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THE RIVER PRESS. 7 OLD AND NEW RUSSIA. A Brief History of its Political and Social Growth, in Connection With the Rise of the Romanoffs. [Written for the RIVER PaEss.] NUMBER V. With the rise of Peter the Great Russia en tered a new era, which has been one of con solidation and national development, and left behind the era of anarchy and petty sover eignty, and, although an occasional court in trigue or attempt at insubordination occur red, they could not overthrow the central au thority, which with cruel might stamped out every effort and extended its iron authority and power. There were but two classes in Russia worthy of the name at this time, which were divided as noble and serf-a very small middle class of merchants and artisans existed, but exerted no perceptible in fluence. Agriculture was in a very rude con dition, and trade, which never had had much development, was all but annihilated during the three centuries of exhausting civil war which had desolated the country. All power was centered into the bands of the Czar, although he was nominally supported by a council consisting of a sort of senate,and an occasional council of representatives chos en by the people, but the services of either were not required, and they may be consider ed dead members of the Russian system. The growth of this empire is the history of a single family and that family is the Ro mancfff, and a great deal of sympathy has been wasted on a worthless nobility which this family has destroyed and overthrown by a series of arbitrary and heartless measures, which have really been exterminative in their results. But however severe and heartless this policy may appear to modern eyes, it has its justification in necessity and in its tendency to civilize, when a tendency to civ ilize could only be created by the iron will of autocracy. Even Ivan the Terrible did much to curb the turbulency of an arrogant nobility, and left it so powerless for harm that the subsequent reign of anarchy up to the accession of Peter was not suffi clent to reinstate them. During the years preceeding Peter to the time of Ivan the Great, another force was in process of formation, and which had gradu ally augmented until at the time of emanci pation it was the most potent social factor that affected the government, an element which has been the only one sufficiently or ganized and centralized to voice public sen timent in the empire, and which has fur nished the material, and with its magnificent organizition has shown the power to defy al the machinery of the government. It was with this that the discontent was manifested that led to the emancipation ukase, and open ly and secretly it has led in the only popular movement kuown in the empire. This or ganizttion is the Artel. The Artel is a kind of trades union, or guild, somewhat resembling in its formation those of mwdieval Europe. It is a natural outgrowth of the ifir, or agricultural com mune, noticed in a previous paper. Its mem bers are a part of the village polity in which they were born, and are subject to the will of the village elder, who can dispose of them at pleasure-(this authority extends even as far the army or to the government departments). These associations are represented only by the difference in the trade or calhng profess ed, and all have a sort of unity in tendency and organization. Individual action is al most impossible, and really is impossible among the Russian-born of the moujik or peasant class. All labor, whether skilled or unskilled, is furnished by these societies, and the wages are paid to the society and af terward dividt~d in common, on a pro rata agreed upon among themselves, and the so ciety is responsible not only for the proper performance of the labor contracted for, but for the honesty of the member, and his acts generally. This responsibility of the indi vidual to the governing powers, and his per fect subordination to them, is carried to the Mir where the party belongs;-and no mat ter whether he is in the employ of a banker, merchant, or contracted directly by the Artel, or in the government service, or in the army, he never loses his identity with his native village, nor his entire personal subjugation to its decrees. If a merchant wants a clerk, he reports to the Artet and he is furnished; if he wishes to build a house, he applies to the Artel and it is built; if he wishes to do any sort of work he must apply to the Arte2 as a body, and not to the individual member. If his employs is derelict in duty he reports to the Artel and the man is replaced or punished by the Artel, (if his offence is great he is re ported to the Al'r, which may pass any sen tence it pleases, and may send him to Sibe ria or the mines, and until a late day could even put him to death); if he steals money or valuables, the Artel is responsible and must replace them, and this makes each member of the organization a spy on his neighbor, because if the stolen property is not found, each member must .