing him wrote:
1t is said to be owing to his heavy
losses a t cards that he is always hard
up. His civil income is only about S,0te.
and SO he is almost entirely dependent
upon the allowance of $4,000 per anntim
he receives from the privy purse OF the
Emps ror of Russia. Ir fact the entire
relying family CT Montenegro are de-
pendent upon the bounty of the Gar. All
the princesses have been brought UP at
St Petersburg.
Whatever the Prince and his famtE
travel about Europe it is Invariably the
Russian Ambassador of the capital where
they may happen to be staying who pays
their hotel bills on behalf OF the Gear.
towards the closs of his reign Alexauds z
II. grew very tired OF the Princes con-
slant appeals for money and manifested
dispo itlon to close his purse to him."
II this IS true there is political reason
for this aid. because Montenegro, being
upon the frontier OF Turkey. would be
exceedingly useful to Russia In the event