The Oregon daily journal., November 22, 1908, Page 30, Image 30

-THE OREGON "SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING NOVEMBER 22.' 1908.
FORMER CONFIDANT
AloKsting Slavery, and
ST. PETERSBURG. Nov. 10 Full
an Russian history 1b of romance,
of drummer hoys who rise, at a
bourfl, to be rulprs of provinces
, - .- Prince: of cigarette
Vendor who die ministers; of cooks
j, i. aiiivusity professors,
'' Uili of gipsy phis who become queem.
th career of Alexis Lomoff impresses
even Russians with Its rapl, changr
nd Us sordid ending. First a humble
servant in the imperial palace, then a
favorite of the czar, Alexander II, now
a : beggar such is the life-story toll
to' the police who arrested him for ask
ing alms in tire streets of St. Peters
burg end what Is more found to In
true.
Alexis Lomoff began life in a char
acteristically miserable village where
Ihe inhabitant!? live on black bread for
one half of the year and on roots dur
ing the other. Being a handy sort of
bov, however, the administrator of tho
neighboring palace, which formed part
of the imperial domain, took him as a
servant. He rt-malned for some yean
there when at last the cxar, then Alex
ander II, visited it for shooting. Lbmoff
attracted his attention by his bright
i'VB and deft manner, and, when the
. visit was over he followed In his em
peror's suite to the capital.
For some time it seemed as though
th vcung peasant had been quite for
gotten bv his royal master, for he wan
aet to sweep and dust In some parts
of the palace that, -as far as any notice
lh empctor took of them, was as far
removed . from the imperial family as
Iomoff s native village. One day, how
ever, chance threw him Into the emper
or's way. He was walking down one of
the corridors when his foot slipped and
he would have fallen had not Lomoff,
who had been sent on a message from
one courtier to the other, deftly caught
his arm and prevented the fall, Alex
ander II, who happened to be alone,
looked keenly at him.
"Where have I seen thee before?" he
asked, for his memory for faces was
aald to be marvelous. "At X " was
the prompt reply. "Your Most Brilliant
and . Imperial Highness deigned to take
me Into your service,"
"Ana wny, wen, an i ru-vr ra in:
the emperor asked, probably again at
tracted by the bright young face and
readv answer. "Where do you serve?"
Tlie boy mentioned the. name of some
courtier and was told to leave him and
go Immediately to the Imperial apart
ments. This was not all. Alexanders per
sonal'valet. who had been under a cloud
for some time, was dismissed at once
and replaced by Alexis Lomoff. He
remained In this dangerous, though en
vied place for over 20 years," Such a
man's fortune Is made. Few who Imve
not ny connection with the czar's Im
perial palace, car. guess at the number
PROBLEMS OF TODAY AS
Multi-Millionaire Evidently Has Attempted in His Latest Book to Stem the Tide of Socialism Uses
A NDRKW CARNEGIE has written
another book.
aB it ti enuueu miumnu ui
el J Today," and deals with such
subjects as "Wealth," "Labor,"
and "Wages" problems for which Mr.
Carnegie long ago found a personal so
lution, but with which the majority of
big f ellow-cltlxens are ,tlll wrestling.
It is to be rgretted that Mr. Carne
" gle has treated these problems In a
broad, philosophic manner as afflic
tions of the body politic rather than as
afflictions of the body politics Incon
spicuous units. It Is in this latter light
that the units regard them Just as Mr.
Carnegie undoubtedly- once did. How
ever, scattered through the book are
a Jfew finger posts that point the way
to the eminence from which Mr. Carne
gie now showers libraries and advice.
It is evident that the book was writ
ten with the Intention of stemming the
tide - of Socialism, though the author
frankly admits the truth of the Social
ists' loudest complaint -the unequal
distribution of wealth. This Is from
the opening chapter of the book:
"The unequal distribution of wealth
lies at the foot of the present Socialis
tic activity. This Is no surprise to the
writer. It was bound to force Itself
to the front, because, exhibiting ex
tremes unknown before. It has become
one of the crying evils of our day."
The Demands of Socialism.
After reviewing the figures compiled
by Mr. Snowden in his "Socialists'
juuuisd, i.i. , , -r, ...... .. -
"Viewing Socialism upon its financial
, aide Its demands are Just.
"A heavy progressive tax upon wealth
at death of owner Is not only desirable.
