The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-05-16

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MIcnGZAJ R0z4Nos1
BY IVAN NARooNY
In Philadelphia Public Ledger.
WAS as a measure Of safety for the
4" FN life of the dethroned czar and his fam
I'll Ia | lily that the Russian government au
LE1 thorities decided that the former ruler
KS HcI and his family be sent to TobOlsk, ST.
to&J 5X IBERIA. till the constituent assembly
eGAfsSI cOulG determine how best to solve the
problem of their future
kerensky was then premier, and 1t fell upon him
to deliver the fatefu decision as politely as possi-
Bile. He called personally at the palace Of Tsar-
skoe-Selo and gave twenty-four hours to the royal
exiles to pack their trunks and make themselves
ready for their journey. The turned white
and stammered in answer to Kerensky:
IF 1t Is Gods and the peoples will we shall
obey"
day thereafter the premier again called on
the ex-czar and informed him that the train which
was to take him and his family to Siberia was
ready. In four closed automobiles guarded by a
company Of Cossacks the royal exies left their
stately residence and drove to the galway station.
where they were met by Baron Fredericks the for
mer minister Of the court; General VOyiekoff, the
former commander Of the palace. and Countess
Naryshkn. the former lady In waiting to the car
ina. These were to follow their former masters to
Siberia.
The baggage consisted of fifteen trunks and a
few suitcases Or handbags. These were carried
into the car by the two loyal servants and the
family members themselves. A dead silence pre-
vailed on the platform when the once feared and
respected ruler walked to his Premier Keren-
sky held his arm Vice Premier Nekrassov accom-
panied the ex-czarina 1t was heavy and painful
moment n moment full of depressing thoughts.
Seldom, If ever, In history has there been a
more complete change In human fortunes than that
which Nicholas Romanoff has suddenly undergone.
From a household expenditure of $12 100000 year
ho has bppn n
From having twenty palaces at his command he
at first cut down to an eght-room fiat in an
old Siberian municipal building. From being the
most powerful autocrat of All the Russias he be-
came suddenly plain Mr.. Nicholas Alexandrovich
ROmanoh, Siberian exile.
have succeeded in receiving considerable de-
tails concerning the ex-cZars manner of life and
views ut Tobolsk 1t is only short while ago
that he was permitted to move from the small fiat
into the monastery Here he is occupying
small in the house of the archimandrite.
while the ex-czarina occupies another room In an
adjoining building Though apparently Free the
ex-czar and his family really exiles, guarded
carefully by the soldiers over whom he used to
possess n command of life and death.
In this dreary town of 45, 900 Inhabitants the
czar and his family have remained the chief OBJ
jects of interest. While special attention had
been paid by the guards to him and the exczarinn,
the daughters free to come and go as they
please, and from them the townspeople, have
learned great deal about the household and life
of their dethroned rulers.
The residence determined for the ex-czar con-
sisted of eight rooms of the second floor OF the
former governors house at Tobolsk. 1t Is rather
roomy house, built in the stately style Of Russian
institutions, of brick in white stucco with slop-
ing green roof. 1t is not situated In the aristo-
cratic quarter of the city, which lies on higher
ground on the farther side of the Tobol river The
lower floor was occupied by the guarding officers.
who had been specially selected on account OF
their loyalty to the revolutionary cause.
andt 10 former CZNrinQ occupied room
each and two rooms were put aside for the daugh-
ters and the son Alexis, the former heir apparent
There were a dining room. wide kitchen and
general sitting room and the rest Of the fiat was
given over to the servants The revolutionary gov
ernment allowed three servants. butler and two
maids. irf -...r. 10 ..-fH
Contrast these quarters with those the Roman
offs formerly enjoyed at Tsarskce Selc Peterhof,
ut the Winter and Anichkova palaces In Petrograd'
ut I;yadia in Gatchina and the twentyodd pal
aces they possessed. The Peterhof palace was so
large that person could lose himself In 1t. and
200 servants were employed solely to steer guests
through it, The Hall Of Mirrors In the Winter pal
at petroerad is 200 feet in length and is con-