The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-07-01

"Drink hearty Drink heavy! Drink
it allr
| At such dinners the Car often played
practical jokes on his guests which
would hardly be considered good eti'
quette at the present time. For cX-
ample, lie would have his cooks put
mice in the soup, so that the animals
would not be found until the banquet
ers had almost drained the turcen.
| Again the Car would announce after
n course had been eaten that the meat
was that of raven or wolf.
Other dinners. according to some his
torians. We're made occasions for the
slnughtero of criminals or traitors. When
Peter was in Holland working as a
Iaandnm shipwright 40 that he might
learn the shipwright's art and intro.
ducc it into Russia. he learned that n
rebellion had broken out among the
Strelitzes. or imperial bOdyguard.
Quickly returning home. he put down
the insurrection. and then ordered a
great dinner to be held to commemor.
ate his victory. To those who had
been faithful to him in his absence he
offered rich rewards. The twenty
leaders of the rebels, however. We're
led into the banquet hall and executed
before the guests. Peter is said to
have acted as executioner himself. and
after each toast he would quaff n glass
of wine and then strike off the head
of StreltZ. The other insurrcction
lists were put to death OH the wheel
or by the axe, and their heads We're
transfixed on pixies along the streets.
Peters sojourn in Holland in the
guise of shipbuilder and his visit TO
England to study the wharves and
commercial life of London were filled
with startling incidents in keeping
with the kind of man he was. Soon
after his arrival at Zaandam crowds
began to besiege his humble apart.
ments TO see him. Crowds always pro.
voled Peter. and at this time he went
into fit, as he often did at times Of
high nervous tension. The sight of the
young man writhing on the floor drove
off the curious throng in a panic. but
it did not dlscompose his own attend.
ants.
In London the Car encountered such
crowds that on one occasion when Il
porter carrying a hod pushed him clear
off the sidewalk he Immediately pulled
up his sleeves for fight. The Mar.
quis of Carmarthen was with Lin, and
the English lord exclaimed:
Look here. you hind. Do you know
whom you have insulted? This man
here is the Car of Russia"
But the porter did not recoil. Instead
he threw out his chest and remarked
blandly:
Gear, heh? We'll. we're hall czars
| ere
On returning from England Peter
was struck with the absurdity of the
ancient costume of his countrymen
which they had inherited from their
former masters. the Tartars. Accord.
ingly he began q crusade against the
great long coats and baggy trousers,
which he said prevented the Russians
from keeping up with their Western
neighbors. His ministers and courters
were thunderstruck. Such reform
was not only revolutionary, they said,
but would destroy the nation utterly.
The Russians would have their coat.
tails dragging on the ground or they
would perish.
you will cut off your coattails or I'll
cut off your heads shouted Peter in
passion. The courtiers finally de-
clded that their heads were of more
consequence and sullenly obeyed. The
coattails came off. Then the royal re.
former ordered the boards off. This
was heaping injury on insult.
"What was more beautiful than n
beard reaching TO the waist and cover.
ing the chest like a shawl: asked the
noble boyars. An instruction was
imminent SO Peter changed his tac.
ties slightly. but at the same time cX-
ecuted neat business coup by taxing
every long beard en- noble 800, and
that of the peasantry Il certain small
sum every time they passed the city
gates. At first the revenue was q
handsome one. but slowly the boards
came off.
Fools" said Peter as the tax dwln.
died away. They had rather have
their boards pulled out hair by hair
than shave them off all ut once"
Finally there were only TWO long
boards left at the court, and Peter
caught these transgressors one day and
shaved them himself before court
filed with guests and ambassadors. 80