It la strictly Just. So it Is Just to ex
empt from taxation the minimum
amount necessary to supply the physi
cal wants of men and their families,
Just as a minimum is exempt from In
rom tax In Britain, and the modest
homestead is from foreclosure under
mortgage In America. There Is, how
ever, nothing specially Socialistic in
this.' It is sound Adam Smith doctrine
that all should pay taxes only In pro
portion to their ability to do so, and
revolutionary Socialism Is successfully
to be combated only by promptly con
ceding the Just claims of moderate men.
"After making full allowance for dif
ferences In men, It still remains true
that contrasts in their wealth are in
finitely greater than those existing be
tween them In their different quallles,
aVtllitt Hiir1tnn nnd. pvrftnt The su
preme few, their contributions to the
world's work. It should be remembered
always that wealth is not chiefly the
product or me inaivio.ua! unoer present
conditions, but largely the Joint product
of the community.
LOST AND WON
By Julia Munro.
A SHRILL blast from the whistle
and a cry. The thresher stopped
and the workers rushed to his
side. With the greatest diffi-
culty they succeeded in getting
him, their master, Chaguy, out of the
steel claws of the machine. The wound
ed man groaned for a moment then he
.wore like a trooper. His right arm
"was one bloody pulp from wrist to
shoulder.
He was carried to the house and as
the men were carrying him across the
yard the servant girl. Jennnine, ap
peared In" the door. She hail been scared
by the sudden stopping of the thresher.
"What is the matter?"
"It Is the master who got his arm
crushed In the thresher."
Sh looked at the bloody stump am!
bcKan to sob aloud. .
"It eeems to hurt you a lot more than
It hurt me," the wounded man said
jihlegmatlcally.
Tbey. wanted to put him to bed, but
he refused.-:. . ,
"Put me- in the armchair near tile
Me was plaeed In the large, clumsy,
uncomfortable armchair. Jeannlne
brought linen, rags and wanted to put a
bandage on. r, -
"That won't do any good. Jeannlne,
Just l eomethlng tightly around what
is left and then tell Jean to hitch up
and go for the doctor- Let him tell iha
doctor he must be- here before aupdown
and cut off ray arm. Patchwork won't
do here," i. ':' ; ,
Then he said to the others: "Now,
you Just go back to work. . It l no use
to stor evervthlng because I bays lost"
an arm. The thresher costs ;' enough -tuoppv
te.hlre anyway.'11 1 '
- When Aeanctne and the other had
sent-. Chnkuv began to think. He waa
a strong, ptfweiful man, who .cared
Was a Great Power in Russia; But Fell When the Czar Was Assassinated Strange Story of a Servant Who Became Valet to an Emperor and Then an Advisor
gaJP pmmbS DAUGHTER OF ALEXIS lomoff
ALEXANDER
of supplicants who present themselves
to his peisonal valet and pay large
sums of money to have a petition given
to the imperial hands. Alexis Lomoff
did not waste his opportunities
The
cxar, always inclined to talk
to him,
soon made him his confidant,
L.omoff
knew what was going to happen in the
Imperial offices before the ministers
themselves; the 1 consequence was that
they bowed low before him and paid
him well in order to learn who was to
be in favor and who out. warned be
forehand, manv hleh officials had time
to save their offices or at least put by
a fortune before their fall. Little by
"Now, who or what made this dif
ference In wealth? Not labor, not skill.
No, nor superior ability, sagacity, nor
enterprise, nor greater public service.
The community created tho millionaire's
wealth. While he slept It grew as fast
as when he was awake."
Mr. Carnegie uses as Illustrations one
of the old burghers of New Amsterdam
whose children see the ancestral cab
bage patches , turned into valuable city
loti" by the growth of the community.
"When these children die, who have
neither toiled nor spun, what canon of
Justice, would be violated were the na
tion to step In and say that, since The
aggregation Nof their fellow-men called
the commouhlty' created the decedents'
wealth. It is entitled to a large portion
of It as they pass away? The com
munity has refrained from exacting any
part during their lives. The helrsjjiave
been allowed to enjoy It till, because al
though in thetr case the wealth was a
purely communal growth, yet In other
cases, wealth often comes largely from
individual effort and ability, and hence
it is better for the community to allow
such ability to remain in charge of
fortune-making, because most likely to
succeeed, and In so doing develop our
country's resources.
"It would be unwise to interfere with
the working bees; better allow them to
continue gathering honey during their
lives. When ttiey die, the nation should
have a large portion of the honey re
maining in the hives; it Is immaterial
at what date collection is made, so that
It comes to the national treasury at
last."
