The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-05-24

be diverted to the proper channels.
These legacies. when accepted, are
never us-d by the czar for his private
! qualification. He regards them as
trust fund. and they have been so
regarded by most OF his ancestors.
This fund is drawn upon for chari-
table and religious purposes. Five MIL
lions OF rubles were given from 1t to
relieve the starving peasants during
the last terrible famine in Bessarabla.
But it is not confined to Russian OBJ
jects alone. The car made liberal
donations from it to the last Indian
famine relief fund and in aid If the
| negro peasants of Martinique who
suffered from the eruptions OF
Mont Pelee.
Some Immense Legacies.
Some of the legacies reach immense
sums. a merchant named Stephanoff.
who died at Mini i-Novgorod last
year. left the czar over 100000
rubles (''to be applied to any OBJ
| ject which his imperial majesty may
be graciously pleased to. consider fol
the good OF Holy Russia.D 4 Mos
cow banker named Nicholas Nich-
oalaevitch Ukhtansky. left 1000,
900 rubles two or three years ago
to his monarch, absolutely free of any
limitation or provision. And these
amounts might be paralleled in many
other cases. Hardly a month passes
without the czar receiving by will
what most men would consider a
large fortune.
The czar pockets more mining
royalties than any other man on
earth. The silver, gold. platinum and
lead mines of the Ural Mountains are
government property.
Most of the proceeds go into the
government treasury. but royalties
ranging llOlii " w - pSi SSiis- a. =
paid over to the emperor's private
purse. He receives similar royalties
on the numerous government mines
in Siberia. which are worked by the
free labor OF convictS He also re-
ceives quit rents. tithes and other pay
ments for vast tracts OF Crown lands
in Siberia and Central Asia. as we'll
as a share of the large revenue ac-
cruing from the exploitation of the
immense areas Of government forest
land in Siberia.
Whole blocks OF real estate in St.
Petersburg. Moscow. Odessa. Mini
Novgorod. Irkutsk. Omsk and other
cities and towns in European Russia
and Siberia are owned by the emper-
or. and the rents are duly collected
BY a small army OF agents under the
supervision of Baron Friederichs.
He also possesses large financial
holdings in several Russian railways
which have not yet fallen under the
control of the ministry Of ways OF
communications. and in numerous IN
dustrial undertakings. such as iron
works and textile factories. promoted
or encouraged by NJ. Juliewitsh De
Witte when he was finance minister
The investment of the czar's immense
wealth is always serious and diff
cult problem. In accordance with NJ
De Whites advice much OF it has been
applied to the promotion of schemes
which are calculated to develop the
industrial and commercial resources
OF Russia.
Estimate By Russian.
1T is impossible to arrive at any
exact estimate Of the wealth OF his
imperial majesty" said all Official
connected with the Russian legation
at Washington. from whom most OF
The facts set forth in this article were
obtained. but I should think that.
on the most conservative estimate.
he must be worth. from all sources.
far more than S5o.ooo,ooo a yea,.
This is actual revenue and does no,
take into account the huge treasures
in specie. bullion and diamonds which
are stored in the vaults of the Peter