The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-21

nate schools for every branch of the service. There are three such schools in St. Petersburg and one in Moscow. St. Petersburg has a cavalry school an ar tllery school and school for military engineering.
 Some of the best of the recruits get into these schools. and they are also at- tended by the sons of the nobility and military officials. About 5000 new off, cers are needed every year, and the in crease or the service owing to the push ing forward of matters in Asia gives many chances for advancement.
 One Cent a Day.
 On the whole, however, there is little inducement for poor man to go into the Russian army as an officer, and none whatever for him to serve as a soldier The common private does not receive. all told, more than 1 cent a day the year through. although his food and clothes are found. His regular allowance is little more than a rouble year, but he has other extras which bring it up to a little less than s4.
 Think of s4 a year for spending money including cigars and drinks and you have the condition of 100000 of Russias mill lion men. Of course many get money from home. but the families of others are too poor to send them any. Do you wonder at the occasional extortion2 don't. The officers are a little better paid, but no much. A lieutenant in the infantry gets about $200 a year. a cap- tain about $500 and major $450. The off, cers are expected to receive support from their families, and if they marry 1t must be with girls who are rich.
 $5o,OOO for a Russian Husband.
 An instance illustrating this occurred some years ago when the daughter of one of our ministers to St. Petersburg wedd- ed a Russian officer. The officer came to America and before the wedding called upon his prospective father-in-law and demanded a settlement. --. a.'. t-
 What settlement do you want?" asked the old man, who was rich.
 q want a settlement upon my wife," tend to give her something to support the family
 "I had not thought of that" said the old man. And how much do you think she ought to have?'
 Well" said the colonel with a hem and G haw it seems to me she ought to have about a hundred thousand roubles ($F0.000), but two hundred thousand would be better" - ..
 Indeed" replied the old gentleman, ''that is a good round sum. and such things are not customary here. but will see about it, and as the story goes he raised s5oo0o and put it in the bank be- fore the wedding took place.
 I am told that most of the higher of flcers are rich. They are the sons of mo- bles or well-to-do families and they con- stitute to a large extent the aristocracy of the country. They are. spirited fel lows and high flyers. Many of them gamble and some are very extravagant. The social standard of military men is very high all over Europe, especially in Germany where they are fast building up a military aristocracy. It is less so here. and there is more chance for the ordinary soldier to rise to a good posi- ton.
 The Russian Cavalry Horses.
 Russia has some excellent cavalry. The men ride like Texas cowboys and their horses are among the finest ia the world. The. common cab horses of the Russian capital are better than the swell carris ge horses of Washington. They are Orloff stallions as black as coal. with fine &C., ton and great speed.
 There are splendid horses all over Rus sia, and indeed the empire has moro horses than any other country in the world According to the statistics of our Agricultural Department all the horses on earth number about &, ,000,06 Russia alone has 3o,OO0 o00 or, estimating four persons to each family, about one horse to every family in the whole empire. | The most of the Russian horses belong to the peasant sfarmerss but a vest num- 1 Der are found on the steppes or high plains and in the lowlands. The steppe horses are speedy and have unlimited powers of endurance. There Is a breed along the River Don produced by cross ing the native horse with the English thoroughbred, which is famous for its