Mr. Carnegie concludes that so far
as the financial welfare of the work
man Is concerned, there Is no choice
between state and individual control of
wealth:
"When the Socialist speaks of all
wealth going back to the state, he pro
claims no great change in its mission
The state, polo owner, would use 1t
Just as the owners now use all but a
fraction of It: that Is. invest It in some
of the multiform ways leading to the
reward of labor.
t
The State Versus the Individual.
"It is simply a question whether
state as against individual control of
wealth would prove more productive,
which, Judging from experience of state
and individual management so far as
yet tested, may gravely h! doubted.
It could not make much difference to
the ', workers whether the title to the
wealth rested in the state or In indi
viduals if the state decided, ns Individ
uals now do. t" recompense labor ac
cording to value as determined by de
mand the fairest standard. All would
remain verv much as now; one would
still cet five talents, one ten, and a
few would get very many talents, and
Individualism would reipn.
"The bridge has yet to be found that
spans the gulf between equal and tin-
nothing for the jain. The accident was
unfortunate, but the results still more
serious. Hy working from dawn to
.dark he had- been able to do without a
hired hand except during the harvest
time, even though he had 100 acres.
The two mares that were new resting
in the stable had been as tireless as he.
but In tl-e future he would not be aide
to plow. He would have to get a hired
man and thai would cent him at least
&00 francs a year. How was he to
make !hatvmoney"
When he reached this point he was
filled with remorsn for not liaxing kept
a promise given to a dying person It
was his wffe who would not die until
she was satisfied she had arranged
everything so that her death would
mean the smallest possible less. 1 'tir
ing her long illness this thought had
worried her. Her fear did not arise
from the thought that the heritage
should be scattered, for she had no chil
dren, but from love of the soli to which
the had devoted the work of her life.
At last sh- had found a way out anil
said to her husband: "Chaguy. I have
thought it all over. Vou' are only fl'i
and not fit to remain a widower, first
because you are too young and next be
cause a farm without a housewife doe
not amount to anything. Vou nuiKt
marry Jeannine. She has been with us
for 10 years and never given any cause
for complaint. She is young and strong
and willing and that makes up fur the
fact that she can bring no dowry.
Promise me to marry her and I can die
In peace."
Chaguy had promised, but ho had al
ways put off the matter. Not that he
was blind to her robust" beauty o-r her
quick hands, but he was always think
ing of what improvements he could
make If he were to marry a widow or
frlrl with money. And thus three years
lad fiassed and he was still a widower.
- His blood wsfs boiling now when he
thought of himself with one arm. fit
dm)' to weed t'n nips. Who would man y
Mm now?- Nobodv not even Jennnine.
lie would.' have to have a stranger
II
little, by dint of tact and sound com
mon serisr. he began to give his master
advice. i
It was Alexander II who freed the
serfs and abolished slavery. Though he
had first formed the project and would
probably nave earned u out in any
case, many of his ministers nissuauea
him and the ukase lay awaiting his
signature for a lone time. It is said
that Alexis Lomoff himself a peasant
and, therefore, a serf did much to has
ten the completion of this plan, not
onlv bv advocating It. hut by stories of
the wav in which serfs were treated,
the starved condition so many of them
EXTRACTS FROM MR. CARNEGIE'S NEW BOOK
"Millionaires who laugh are
rare."
" 'Rest and be 'thankful' is for
another existence."
"How did I get my first $1,000?
By saving it."
"To keep a fortune is scarcely
less difficult than to acquire it."
"We may safely trust those who
have not made the money to prove
adepts in squandering it."
"It is a low and vulgar ambi
tion to amass money, which should
always be the slave, never the
master, of a man."
"Only by the manual workinj?
man and poorer classes is money
regarded as the great idol of our
age, before which .all fall pros
trate." equal compensation for varied service;
yet, until this be found we believe It
to be non-existent and impossible to
devisee-there can be no communism,
nor indeed any milder form of Social
ism ,to which serious objection need be
made by earnest Improvers of present
conditions, since the absorption of
'private property' and 'equal compensa
tion,' the two pillars of revolutionary
Socialism, are inevitably relegated to
tho distant future until a practicable
mode of obtaining and managing them
be found."
By many readers the last chapter in
Mr. Carnegio's book will undoubtedly
be regarded as a guide it is too discur
sive to be labeled a fingerpost to the
Ironmaster's golden eminence. Here the
author descends from the airy stilts of
the philosophy of economies and relates
a chapter from his own life at a time
when -wealth" and "labor" were prob
lems still unsolved to his satisfac
tion. It Is entitled "My Experience
with Kail way Kates and Rebates."
