The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-12-15

remarkable history. especially with
the surprising reign Of Peter the Great.
IGrosvenor shows that when Alexander
II freed the fifty million serfs OF Rus
STA he released from bondage popu-
llation equal to that of the twelve
leading states Of the United States.
and population more than twelve
times as great as was freed by Lin
coils emancipation proclamation not
very many months afterward. Alex
ander bought 35O,O0o,0OO acres OF
land for them. permitting them to buy
1t from the government on easy terms.
He thereby carried into effect the most
extensive piece of agrarian legislation
lin history.
Each village conducts its own in
Iternal affairs through town meetings
and not through elected or appointed
officials. Their lands are held on the
common ownership basis, and is APP
portioned out for cultivation from time
Ito time.
4 with the bulk OF its crops raised
by the peasantry, and for the most
part, employing most primitive means
|of farming, Russia is still able to pro-
duce very large proportion OF the
worlds food supply. In 1918 1t gave
to civilization nearly a fourth or irs
wheat. full fourth OF its oats, . third
of its barley and more than half Of It's
rye. That year Its wheat crop was
200. 100000 bushels greater than our
own, its oat crop equaled ours, its
barley crop was three times as great
as Ours, and its rye crop twenty-five
times as large rs ours.
Russia has more horses than any
other nation. with 100000 as com.
Ipared with our 50,000.O00; nearly as
many cattle. with $1,000, 600 40 com
pared with our Sc, 0O0, 900.
THE latest authoritative informa-
ton on Russian educational condI.
lions, that for 1908. shows that only
I211 out Of every thousand people in
the empire could read and write, and
there were two illiterate women for
4 every illiterate man. With our hun.
dred million population, in 1912 we
4 had an enrolment OF 19,21S.0O0 school
children. with her population Of 172,
loco, 600 Russia's total enrolment was
/ $40, 900, and % OF these were boys
for every 10 who were girls.
And yet the first woman civil en-
gineer in the world was Russian
and the educated woman OF Russia
enjoys freedom equal to that of her
kind in any other country in the world
They are even allowed to become pro
fessors in mems universities, and after
twenty years Of service are retired on
pensions, which continue during the
lives OF their husbands. II they are
married and are survived by the heads
iof their houses.
1.-THE Tsar Of Russia is wen paid
ruler. He receives the revenues from
the Russian crown lands. and their
area is equal to that OF one third OF
the United States. Several years age
the imperial treasurer is reported tc
. have advised the tsar: Your majesty
need have no fear OF ever coming te
feel the sting OF poverty. Financial
Ily you are solvency itself. With one
hand you could buy out the American
multi-millionaires, Morgan and Rookie
Teller, and still have enough left Il
talk business with Baron Rothschild.
It IL said that the tsar was displeaset
at the fiippancy OF the holder of hi:
purse string. Whether the story Il
apochrypal or not, II does not misrep
resent the tsars wealth.
II have seen the famous cathedralt
'of Europe-the noted structures o.
France, Germany, England, Italy ant
ITurkey-but was utterly unpreparet
for the spiendor and brilliancy OF st
Isaacs. at Petrograd, with its pillars
, 30 feet high Of lapis lazuli and NAL
achite, It's rails Of solid silver, contain
ing half ton Of this precious metal
and its icons Of pearls, studded with
. huge diamonds, sapphires, emeralds
! and rubies.
Ills religion Is very real to the
Russian, and his God Is really omnj
present to him; he sees His spirit
everywhere and everywhere acknowl
edges II with the sign OF the cross ant
the words oh Lord! have mercy Of