Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-04

lators offered her $3.50 900 for the privilege
of scraping on the gold.
II am not quite so hard up said the old
to keep myself going" And she sent them
away and painted the gold.
In the Winter Palace.
Another grand palace is that of Peterhof.
on the gulf of Finland. and another is
the Winter Palace at st. Petersburg.
1 went through the winter palace the
other day. 1t is situated on the banks of
the Neva river. running along them for
about three American city blocks. 1t is.
/ believe, the largest palace of the world.
1t Is of four stories and covers as much
ground as the Capitol at Washington. 1t
has about fifteen acres OF floor space on
it's different stories. and IL you will i'm
agine fifteen-acre field divided up into
rooms, some big enough to hold an ordi-
nary palace and others as small and cozy
as any in your own house, you may have
some idea of this structure. The color OF
the building is rich old red 1t was paint
ed last year. and IL took tons of paint to
cover It
The interior of the palace is more like
a museum or an art gallery than home
I was an hour walking through its prin-
cipal rooms. I had to show my passport
and apply for a card of admission before
1 could enter, and one of the servants
went with me. describing the wonders in
Russian. I bowed my head. although 1
did not understand. and relied on my eyes
alone for Information.
1 could see. however that the palace Is
grand beyond description. 1t has acres
Of mosaic floors smooth as piano and
so waxed that you can see yourself In them.
The rooms walled with satins and
silks matching the furniture. and they
contain works OF art from all parts or tho
world. Some of the ceilings arc upheld
by Corinthian columns plated with gold.
and the walls Of some rooms are covered
with golf leaf. There are chandeliers OF
tel nd in, ha gold Mate OF
great value. There are miles OF paintings.
numerous statues. inlaid tables and other
things of artistic merit
With all this the palace Is far from COM
Portable The most Of IT is barnlike to
an extreme and do not wonder that the
car is glad to get out of 1t and away
from the ghosts of its past
Some Russian Rulers.
Indeed. the modern rulers of Russia are
refreshing change from their ancestors.
The grandfather of Nicholas was the most
advanced monarch of his time, and his
great-grandfather. Alexander 1. introduced
western civilization ipto Russia. Alexan-
der II freed forty-odd million Russian serfs,
and had he not been assassinated Russia
would be a constitutional monarchy today.
I learned much about Alexander III during
my stay In St. Petersburg ten years ago.
when he was still on the throne. He was
an ideal ruler. simple the present car
and just as fond of his family. He did
what he could for his people notwithstand-
ing he was daily In danger of assassination.
The old cars were cruel to an extreme.
Take Ivan the Terrible. who built many of
the finest churches. He became emperor
at the age Of thirteen. One of his amuse-
ments was fastening his enemies between
boards and saving them In two from head
to foot. He had festive way of inclosing
a man In a bearskin and sticking the hounds
on him. and other royal amusements which
were rather hard on his subjects.
One of the most beautiful churches OF
the world was built by Ivan. 1t is that Of
st. Basil at Moscow. a mass of onion
shaped domes and other conceits. The
architect was an Italian. When 1t was
completed the emperor asked him IL he
could make another like 1t. He replied that
he could. whereupon Ivan ordered his eyes
to be put out in order that no one else
might have palace like him.
Another rare bird was Peter the Great.
He did lot for Russia. but it was in his
own way. He built this city of St. Peters,
burg. founding it upon a swamp, because
he said that he wanted a window where he
could look out upon Europe. He went to
England to learn shipbuilding. intending t.
found a navy. While in London he visited
the court and saw there the lawyers, with
their wigs. He asked what those curious
men might be and was toll
Lawyers are they?' was his reply.
'fWhy. 1 have only two such men in my