This is a goodly portion of it, (the
simplified spelling Is Mr. Carnegie's:)
"I'pon the completion of the Krle,
New York Central. Baltimore & Ohio,
and the Pennsylvania systPtns between
the Atlantic seaboard and the great
west, a strong competition for thru
traffic at once began. At first it was
a scramble, and each road got what It
could, at the test rate It could, regard
less of everything. The position was
peculiar, ond Is so still, and must long
cultivate his farm. His income would
go down, the value of his farm would
deteriorate and his savings would dis
appear. That arm wns to cost him a
pile of money. if he had only kept
his promise then he would have had
Jeannlne, but of course she would
leave him now, too.
Jeannine entered:-
"The boy has gone,"
the doctor ought to
o'clock."
When she saw how
?dic said, "and
he here by 2
sad her .master
looked she continued softly: "Do not
worry too much' about It, master, per
haps the doctor .may be aBle to save
your arm."
He looked at her as she stood there,
tall and strong, her firm round arms
on her hips. Her face was full of pity,
but strong like tlst of a woman who
does not want to 'betray her feelings.
'haguy thought she had never looked
as beautiful as now.
"It is not Hie accident 1 am thinking
of." he said, "it Is what is to come. I
shall have to pa v at least 500 francs
lo a than to do things here anil within
10 miles I do not know of a single fel
low who catt plow a straight furrow.
.Damn the whole business."
"Is that all that worries you'"
"Yes. ttatun tv isn't that enough?"
"V"u must not talk like that, master."
" Whv not "
. "1 will show you why."
She left the room. ' .
lie turned a little In his chair, but
almost howled with pain. He looked
through the .window across the fields.
It would take may days to plough them
end here he was sitting doing noth
ing. Who was to plough the long fur
row across the fields and throw out the
seed for a new harvest?
Suddenly he heard a voice in the sta
ble It was Jeannine: "Hello Gray, get
up hbw come on now Charlotte?" '
What did that mean? Did Jeannine In
tend to plough'' That would never work
though she riad tried often enough ri
fun. Gathering all his strength,' he sue-'
ceejlod in rnl?ins himself and ap he
looked through the" "Wfncow. he saw
Jeannlne making the first furrow. He
was almost moved to tear as' be saw
OF CZAR ARRESTED
lived In, and their misery, filth and ig
norance. VV'hv did nobody tell me' this be
fore," the emperor once exclaimed when
Ivomoff had told him some details of
serf life.
"Because they are afraid to," was the
answer, "and the serfs are too far off,
though, they say that you and God are
their only friends."
And then Alexander turned to one of
his ministers saying, "I will be their
real friend! Nobody shall dissuade me
from delivering such unhappy subjects
from bondage
Alexander was "a man who. when he
gave, gave largely. Lomoff 1 received
manv magnificent presents from him.
which, together with the money given
bv those who wanted the emperor's fa
vor, soon mane lilm a rich man. his
apartments were as crowded with suit-
ors as a minister's snte-room. The
news of his Influence spread all over the
"The deplorable family quarrels
which so often -afflict the rich gen
erally have their rise in sordid dif
ferences about money."
"The never to be forgotten truth
is that large fortunes, so far as
their owners are Concerned, are as
useless as the Star or Garter are to
their possessors, and not so orna
mental." "The millionaire himself is prob
ably the least expensive bee in the
industrial hive, taking into account
the amount of honey he gathers
and what he consumes."
"A philanthropist generally
means a man with more money
than sense."
"Wealth is often, we may say
generally, accumulated in such
remain so. Eastbound tonnage from
Chicago. St. Liouis, and other points In
Ihe west to the Atlantic seaboard Is far
greater than that from the east to the:
west; hence long trains of empty
freight cars have to be hauled west
ward empty.
"These were the days when the
much-talked-of 'rebates' had their
origin. 'Gentlemen's agreement' rates
were charged, and the bills of lading
were fair and square On the surface,
but the understanding with the shipper
was that rebates would be allowed and
settled for at some future time.
"The sentiment aroused In Pittsburg
bepauso of these unequal rates became
dangerous The Pennsylvania Railroad
was regarded as a monopoly strangling
to local interests, and so It was. Re
monstrances were constantly made, but
without avail, until tho time came when
the railway company had a dispute
vrith Its men, which gwve occasion for
an outburst of the smolde'rlng bitter
ness Pittsburg felt. Grave riots took
place, and the spirit of hostility shown
by all classes to the great monopoly
brought from Philadelphia my former
chief, the vice-president, to Pittsburg.
