Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-08-02

Ier46nceS as an 1tLacle OF the Amer
l1aa l1ga14oA 81. Petersburg a.
the time OF the Lrimean war, when
L.any queer specimens of America
rushed adventurousiy to Russia, TO
set in somehow. Mr.. White de.
scribes one who arrived with superb
pians" and militia colone's com
mission from the governor Of west
ern state. Also he had equipped
himself with the full uniform of
major.general. AT first" says Mr..
White, "he hesitated to clothe him
self in all his glory, and therefore
went through the process of evolution.
beginning first with part Of his uni
form, and then adding more as his
courage rose. During this process
he became the standing joke of ST.
Petersburg but later, Unen ne had
emerged in full and final splendor,
he became a man of mark, indeed, SO
much so that serious difficulties
arose Throughout the city are vari-
Gus corps de garde, and the sentine'
on duty before each OF these, while
allowed merely to present arms to an
officer of lower rank, must, whenever
he catches sight of a general officer,
call out the entire guard 10 present
arms, with the beating of drums.
Here our American was a source of
much difficulty, for whenever any
sentinel caught sight of his gorgeous
epaulets in the distance the guard
was instantly called out, arms were
presented and drums beaten, much to
the delight of our frienC but even
more to the disgust of the generals of
the Russian army and to the troops,
who thus rendered absurd homage
and found themselves taking part in
something like a bit of comic opera.
Another example was also inter
esting A New York ward leader
big, rough and rosy-had come out as
an agent for an American breech-
loading musket company, and had
smuggled specimens of arms over
The frontier. Arriving in st. Peters
burg, he was presented to the emper-
or, and, after receiving handsome
testimonials, was put in charge of
two aids-de-camp who took him AM
his .fe about in court carriages to
see the sights of the Russian capital.
At the close of his stay, wishing to
make some return for his courtesy,
he gave these two officers dinner at
his hotel.
1.-THE table was splendidly fur
nished. At the head of 1t was his
wife, and at her right one of the Rus
sian officials in gorgeous uniform;
at the other end of our table was our
he st, AMI at his right the other Rus
sian official splendidly attired. Be-
SIDE the first official sat our secre-
tary and beside the other was the
place assigned to me. The dinner
was successful. all spoke English and
all we're happy, but coward the end of
it our host, having perhaps taken
more wine than was his wont, grew
communicative, and, as i'll luck would
have it, the subject of the converse
ton became personal courage, where
upon he told a story. Recalling his
experience as deputy sheriff in New
York, he said:-
g When those river pirates who
murdered sailor in New York har-
bor had to be hanged. the sheriff of
the county hadn't the courage to do
it and ordered me to hang them.
rather hated the busin s. but made
everything ready, and when the time
came I took an extra glass of brandy
cut the rope and off they swung"
THE two Russians started back in
cons ernation. Not all their polite
ness could conceal it. Horrors of
horrors, they were dining with a
hangmanI Besides their sense of
degradation in this championship
superstitions had been bred in them
which doubled their distress. A dead
silence fell over all. / was the first
to break it by remarking to my Rus
sian neighbour
You may not know, sir,
g You may perhaps not know, sir,
that in the state of New York the
taking Of lie by due process of law is
considered so solemn a matter that
we intrust it to the chief executive of
fcers of our counties-to our sher-
iffs-and not to hangmen or execu-
toner's
HE looked at me very solemnly as
| announced this truth, and then.
after a solemn pause, gasped out in
dubious, awestruck voice: Mere,
bien, monsieur Henceforth it was
cold, indeed, and at the earliest mo-
ment possible the Russian officials
bowed themselves out, and no doubt
for long time afterward ascribed
any i'll luck which befell them to this
scene of i'll omen"
Mr.. White relates frankly an anus
ing story Of a mistake of his IN.
and another representative OF the
United States, as follows: Our first
secretary of the legation and having
gone on Easter eve to the midnight
mass at the Kazan cathedral. we
were shown at once into a place OF
honor in front of the great silver
iconostase and stationed Immediately
before one of the doors opening
through it into the inner sanctuary.
At first the service went on in dark
ness. only mitigated by few tapers
at the high altar; but as the clock
struck the hour of midnight there
came suddenly the roaring of the
fortress guns. the booming of great
bells above AMI around us. and light
which seemed to shoot in all direc-