The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-30

| trusted to his care. He had been Minister of War several years when saw his last-at his villa near St. Petersburg. This villa is a suburban home. such as bookkeeper or army captain, living on his pay, might aspire to. No sign of luxury. no attempt at style'-yet Kuropatkin had at his dis posal millions for representative pur- poses"
 Never before, or afterward, was so impressed by the conviction that he comes justly by his reputation of an honest man. Kuropatkin Is both honest and proud. He would deem 1t absurd to take advantage of his posi- ton. To use the public funds for his own personal gain as others are doing would make htm uncomfortable. At the same time he is liberality itself to his soldiers. At one time was eating dinner at his St. Petersburg residence, when Colonel Arlamannow, just re- turned from Fashoda. was announced. The colonel begged to introduce to his excellency two Cossacks, who had won Tame by swimming across the Nile in particularly dangerous spot to deliver certain message. The Czar had decorated these brave fellows and Ku- ropatkin had expressed a desire to shake hands with them
 All owua eesg. sg.osithecrTlJnigtae
 All of us went to the ante-chamber where the Cossacks were waiting, and shall never forget the little speech Kuropatkin deivlered on the spur of the moment. winding up with the hearty assurance. T am proud to know you. little brothers, for yeu set fine ex- ample to all of us, generals and soldier Then he asked each Cossack if he own ed watch. NO. your excellency; our pay never sufffced for that"
 T thought so," said ,Kuropatkin. land bought each of you timepiece." With that he handed each man q gold watch And here Is something to buy a pres ent for your wife. or girl. giving them 100 roubles in gold pieces.
 Fine Fellow is Kuropatlkin.
 Taking him as a man, soldier and friend rarely. or never. did meet o more sympathetic and straightforward personality than Kuropatkin. There Is honesty, human kindness and self-ra- straint in his face, his whole being breathed energy. strength and the calmness of the deep thinker. No one could be more imbued with the respon- sibility of his office-reflect that he Is both student and author, who knows that everything he does, and leaves un- done. will be subject to comment, study and criticism for years to come. Yet I am convinced that in the heat of bat tie Kuropatkin Is as composed and un- excited as when l met him in the valley of Aakabad, reviewing the na- tive troops. Another of his traits is absolute democracy. He cares no more for a grand duke than for the least private. Indeed, if he has any favor ites, they are common Cossacks.
 Kuropatkin has been criticised for carrying to the front a number of ik- ons and saints picturse. Of course he does not believe in the efficacy of paper and paint, ivory, gold and precious stones to produce victories. but he does believe in the old saying: that the world dearly loves to be deceived Consequently he bows to the ikons to satisfy the common soldier who' misled by superstitious and ignorant pops. demands that sort of thing.
 Tn war;" he once told me, "a generel must rely on nothing but his own tac- tics and strategy, backed by brave. self sacrificing army"