At a conference with the manufactur
ers It was agreed by him that, no
matter what the thru rates Veil to.
the local traffic on their lines from
Pittsburg would be carried to Chicago
or Philadelphia and New York at a
small difference less than the thru
rate between the seaboard and Chicago
how well she did ltvand how splendid
she looked behind the plough with her
sleeves rolled up. -her hair blowing
about her head and her young firm
bosom heaving with excitement.
Chaguy stared at her as If bewitched,
then the tears came into his eyes as he
exclaimed In despair: "Oh, my God!"
When she came back near the house
Chaguy with an almost superhuman ef
fort raised the window and called out:
"Oh. Jeannlne!"
MYes, master! Don't I know how to
plow?"
"I can do It no better myself but, oh.
Jeannine. you are a splendid girl. What
a pity I have lost my arm or I should
ask you to be my wife."
She took hold of the plow handle,
looked at him and said In a voice that
trembled a little:
"Just as you want to. master, the
arm won't make no difference. You
know that my two arms are always
yours If you want to take them."
Oysters o Novelty.
"The oyster Is the keyto that para
dise called appetite."
That's what Professor John R. Phil
pots says, and he knows more about
oysters than all the shuckers from
Chesapeake bay to Cottilt.
Just. why. we think Of oysters as a
modern dainty It would be hard to tell,
but probably half of the frien and
women who scan the oyster section of
the bill of fare do cherish that delusion.
Nevertheless In Nero's time millions of
bushels of oysters were eaten annually
In Rome. '
But even Nero becomes sn object of
pity to the American when we'read that
the best of the oysters' he had to eat
were imported from Britain. Probably
the Roman emperors had the same de
lusion that we have. They doubtless
considered that In, brovlding an oyster
course , at ' their banquets they were
bringing their menu strictly up to dnte.
' They didn't know that In primeval
times the .oyster ehueker was an im
portant personage. -, -This .must have,
been so, for In the remains known as
kitchen middens in Denmark there are
empire, and s usual got very much ex- Imperial dressing room were unimpaired, the same man as Alexis, the czar a scrv-
aggerated. probably he did not tflng ready monev was never wanting. The ant and confidant.
about one tenth part of the i changes zenith of his career was reached when, "So you see," triumphantly remarked
that were put down to him by' success- a short time before his master's tragic Lomoff, whose spirits are by no means
ful officials, but when his Influence end. he married his daughter to a high damped. "It does a man good to be
failed his tact came In, and even today official of the court, giving her $60,000 taken to, orison some times. I have
he has' that gift of "blarney" which la' as a dowry. This lady still holds a good tft more In a few days by being tr
ail that remains of his, old life. position in St. Petersburg, though her rested than I gained during the past 18
Little bv little the wives and daugh- husband Is dead. years by trying to remind old 'friends
ters of high officials were to be, seen In Soon after her marriage the blow to of my existence. Now my future must
his apartments; his wife, a simple LomOffs career was dealt. Alexander be provided for!"
woman, had but little to say and played IL who had freed millions of subjects Some people raised a small subscrlp-
a very small part In these receptions, bv a stroke of his pen. was blown up tlon for the old man. so that for the
But Alexis gave good suppers ami gam- by a bo.mb thrown bv a man of the very present at any rate, he is saved from
bled high, so that little notice was taken class, he had so benefited a few years starvation. But he himself says he Is
of his wife's want of refinement. His
only child, a girl, was sent away to
school and finally to Paris. When she
came out her mother, retired Into ob
scurity, and was never seen. Cards and
parties became more frequent . than ever
at the Lomoffs, and he lost a good deal,
Hut this only made htm more popular,
and as his influence and favor In the
CARNEGIE SEES THEM
Old Illustrations to Enliven New Ideas What Made the Differences lV Wealth
manner as benefits the nation in
the process."
"Wealth confers no fame, al
though it may buy titles where
such prevail. Nor are the memo
ries of millionaires as a class fond
ly cherished."
"Without great and increasing
population, there would be ncj
great wealth. Where wealth ac
crues honorably, the people are. al
ways silent partners."
"It we were to divide the vast
army of workers of mature age
into two classes, the savers and the
spendthrifts, we should practically
separate the creditable from the
discreditable, the exemplary from
the pitiable, the sober from the in
temperate." and other points. That Is to say, Pitts
burg traffic would be charged only a
shade less for half the distance than
Philadelphia and Chicago thru traf
fic paid for double the distance. Rates
according to distance were denied.
