The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-21
VISIT To AGED
COUNT At HOME
Hungarian Journalist Tells of
Remarkable Interview With
Toistoi Just Before Death.
MEMBERS OF HOUSEHOLD
PRISONERS TO IDEAS
Novelist Held Imperial Sway
Over Minds of Those
Around Him.

PITTSBURG, Pa. Nov, 2o-A recent
interview and possibly the last which
newspaper correspondent had with
Count Tolstoi has been recounted by NJ.
Arpad Pasztor, 81 distinguished Hunga-
rian author and journalist. to the Asso-
ciated Fress.
NJ Pasztor is editor of Azest, an even
ing paper Of Budapest, and in tour
around the world is now in Pittsburg
for brief study of conditions among
Hungarian immigrants,
Only two months ago. in September.
Mr. Pasztor, proceeding by train from
Moscow dropped off at Yasnaya Poliana
a little village about two miles from
the last railway station in the province
of Tula.
with everything still green and in bios
som as ! approached In search of the
Tolstei house. I located IT. but / should
have said IL was not Russian home
Tor ! observed that several copies Of
the London Times lay on the lawn.
Meets Countess Tolstoi.
II noticed that lady sat on the We
randa reading and 1 presumed that she
was the Countess Tolstoi. II so. knew
she was born German-the daughter OF
German professor-and ! addressed
her in German, asking II l might see
the great novelist.
Have you introductions?' she asked.
No. madame, but are not his works
tinroductions enough
' But she demurred If that were the
case, our garden would be crowded all
the while. ] am sorry; my husband is
asleep, now From what country do you
Hungary / replied
Indeed, our secretary. Markovietsky,
is Hungarian. too. You may speak with
him. My husband is very old and weak
and does not like to speak with visitors
cat this she ushered me into the house.
where ] frst met the novelsts eldest
son. who is perhaps d5 years, old Learn,
ing that | was an author, he admitted
he also wrote. but added that he aban-
doned authorship because IL seemed i'm
possible to- use the rolstoI name. since
his father had already made II famous.
He said he preferred to take up art and
sculpture and that he was studying with
Rodin the famous Partisan sculptor.
M. MarkovietsSy the secretary. inter
rupted at this moment with a familiar
Go napol.' which is our Hungarian Good
day. and said 1t seemed good to hear
his native tongue again.
II know you want ITO see Tolstoi,'
he said. but he is asleep now; so let
1s walk through the garden,
Forest of Oaks
'He took me through the Forest of
Oaks. which is the scene OF the great
storm in Anna Karenina and then
through the great apple orchards. where
and remarked. 'Tolstoi has the finest and
largest apple orchards in Russia. His
wife sells the product
''At 6 o'clock our walk was interrupted
by the dinner bell. at which Markoviet-
sky exclaimed. 'Tolstoi is awake now.
We must go back. He led me through.
the house. which is a very simple and
poor place. There was no carpet on the
floor. the walls were white and without
a single picture.
ION all sides were books. in every room.
and little furniture other than plain
chairs and tables. In glimpse I had
at Tolstoi's room / noted four or hyc
pencils hanging from a string at the
head Of the bed, and l sske dwhat they
might be for.
Ideas in Night.
% In the night, said Markovietsky.
'Tolstoi often awakens with Ideas and al
ways writes them down. He says Ideas
are like mountains with top and he
means not TO miss the summit OF them
AT the. dinner call all the family
made change of clothing. which is 4
daily practice. but not a rigorous one. ]
imagine. for Markovietsky wore no era
vat and his boots were dirty. daugh-
garden came in with big basket full
Of those deicacies just before dinner
Toistoi was strict vegetarian.
n.r an am sorry ] cannot ask you to din
tations belong TO the wife.e He seated
-me In mis- own room, however. and while
there l noted thousands Of letters done
up In packages OF one hundred or So
as was later explained, are sent every
TWO months TO the museum at Moscow,
Tolstoi Enters.
While l was regarding these things
the door opened and tall man entered
From the white beard and hair and
The peasant dress of blue trousers Rus
sian shirt and great boots. knew at once
Ii was Tostol.
He shook my hands and sat down
opposite me, His eyes were such as one
out OF ten thousand men have-deep
green eyes. which penetrate one Ike the
Xeray.
He said. 'Yo,r are Hungarian. like
Hungarians My secretary is one. too
Where are you going?'
10 Japan 70 study art and to Amer