-l:, make up the amount stolen, and when this organization extends over nearly all the Sclavic elements of Rus sian population, except the f'olish, it may readily be seen that the personal power of the Czar rests upon no artificial foundation, but is a part of the very social life of the people. This entire lack of "individualism" in the Russian people is the key to the autocratic tendency of the government, and when un derstood renders plain the necessity for just the government that actually exists, and shows how natural the power of the czardom in such a social life--for in fact the czardom is the complement and rounding out of the Mir and the Artel in a national form, and without which the nation as a coherent form of government could not exist; and it also unlocks the mystery which exists in the Eu ropean and American mind (owing to the comparison to Western forms of social life), of a personal government at war with an ar istocracy; but this personal government is a creation of the masses and not of aristocra cy, which latter is always at war with the masses, and as we have shown, must be al ways at war with the czardom, which is an outgrowth of the people. The sentimental tirades against Russia, or at least against the absolutism of the Czar, and the clamoring so much indulged in by ig norant editors for a government like that of America of those of Western Europe, is the most oblvious nonsense, and what has been said above relative to the peculiar commun istic social and political system of Russia so clearly indicates the impossibility of such changes until the whole fabric shall have changed. The most that could be done in the way of change would be to substitute an elective instead of an hereditary ruler, or to confer the same authority on an elective council. But so far as changing the arbitra ry and powerful nature of the headship is concerned, it could not be done, for it would be arbitrary and powerful whatever its form. [To be continued.] QUIEN 8ABE. -A Paris manufacturer claims to have dis covered a process for substituting the leaves of the eucalyptus tree which in burning emits a delicious perfume, for tobacco leaves in making cigars. - The Well-known lemon verbena is syste matically gathered in Spain, where it is re garded as a fine stomachic and cordial, used in a form of a decoction. It is said tnat if it be used one may never suffer from flatulence, nervousness, diarrhcea or loss of appetite. -Dr. Carnelly, of Sheffeld, Eng., has ob tained ice at such extremely high tempera ture that it would burn the flesh to touch it. He has also frozen water in hot glass vessels and for a considerable time has maintained ice at such a temperature exceeding the boil ing point. -Aerial or wire railways are now being ex tensively used in some parts of the mining regions of the West, for the conveyance of minerals. The car consists of a kind of bas ket which is suspended by an iron crane on a pair of grooves that run on a stout wire sup ported at the end of the cross-arms of tele graph poles, and are made to travel by means of smaller wires attached to the baskets, and propelled by suitable motive power at each end of .he route or at suitable divisions thereof. -Among other good works of American missionaries in Japan is an effort to displace the cumbersome Chinese and Japanese letters in writing and printing, and already the American Bible society has printed at Yoko hams a new edition of the New Testament in Japanese, being set in Roman types, the same as our English. The work was translated by J. C. Hepburn, M]. D., L. L. D., one of the earliest Protestant missionaries in Japan. As the Chinese ideographic characters used in the various systems of writing in that country number into the thousands, there is certainly an imperative need of the reform. -A Leipsic Journal, which makes a special ty of matters relating to glass, gives a method which it asserts will prevent lamp chimneys from cracking. The treatment will not only render lamp chimneys, tumblers and like ar ticles more durable, but may be applied with advantage to crockery, stoneware, porcelain, etc. The chimneys, tumblers, etc., are put into a pot filled with cold water, to which some common table salt has been added. The water is well boiled over a fire, and then al lowed to cool slowly. When the articles are taken out and washed they will be found to resist, afterwards, any sudden changes of temperature. The process is simply one of annealing, and the slowerthe cooling part of it is conducted the more effective will be the work. -The molograph is an apparatus recent ly invented by M. Ronwlli, of Paris, which it is claimed, automatically and instantane ously inscribes in conventional characters which may be subsequently easily read and transcribed, the melodies that may occur to the mind of the musician at the very moment of inspiration. Electricity is one of the prominent agents in the construction of the machine, which registers the various tones of music thrown out by the instrument to which it attached, upon the principal of vibration, somewhat similar to the workings of the pho nonograph. The instrument is rather com plicated in its construction, and a satisfactory description of it would require more space than we can allow for that purpose. Almee's Parlslan Menagerle. Mile. Cico,. says a Paris paper, is the ow ner of a house situated in l'lle de Beaute, at Nogent-sur-Marne, Mile. Trochon, known