With this the Pittsburg manufacturers
had to be Content. Matters went along
tolerably well until railway rates were
again thoroly demoralized by war be
tween the trunk linea. Our Carnegie
Steel company upon this occasion
had what it thought the certainty of a
contract of great value for material
with the Newport News Shipbuilding
company, freight from Pittsburg to
Newport News being much less than
from Chicago. The contract, however,
went to Chicago, and upon Investiga
tion we found that the rate given to
cur Chicago competitor to Newport
News was less than the Pennsylvania
railroad rate from Pittsburg, the dis
tance not one half so great. President
Ingalls of the Chespcake & Ohio, then
beginning his brilliant "career, had
made tho lower rate for his new line
rot yet embraced in the 'gentlemen's
agreement.' We investigated, and found
several rates of a similar nature pre
vailing to other points, and having a
list of these made, the writer carried it
to President Roberts of the Pennsyl
vania railroad, with a request that ho
place us upon his own line on pn equal
ity with manufacturers on other lines.
When the paper was presented to him
showing the overcharges we labored
thousands and thousands of oyster
shells bearing evidences of having been
artificially opened. Not onlv that, hut
Ir. Schliemann in his search for the
ancient city of Troy found oyster shells
In the ruins of the prehistoric settle
ments of Hissarlk.
A writer In the National Magaslne
says that the oyster Is valuable not so
much for Its nutritive qualities and
these must not be underestimated by
any means as for "Its peculiar condl
mentality and Its ready digestibility."
J or the invalid it Is especially valuable,
for It is the only known food that will
not at some time or another nauseate
the patient, being unquesttonabl v the
most easily digested of all animal foods.
Some redoubtable physicians, how
,ever, have maintained that the use ot
the oyster should never be permitted
any diabetic patient. The Lancet, the
most influential medical organ in Great
Britain, disagrees with this. It says:
"According to our analysis the amount
of liver sugar In the oyster was very
smaJl, and certainly considerable ' less
than half that found by previous ob
servers. We made a, number of experi
ments on this, point and in no Instance
did the amount of glycogen in the raw
oyster exceed 1 per cent.
"A further examination of the or
ganic portion of the oyster vevealed the
presence of glycero-phosphorlc com
pounds, which are now used In medicine
In the form of lecltllne and of the
glycerophosphates of the alkaline
metals for the purpose of Improving
the general nutrition of the nervous,
system. ,
"The results on the whole show that
although the actual amount of nutrlflve
material In a raw oyster Is small, yet
this material comprises all classes of
food substances, namely, protehU car
bohydrates, fat and certain mineral
salts. Moreover, the flesh of the oyster
undoubtedly contains these substances
In a .peculiarly assimilable form. i
"Apart from the extreme delicacy of
the oyster and from its peculiarly appe
tizing flavor there nre we think reasons
on purely dietic grounds why attention,
should continue to be given to the nil.
ti vat Ion of theovsier, which, as the
foregolng results indicate, Is an excel
lent article ot fooU.','
ALEIS LOMOFF
betora. Hts ravorite naturally lost the
chief source of his income with his
master's death. Alexander III, a stern,
morose man, declared that the terrible
assassination of his nredecessor was
due - to over-leniency. Lomoff, whose
advocacy for the ndohition of serfdom
was well known, fell from favor at once,
No post was offered to him about the
under, he pushed it aside, saying: "I
have enough business of my own' to
attend to; don't wish to have anything
in do with vours Andy.'
"I said: All right, Mr. Roberts;
when you wish to see me again, you
will ask an interview. Good morning.'
"The situation had become intoler
able, and we looked about for the best
means of protecting ourselves. A rail
road line of our own from Pittsburg to
the lakes would be an invaluable ac
quisition, rendering us independent of
any monopoly, and enabling us to
transport all our Ironstone traffio from
the lakes to Pittsburg, and our coal
and coke from Pittsburg to the lakes,
also giving us connection with the
other through lines. I purchased the
harbor at Conneaut and a few miles of
-railroad connected with It, and began
extending the line to Pittsburg.
"My partners had good reason to
dread the consequences of the reckless
challenge to the monster monopoly, and
I could not blame them; for it un
doubtedly had the power to cripple our
operations. An Intimation to the su
perintendent that the car supply for our
works or the movement of our traf
fic need not receive undue attention
would he serious. Indeed. As a precau
tion I took- good care that the authori
ties In Philadelphia were advised of
Ihe policy ' I had determine?! to pursue
if there was the slightest interruption
to pur business; nil our works would he
stopped, I would visit each In succes
sion, and inform the workmen why they
were idle: publish the monopoly rates;
explain -why Pittsburg needed our new
railroad: and ask them, and all the
workmen from other mills, to stand
with folded arms upon the streets over
which the Pennsylvania trains passed
for miles. In peaceful protest and as an
Intimation that Justice had better be
done to Pittsburg. No interference with
our operations came.
