Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-08-13
The Provision
Dealer Of St.
Petersburg
BY IVAN vRoNsKY

| ed By the assassination of Alexander
H., czar of Russia. one Of the bes'
sovereigns who ever ruled over tha
empire. Proof that he was a man Of
advanced ideas Is to be found In the
| fact that he emancipated the serfs. ol
slaves. Furthermore. he was about t
| give his country a constitution. On &c
count of this intention 1t has beer
| claimed that he was assasslnated al
the instigation Of those nearest to him
| the bureuucrats, who were opposed t.
reforms. But later Developments hevs
| disproved this. More than thirty year.
have elapsed since his assassination
and the preliminary methods adopted
| to insure It have been brought out
The circumstances attending the act
Itself were apparent at the time.
On the day of his assassination the
car was returning to his palace afte'
visit Four revolutionists were sta
toned along the route on which he
was driven. each with bomb In hi!
armpit. AS the emperor passed the
first man the latter threw his bomb
| Attendants and horses Of the imperia
carriage were killed. but Alexander
was unhurt. He stepped out Of the
carriage. and another bomb fell Mt his
feet. shattering his legs. He was driv
en- to the palace In sleigh and died or
the way.
There Is a story underlying this as
sassination Indeed. the world is but
great story book containing myriads oi
stories. That leading up to Alexander
lis death has been told In various
forms. There IL no need to distort the
main Incidents In the following yer
sion they are given as they were after
the tragedy developed by the police:
On the street called Malaja Sadov
aga in St. Petersburg one morning g
shop that had been for some time va
cant was opened by u man whose sign
read "Peter Novgorod. Provision Deal
err" Other shopkeepers were inter
ested to know what plan the mar
would adopt to deprive them of theii
trade. for 1t would appear that what
he gained they would lose. So they
watched to see what customers would
60 into his shop.
Though Novgorod soon sprang into
fair business. his competitors found
that they lost nothing Of their own
Very few persons living In that 10
cality went into his store to trade
Those who did 80. or most OF them
were from other parts Of the city.
Old Ivan Balichin. who kept butch
er shop opposite Novgorod's place
when not working at his own business
was usually interested In Novgorod's
He noticed that the provision dealer
seemed to be selling great many
goods. but was seen to get them In only
small quantities One day when Ba
lichin was having dull trade and
| could devote himself to his neighbors
| affairs. instead of his own. he observed
| that so many customers emerged frou
the shop opposite that 1t seemed the
whole stock must have been bought on
| several times over Before closing tlmt
Balichin crossed the street. ostenSibly
| to chat with his neighbor. but reall!
for the purpose Of observation
Good evening. friend Novgorod." ht
said "How have you found trade to
dayY'
"Fair." replied the other. you kno"
I have but recently started"
"Yes, know that. and l DO moi
understand how you have so quickly
worked up 80 extensive trade"
"Well." replied Novgorod, my trade
comes largely from customers who have
dealt with me before. Besides. ir
order to do business am giving Ions
credits. | don't know how l shall come
out in the end. but hope for the best
"You will come out as any trades
man will come out who does business
In that way You will make lot OF
bad debts. How often do you find II
necessary to replenish your stock"
my stock! Oh. | am supplied BY 8
merchant who puts me to great
deal of trouble in that respect for
see. having no partner. l have no one
to do the buying for buying and sell
ing nre two different matters, so ge
everything through one man. Bu'
since he runs n shop himself he has M
time to attend to my affairs during
business hours The consequence II
that he sends me goods sometimes II
the early morning and sometimes al
night"
81 see." said Balichin II noticed to
Ilay that you sold great deal anc
must have had a plentiful supply OF
hand"
THAT Is because last night wai
routed out of bed at II o'clock to take
In two carloads of provisions"
At this juncture customer came II
and. seeing Ralichln talking with the
shopkeeper. offered to wait till he hae
been served. But Balichin said that hi
wns only gossiping and told the Gus
TONER to 20 ahead with his purchases
The latter asked to zee some butter
!rovgorod plunged a knife into firkir
and gave II to him to taste. The mar
made a WHY face.
"Is that the best butter you haver
he asked.
"Yes. Don't you like itT'
Like IT, It Ia nothing but oleomar
Earine from America. will 60 else
where for my butter-real. butter. moi
The Imitation" And he left the shop.
"If all your customers" said Ball
chin, "are ike that wonder your sale
are 80 large" :.
"Oh. we find persons sometimes fc
whom nothing Is good enough"
Balichin was bound to 60 on with tn
chatting till some one came In wh
would buy something. The next GU
toner who entered asked for eggs, bI
, insisted on breaking one that Wa
) offered to him to make sure that It We
Z fresh. and. though he found every ev
. dence that It was fresh, he held b
nose, saying that It must have Dee
laid the year before and went away.
Ba.ichin was eurprised to dnd tn,
every customer who came Into u
. shop while he was there complaine
! either Of the goods or Of the price, ar
D nil went out empty handed. Towal
the last Novgorod did his best to &c
to those who came In, but they wou
Q not listen to him.
"Weil," said Balichin, ut Is time