on the stage as Mile. Aimee, rentedthis house for three years; but, having an engagement in America, she never even occupied it. She installed there a household which scandalized the whole neighborhood by irts tempestuous roysterings; but that was the least of the pro prietor's annoyances. Mile. Aimee sen to these uproarious housekeepers the most ex otic animals and iirds, which were familiar ly installed in the best rooms of the house. In the bed-chamber were clouds of cocka toos; and monkeys came of their own accord to open the door of the parlor to visitors. Mlle. Cico claims that her house ought to have been inhabited by lodgers of less sav age and more cleanly habits, and, therefore, claimed damages in the sum of 859 francs and 50 centimes. The court condemned Aimee to pay that Eum, in addition to the costs of suit. Her PnotograPh. A Boston drummer was the other day tak ing an order from a firm in Elizabeth, N. J., and when he left the store he left behind him a memorandum book, a lot of cards, and a photograph of a very good looking lady. In the course of an hour he returned with anx ious step and said: "Just my careless way. I left my book and a photograph here. It is the photograph of my sister who is dead, and I prize it very highly. Haven't seen it have you ?" "Yes," said the senior member of the firm; "I had it in my hand when Mr. - , who lives in the next town above, dropped in on an errand. He caught sight of the photo, and he jumped two feet high and swore like a trooper. He recognized it as the picture of his wife !" "No," gasped the drummer. "That's what he said. If you are his brother-in-law then his wife may be your sis ter. If you are not, and you can't make him believe that his wife and your sister are twins you'd better have your shooter ready." "Well, I never was worth a cent on argu ment, and I guess I'll catch the next train out. It's my sister, of course, but while I was convincing that old jealous-pated grand father of the fact I might lose a big sale down the road. Can't miss no sales these sharp times, you know. If I keep down this street will it bring me to the the depot ?" C. M. LANNING, -DEALER IN Watches, Clocks, Jewelry ST. JOHN STREET, Fort Benton, Montana. General Repairer of Watches, Clocks, Guns, Pistols, Sewing Machines, Etc. All kinds of work done in a workmanlike manner. ORDERS BY MAIL PROMiPTLY ATTENDED TO Metropolitan Billiard Hall HHELENA, MONTANA. MAX SKTOWEBTE, Proprietor. The above elegantly appointed resort is situated over Gans &, Klein s ore, corner Main and Broadway. Drop in and while away a pleasant hour at "the gentleman's game." AN ELEGANT CLUB ROOM Can also be found here. Benton and Martinsdale STAGE LINE. Carries the United States mail to all points on the Line. Passengers and express taken through to the SMITH RIVER andi the TELLOWSTONE Tri-Weekly Trips! Leaves Benton Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays-, at 7 o'clock and arrives on Tuesdays Thurs days and Saturdayse. The Only Route To the Jalith Basin & Ft. laainnis w, s. WE'I'ZEL, Benton Agent. JOHN ATCHISON, Agenf at Fort lla ginnis. SPENCER BIRO~, Agent at WVhite Snlphur Springs. R. H. CLENDENNIN, Agent at Mar tinsdale. Goo1 Accommodations for Travellers Along the entire line. W. A. OLDEN, MIANAG E R. W. C. JONES, Carpenter and Joiner GENERAL JOBBER. Saws Filed and Furniture Repairedc, Shop on Main Street, back oif T. C. Power & Bro.'s store, FT. BENTON,. - MO : NTANA 1881 1881. OPENING OF NAVIGATION. WILL RUN FOUR OF THE Finest and Fastest Boats on the River DURING THE SEASON, CARRYING UNITED STATES MAIL, And American, North Pacific and Benton Line Express -TO SFORT B ENTO0N, Leaving Bismarck Every Saturday Evening During Navigation. 0 Leaves St. Louis, Saturday, March 26th. o -- O --- Leaves Yankton, Saturday, April 2d. 0 Leaves Yankton, Saturday, April 9th. --0- Leaves Sioux City, Saturday, April 16th. -- O For Rates of Freight or Passage, apply to T. C, POWER & BRO., Fort Benton, M, T. T. C. POWER & CO,, Helena, M. T. A. I. HANNAFORD, N. P. R. R., St. Paul, YMinn. ,JOHN H. CHARLES, Sioux City, Iowa. I. P. BAKER, No. 308 North Commercial Street, St. Louis Order all Express from tohe East Via AtIEIfIlCAN AND NORQTHIER!N PACIFIC. Mark all goods Benton 4P9 Line' Care N. P. H. R. JNiO. T. MIURPHY. SAMUEL NEEL. W. W. L4INIRS. WMI. . TOBDD I URPHY, NEEL & CO. Wholesale and Retail Dealers in Groceries, Wines and Liquors, CIGARS AND TOBACCO, Cooldng and Hfeating Stoves, Sheep Tobacco, Wool Sacks and Wool Twzoine, Tents and Wagon Covers, Stockmen's, Miners', Freighters' and Farmers' Supplies. DRY GOODS, Boots, Shoes, Hats, Caps, Queens ware and Furniture. We keep large and complete lines g all the above mentioned goods, and all kinds of House Furnishing Goods, and Farmrs, Freighters, Miners and Families will do well to call and examine our go da and get our latest prices before laying in their, supplies. Do a general Storage and Commisssion business. Consignments solicited, and goods forwarded :promptly. Cortland Platfor: spring Wagons and Buggies, PORTER IRON ROOFING. STORAGE AND COMMISSION, Only Fire-P Storage Warhllins in Fort Benton, Robes, Skins and Furs Bougkt and Sold. UR Y, NEEL & C0. Cor. Front and Bents FO)RT:8STON, N. T..