"It was not long before I received a
note ' from Vice-President Thompson,
saying that President Roberts and him
self would like an interview. I agreed
to call as I passed through Philadel
phia, and did so.
"What I needed for the interview ,
with myformer railway associates were
the secret rebate rates prevailing else
where. "Home time after that he was. of
course, admitted to partnership; that
Was the turning point in his career.
."Entering President Roberts' room.
I found him and my dear, friend, Frank
get her. My reception was cordial.
" 'What are you fighting the Penn
sylvania railroad for?' he asked. "You
were brought up In Its service. We
were boys together.'
" 'Well, Frank, I knew you would
ask me that question, and here Is the
answer.'
"I handed him the packet of secret
rates, and, begging to he excused for a
few minutes left the room' desirous of
giving them an opportunity of looking
FEAR OF "Ihe
By George L. Knapp.
IF you want to frighten people thor
oughly, frighten them half our of
their wits, one part mystery and
strangeness Is worth 20 parts of
dinger any day.
Old General Ward ell, the hero who
took his leprous wife from the hospital
and tried to smuggle her Into Mexico,
where the two might die together, was
balked of his noble purpose. He was
stopped In Arlsona, where he dled,a few
days ago. And now Mrs. Wardell,
who was insane as well as a leper, has
escaped. She is thought to have dis
guised herself with gloves and veil
and boarded a west bound train from
Tombstone, Aris., where she has been
confined. But there Is nothing certain
about it, and the whole region around
Tombstone Is living in hourly fear of
tue "mod lepr," whose mere appear
ance would probably cause a stam
pede. And yet Mrs. Wardell Is less daa
gerous than any consumptive who knows
or cares no better, than to spit on the
floor. Leprosy Is one of the least con
tagious of the geri'n diseases. Compared
to many diseases, leprosy hardly de
serves to be called contagious at all.
"In the laxaretto of Tracadlo," says Os
ier, "not one of the sisters who for more
than 40 years have so faithfully nursed
the lepers has contracted the disease."
Here and there,, it Is true, doctors and
nurses are attacked; but eases are very
Tare exceptions. The best opinion of to
day is that the germ of leprosy has
practically no power, on the tissues of
a healthy person; there must always,
first be some decided lowering of the
vital tone. And even then there must
be the clospst of contact. At ope time
It was thought that there waa some dl-
roet rnnhpwinn !totweti elHng; fl"h and
getting the leprosy; and certainly It
seems to prevail among fish-eating peo
ple,;. But this probably means no more.
Alexis Lomoff Persuaded Alex
ander II to Sitfa the- Decree
(nn t TJa mrm 1i,w,vap llnnrjlil in n
. tiro with the fortune he had amassed.
Only his nearest friends knew how small
that fortune had grown.' The change In
his position galled Lomoff. -
, "Waa I to sea rnen who had fawned
on me yesterday turn their back .to
day?" ha exclaimed, when telling his
story, "I knew that money would do
much, and determined to make it. I be
gan to gamble more than ever. For
some time luck was with me. My
daughter arranged parties for me, and I
still had a certain number of bouses
where I was received.".
But this did not last long-. The man
not only gambled, but drank. His for
tune dwindled awav till he was glad to
become a croupier in one of the Moscow
gambling, hells. Aa he grew older peo
ple would not employ him in the bigger
establishments, and hs went from one
den to another till the day came when
he found himself without employment.
"I went to my daughter.'' he ex
plained, his old voice trembling. "But
not only would she not see me, but de
clared her father was dead long ago. I
had nothing to do but beg. i have been
begging for yea-. I Km 70 years old
now, and sleep In a corner bv the stove
In a room Inhabltqed by 14 people, I,
Alexis Lomoff, who used to have a suite
. rooms ln the winter palace! I am
glad the police have arrested me at last,
for now my story will get known, ana
nerhaps they will force my cruel daugh
ter, whose career I made, to give me a
little warm soup and a few old cloth-
When the police heard the daughter's
name they refused to go to her, saying
that he could not be the father of so
fashionable a lady. But, aa luck would
have It, an old Inspector of the police,
who had heard her story, declared It
was true that she was a born Lomoff
and offered to go and see her. At first
she denied that her father was still
alive, but when he confronted her and
asked her several Questions the police
iiHiia i mi story was true.
