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

The commercial capital of the Amer
tcas looked back over its $50 years of
municipal life and rejoiced IN its rise
from group of huts with n stockadc
to the second city in the world. The
imperial capital of the Russias exulted
in the fact that it was not only the
youngest of European capitals. but
half century younger than its Ameri.
can rival, and retold lis two centuries
Of warfare against flood. pestilence arI
insurrection, in the transformation of
the bogs of the River Neva to city
of palaces and cathedrals with a popu.
lGtiCn OF 100000.
The remarkable origin of st. Peters.
burg has caused n revival of interna-
t!onGl interest in the still more remark
able character cf its founder. States.
men of foreign nations who are watch
ing Russia Just now with particular
anxiety have paused in their reading
Of dispatches from kishiueff. Port Ar
thur and Sofia to consider the kind of
man who first reused Russia from its
ancient Or.entallsm. who first organ
who started the Slav on his career of
expansion from the Baltic to the Pa
,itlc and from the Arctic to the tropics.
Such backward view of the life of
Peter the Great reflects n strange com.
Olnation OF traits which at first seem
4 medley. His great deeds, which so
clearly illustrate the perseverance. the
',n nj tl,n .,-ilI
nower of the Russian. are intermingled
With strange, almost freaiish esca-
padeS. For example, this monarch
would devote his attention at one time
10 the building of a cathedral; on an
othc" occasion ,ie would set up fool
'or Patriarch. i'll him with wine. and
then cause the drunken wretch to be
married in high state.
Modern Russians. however. are frank
:. :aiat.ES both the noble and the gro
:2sque acts OF tier great Gar as in
iicatiye of the Struggle of the Slav
from barbarism to the civilization of
inc present tire. 1t was in Peter the
,i:eat that thn .orccs of light and dark
ness met ana batted. Now the one,
lOW tNe OtHeT. cOIllueTcu.
Those who are so intently studying
the Russian Of the twentieth century
because of his tremendous influence in
the worlds politics find a peculiar
significance in the wild side of Peters
character. Even Mt the present time
the question is asked: Is Russia still
bar1aric! What Will she do next? \
comparison of the savage Peter with
the Russian of to-day shows how far
In these two hundred years the Rus
sian mind has softened. and thus fore
shadows to a certain degree its future
development.
The tales told of Peter abound with
many madcap exploits, which more
recent writers have proved absurd.
Among the stories, however. which
have not nc; with positive contra
diction there are many which would
seem to belong more to fiction than
to history. For example. it is related
that during the earliest days of st.
Petersburg the Inhabitants revolted
against living there any longer. In
the first year one hundred thousand
had died from pestilence and food.
The streets and floors OF the houses
were so near the waters edge that
fevers ravaged the community, and
the bitter cold of winter. when the
temperature frequently sank to forty
degrees below zero, frOze to death
many n hardy Cossach who Lad been
compelled TO settle there. Accordingly
the people sought the priests TO inter-
ceie for them and secure their de-
parture from the hated town.
The Car was living there at the
time in n wooden hut. which is still
preserved, but the priests waited until
Peter was ont OF town. Then they
called the attention of the multitude
to an Image of the Blessed Virgin,
which was weeping copiously
Our Blessed Lady weeps for the
sickness and death which aiilicts us,
she bids us fee this valley Of sorrow"
:aid the priests.
The community had been left in
charge OF Count Galofkln. and the
count in alarm. sent posthasre for
lis master. There was no tim- lost.
Peter was back before he was expect
ed. As soon as he saw the weeping
image he tore Off the back of its head
and discovered n hollow filed with oil.
which kept tr!ckl!ng ous through the
e-es.
That's the way your priests make
fools of you." cried the CZar, and pick.
lng up the image he took IL home with
him to add to his collection OF curios.
The first building, however, which
Peter erected in the city after the fort
was church.
At state dinner Peter was wont to
encourage drinking and scufiling. rs
he said II promoted good fellowship.
For this purpose he saw that the tables
were never furnished with enough
chairs to 20 around, Accordingly. the
dinner started off With free fight for
seats. Those who failed TO find seats
were compelled either to sit on the
floor or go without food Neither were
there enough napkins, and after the
guests who obtained chairs were seat
ed they began another battle. In the
same way there was always an in
sufficient number os dishes ard knives.
so that many o, the guess were COM
PEELED TO divide n dish or an eating
rtensN between them. to the derislon
Of their more fortunate fellows. The
Gear cheercd on the combatants, and
The greater the noise and confusion
lie sore he appiauded the rolsterers.
fro ench rrpst WAS given n yreat GUN