Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-03-08

being hurried by rail to Bulgaria. The
war minister had issued certain orders
concerning the troop trains which no
stationmaster in Russia would have
dared question-none save Witte. But
White dared to think for himself and
for the car He foresaw clearly that
obedience of orders would mean disas-
ter for the troops. There was no time
for consultation. He chose TO disobey
1t was plain that the young man had
ruined himself. His friends assured
him that he would soon be swallowed
up in Siberia They said he must be
mad to destroy his career at time
when he was in fair way to become
fullfedged statiOnmaster. Officially,
there was a great hullabaloo. The as
sistant stationmaster' INSTRUMENTATION
was investigated by important persons
in respondent uniforms. And then IT,.
broke on the official mind that the cul-
prit had saved his imperial majesty's
troops from destruction. The investi-
cation developed the fact that long
after war was declared, without saying
a word to anyone, White had quietly
done what his superior ought to have
done-that is, worked out the details
of various schemes for the transport
Of an army against Turkey. This
proof of forethought on his part Great
ed quite a sensation in official circles,
where people are not accustomed to
obo
anything else on their own initiative.
He worked night and day while the
war lasted, and when it came to an
end he had already made reputation
for himself and was on the highway
to fortune. Instead of being sent to
Siberia, he was made a director Of the
imperial railway. His rise thereafter
was rapid. M. Wyschnegradski, presi-
dent of the railway. was made minis
ter of finance and he made White min
lister of railways. The latter reformed
the railway system, and as a result,
those who had previously fattened on
the public preferred charges against
him. He was eXonerated; they were
eXiled. In 1892 White was made minis
ter of finance. Here was field for re-
form in earnest-fOr of all the fOrlorn,
crooked, wildcat muddles outside of a
bucket shop, the finances OF Russia
were the most hopeless. To create
anything like decency and order ont
of that chaos was labor of Hercules.
Witte did it. He has been working
at it ever since. making himself illus
trious the world over and hated in his
own country. The credit of Russia is
no longer a byword among the nations,
and the former assistant stationmas-
ter is the most powerful man in the
empire. next to the car. Meanwhile
he had married a wife. one of the most
beautiful. fascinating women in all
Russia. one brilliantly clever, too, with
keen wits as we'll as perfect features;
and the rapidity with which he rose
from post to post must, perhaps, be
aseribed in some degree to the infu-
ence she welded. Wherever they went
she secured for him powerful friends.
Witte or de Witte as it now is, the
minister having been made a count
is tbs real force which is making Rus
STA gr, a commercially. He has made
treaties with many nations, and Rus
sia's foreign trade has swelled prodi-
giously. All this progress was resisted
holly by officialdom at large. From
grand dukes down. powerful and aris-
tocratic Russians of the old school
fought for tradition and strove to ruin
the upstart who was overturning ev-
erything. In particular the war party
hated him because he was for peace
peace during which his country might
win commercial greatness. Then
there are the merchants They hate