Old people about the court, who remem
, be red the davs of AleianrfAr also
Clare Alexis Lomoff. dhe hfrnr in Ha
too Dig a gambler to keep the monev
for long. The only thing Is for his
daughter to allow him a pension, paid
weekly. Judging bv his appearance and
her weakness for th elegant nennla of
this world, she Is not likely to have
htm In her house. But influential people
are trying to persuade her to give him a
fixed sum of money.
it over together. I'pon my return they
were still sitting with the packet lying
before them
"Frank raised his head and ex
claimed: 'Andy, I feel like Rip Van
Winkle.'
'Frank, the Pennsylvania railroad
officials have slept Juat about as long."
" 'Well, tell us what you want.'
" 'I don't want anything. I did not
ask to see you. You asked to see me.'
" 'Don't talk that Way. What do
you want? We wish to make an ar
rangement satisfactory to you. We did
not know these things were going on.
We can hardly believe it. but we shall
now find out. Tell us what you think
we ought to do.'
Negotiating the Rebate.
"I said: 'Gentlemen, all we have
ever asked was that the rates charged
us shall be at. nil times ns low as those
which competitors on other lines are
paying on the name articles for similar
distances. We ask for nothing else.
Other lines are carrying freight for .mr
competitors cheaper than you are car
rying it for us. and you take part of
this freight at the cut rates. We can
not stand that. We have never asked
for lower rates thun our competitors,
but we shall never rest satisfied with
less.'
v " 'If you will stop building that line
from the lakes to your works, we will
do what you aRk.' was his response.
"'Gentlemen, that cannot le. I hav
agreed to build that line, and certain
partjes have taken action In conse
quence of mv promise. It has to be
built.'
"Repeated efforts were made to In
duce me to forego building, until finally
I said to President Roberts: "Vou have
Just given a rival concern about to
build works on your line in Pittsburg
an agreement to give them everything
you give us. We make no complaint;
but If 1 had come to you and asked you.
Mr. Roberts, to withdraw that agree
ment, and you had told me you were
pledged to give It, I should say ,no
more; I should expect you to keep your
word. If abandoning the new line Is
a condition of anything you will do for
us, we must part.' No more was g'Ul
upon that subject.
"Then came the extension of the lakn
line we had decided to build from .Pitts
burg to ottr coke ovens. They wished
that stopped, and as I wns not yet
pledged to build It, 1 said that was a
matter for negotiation. If they wished
to carry our coke over their line from
the ovens to our works at Pittsburg t
the name rate agreed upon with the new
proposed line fir that service, they could
have the contract. This they gladly ac
cepted. The result of the meeting was
that I got all I asked for, and greatly
obliged the Pennsylvania railroad bv
allowing ti.qtn to retain transportation."
UNKNOWN
' than that the disease chooses poorly
nourished persons for Its victims,
for the fish-eaers among whom leprosy
Is founds are usually deprived of meat
and of the beter grain foods as well.
Certainly theie Is no danger in the
ordinary contact of patient and nurse.
If the most ordinary precautions nro
taken. Yet the other day three states
were In convulsions of fright over the
escape of one poor leper, who later died
In a West Virginia hovel, neglected ami
alone; and now an Arizona community
is seeing things at night because another
wretched invalid Is at large. And in
both cases we will wager that there ar
hundreds of people who look upon spit
ting ordinances as unjustifiable restric
tions of personal liberty. Of such
strange Inconsistencies are we made.
He Misunderstood. '
"The simplest propositions," said
Senator Eeverldge In a recent afldress.
"must bo ,set out with the utmost care
In the wording, or misunderstanding,
dissent, even anger may result.
"Thus, as a train was moving forth
from a Cincinnati station, a man
stuck his he.ad far out of the window.
" 'Kep your head in there..' a station
attendant shouted In warning, 'or It
will be knocked off.'
" 'Knocked off!' shouted tbe pas
senger. 'Knocked off. eh? Well, It
wn't be knocked off by a'nybody the
sixe of you, . ym . bandy-legged
shrimp!'
A Wet State.
s From ,the Denver Post.
"I notice by the papers that It's rain
ing In Oregon," ssld a Denver lawyer to
a hotel elerk yesterday. "Would you
call that-' Republican ' or- Democratic
weather?"
"Neither, " .replied the hotel clerk.' "In
Oregon Itrams a gnod portion hf the
time. Wl.v. there s so tnnoh moisture
Viut there that moss grows an the um
brellas," Ncf V '".
A