The Adair County news., 1921-07-12
PRINCESSES AS
STENOGRApHERS
Russian CounteSSeS Also to Be
Found Holding Jobs as
TypiStS in Riga.
NOBILITY is DOWN and OUT
WeIi-Educated People, Unaccustomed
to Work, Now Anxious to Do Any
thing to Save Them From Star
vation-Property Gone.

Riga, Latvia.-It is nothing unusual
in Riga to have a Russian princess
as your stenographer. At least bust
ness man can acquire the service of
a countess in that capacity. Almost
every diplomatic or consular mission
in Riga has at least one princess or
countess working as typist.
If the supply of princesses and
countesses fail there remains a large
number Of other well-educated people,
most of them unaccustomed to work
but now anxious to do anything to
save them from starvation. Men who
have been general managers of big
Russian factories are now glad to
take any kind. of decent honorable en-
ployment to earn their living here.
Downfall Complete.
The condition Of these Russian ref,
ugees who have found shelter in the
infant Baltic states shows how COM
plete has been the financial downfall
# the Russian nobility. In Riga, Re
val and other Baltic towns princes.
'etAOAio anu NOuuIS
accustomed for decades in Russia to
lives of luxury, are living a hand-tO-
mouth existence. The possessions
which they once had and that escaped
confiscatiOn by the BOlsheviki clutter
up the shelves Of secondhand dealers
in these cities. Diamonds, other
Jewels, fine tapestries and the count
less costly knick-knacks Of a luxuri-
Gus civilization have been sold by
these refugees to get bread.
The correspondent was present a
few nights ago at an entertainment
for the benefit of these refugees-all
members of the old Russian nobility.
Some of the more fortunate had
saved their evening clothes. They
were in sharp contrast to those that
had not.
Here and there were men in coats
Of one color, trousers Of another and
AN shoes or high boots. They danced
with women as variOusly Gladstone
chic, in latest models, some in shirt
waists and skirts; still others In
frocks so obviously homemade or re-
made that the poorest shOpgirl in
New York would sniff at them.
Fat Bank Rolls.
The casual stranger dropping into
Riga or Reval for a day or two would
never find this poverty. Instead, he
would find cafes. open all night, where
foreigners. lucky because Of the low
rates of Latvian or Esthonian ex-
change, and local profiteers tossed fat
bank rolls of almost worthless rubles
or marks to walters who count only
in hundreds or thousands.
An American correspondent who ad-
vertised in a Riga newspaper for q
translator able to read, write and
speak fluently English, Russian and
German, and with some knowledge Of
Lettish, received 81 replies by mail
The corridor facing his room in the
hotel was filled with men and women
seeking to apply personally for the po-
sitiOn. Most of them were so we'll
educated that they could qualify not
only in the four languages mentioned
but in others as well. They were
either out Of work or receiving such
small pay in their present employ
ment that they were anxious to
change.
Among the applicants were a for
mer colonel in one of the most aristo-
cratic PetrOgrad guard regiments, a
dozen other former officers, two men
who had been managers of big Rus
sian factories, and many other we'll
educated people.