The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-07
thanksgiving was to be said for hisisafe

Z. - ~ tcaSH Iue CHaRSl or even exchange
stepped son, shore she! was surrounded,
almost hustled by the Shouting crowd
Ct mRussla1is-many of them convicts--
Aleuts and Sitkans, who, knelt at his
feet, endeavored to kiss his hands his
garments, in their hysterical gratitude
FOR the food he had brought them.
For the first time he felt reconciled to
his departure. from California, and Cons
eha.s image faded as he looked at the
fearful faces sof the diseased, ILL
nourished wretches who gave their mite
OF life that he might live as became
q great noble srof the Russian empire.
But$altho hestingled with pleasure and
swelled with vanity, for he was far to-
clear-sighted to doubt he had done more
than his duty or that his duty WAS
more than begun. He made them a.
LILLE 1T speech, giving bis word they
should pc properly fed hereafter, that
ne would make the Improvement. of
their condition as well as that of all
| theo employees of the company thruorlt
TINS. vast chain Of settlements on the
Pacific, the chief consideration of his
life; and they believed him and fol-
lowed him to the chapel rejoicing; rec
onclled for once to their lot. * 4
After the service Rezanoy.' went M
| to the hut of the chief manager. q hab-
ltation that leaked in winter and SUM,
mer, and was equally deficient in light,
ventilation and order. But Baranbov,
IN the sixteen years Of his. exile, had.
+ forgotten the bare lineaments Of com
fort, and devoted his days to adyanc-
Ing the interests of the company. his
nights, save when sleep overcame him,
to rotations that would have buried:
an ordinary man under Alaskan SHOWS
long before. c: But Baranhov had four
teen years more of good service in him,
and rescued the company from insol,.
vency, again and again, nor ever
played into the hands Of marauding for
elgners; with brain on fire he was
| shrewder than the soberest,, -
He listened with deep satisfaction
to the chamberlain s account of his
success with the. Californians and his
| glowing pictures Of the country, nod
| ding every few moments with emphatic
approval; But as the story finished
his. wonderful eyes were two bubbling
springs Of humor, and Rezanov. who
knew him well, recrossed his legs ner-
| vously y, - 81. = = :.
"What is it9'' he asked. "What
have | done now? Remember that Won
| have been in this business for sixteen
years, and / one--''
| HOW many measures of corn did
you say you had brought, excellency9V
| 1.-Two hundred and ninety-four, re-,
| piled Rezanov proudly. ..
IA provision that exceeds my most
sangulne hopes. The only thing that
mitigates my satisfaction is that there
is not; a ;, mill in the settlement to
Rezanov sprang to his feet with a
violent exclamation, his face very red.
| There was no. one whose good opinion
| he valued as he did that of this bril-
liant, dissiipated,, disinterested old ge-.
MUS; and he felt like a schoolboy., But
altho he started for the door, he. re-
covered half way, and, reseating, him
self, Joined in the, laughter of the little
man who was rocking back and forth
on his bench, his weakened leg clasped
against his, ;shrunken chest
- How on earth was to know all
/ your domestic arrangements9' he said
limited enough last winter. but it never
occurred to. me there. was any myste-
rlous process involved, in converting
corn into, meal. Is it quite useless,
tOh, no.. we. can boil or roast it. It
| Will dispose of what teeth we have
left, but that will serve the good pur-
! pose, OF reminding us always Of your
excellencY Is interest in our welfare.'
"Give TIE corn f. the nat nativ saool f s.
farinaceous at all events. And you can
| have nothing to say against the -four
| [ have brought, and the peas, beans
tallow, butter, barley, salt and sailed
| meats---in all to the value of twenty
four thousand Spanish dollars
.The chief managers head nodded
chanical toy. .tEIt is a Godsend.. q Cod g
send If you, did no more than That
you. would have earned our everlasting
gratitude. 1t will make us over, give
us renewed courage in this cursed ex-
5 nHf of itq Are you not going to get me
Rezanov shook his head with q smile
Literally you are the whole company.
AS long as | live here you stay-alt6o
When l reach st. Petersburg I Shall see
and honor.'
| Baranhov lifted his shoulders to his
ears IN quizzical resignation. ri sun
pose 1T matters little where the last
| few years left me are spent, and Tcan
hang the medals on the walls to con-
| sole me when l have the rheumatism.
ana ana shout my titles from the ton of
s sfe tho borI o waen the Kolosh are yelling
c.' You must make yourself more COM
fortable,' said Rezanov emphaticaliv
I You are wrong to carry your honesty
and enthusiasm to the point of living
ike the promuschleniki. Take enouph
OF their time to build you a comfortable
dwelling, and | will send you, on nv
own account, far more substantial r.
wards than orders and titles. Build 2.
big house, for that matter. T shall he
here more Or less-when I am not in
California. And he told Baranhov
OF his proposed marriage with the
daughter of Don Jose Arguello. &,-,>
| Inc chief manager listened to this
confidence with an even slivelier salts
faction than to the list of the Juno 3
cargo. Wv .
eve shall have California yet.,, he
cried, his eyes swapping like live Goals
under the black thatch of wig. " Alb
Ss.orption. OF the bayonet.r e, It matters
little. Ten, years from now and we will
have Line Of settlements as far south
as San Diego My plan was to feel nv
way GOWN the northern coast of Cali
fornla with a colony, which should b,lv
tract or. land from the natives and
engage, Immediately in otter hunting
and brakes bay. The Spanish have no
settlements above San Francisco and
are too weak to drive us out. Thev
would rage and buster and do nothing.
forts and ships. But You have taken
| nold IN the grand manner and will ac-
compllsh in ten years what ,would have
taken me fifty. Marry. this girl. use
your advantage over the entire familV
whose influence I well know-and
that great personal power with which