THE ROTHSCHILDS OF RUSSIA.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2023, 18 August 1880, Page 4

THE ROTHSCHILDS OF RUSSIA.

The Demidoffs contrive to keep themselves hefore the public, as a family of its antecedents and resources easily can, if so minded. The later members seem to have a love of notoriety, a fondness for creating sensations, ■which belongs to many rioh Russians who have been ennobled. It is thought by a number of his acquaintances that Paul Demi, doff decided to sell all his art treasures in his Ban Donato villa, at Florence, in order to make himself talked himself. Indeed, it is hard to explain the sale on any other ground, for the wildest caprice seldom takes so serious a form, artistically and financially speaking. The history of the Demidoffs is singular and interesting. They are immensely rich, and occupy, as capitalists, much the same position in Bussia that the Bothschilds do in western Europe. The founder of the family, Nikita Demidoff, was a son of a serf at the time of Peter the Great, and quitted his birthplaoe in the Government of Toola to avoid bearing arms. He became a blacksmith and armorer, growing so famous in the latter capacity that lie acquired avast fortune. Peter having favored him greatly, he established, in 1699, for the Government, the first iron foundry in Siberia, at Neviansk, near the base of the Uial Mountains. This having served as a model for many other prosperous foundries in that region, the Ozar presented it to him with all its dependencies, and also conferred a title on him. Nikita'a son, Amefia, employed a number of Germans to explore the rich mines of copper, silver, and gold found in the valley of the Irtish and the upper stretches of the Obi river. In 1725 he erected, at tho foot of the Magnetio Mountains, a foundry named Nischneitagilsk, which is to-day the largest in Siberia. Bussia, sensible of the value of his labors to the country, bestowed on him the title of Counsellor of State. His son, Procope, founded at Mobcow a commercial school —whioh was afterwards removed to St. Petersburg—for the education of the sons of tradesmen. Paul, cousin of Procope, a man of great mind and energy, travelled widely in his youth, and devoted himself to the natural sciences. Ho gave the University of Moscow a museum of natural history, and founded (1803) the Demidoff Museum at Yaroslavi. A nephew of Procope, Count Nicholas, distinguished himself as an aide_ in the war against the Turks; afterwards married Countess Stroganoff, and became Privy Councillor and Imperial Chamberlain. He had a marked taste for art and scienoe, and conducted extensive mines with success. In 1812 ho raised a regiment and fought against the French. He was the father of Anatole, who died at Baden-Baden ten years ago, and the uncle, if we mistake not, of the proeent Paul, the Collector of San Donato. While* the Demidoffs have the Russian peculiarity we have mentioned, they have generally distinguished themselves in a substantial and creditable way. They have had brains, taste, and energy, as well as a passion for munificence and display, and have, first and

last, done a deal of good with their wealth. Pa«l Demidoff is reputed to be worth more than £10,000,000. That a family of opulent princes should spring from a poor sorf and blacksmith seems very unlike Russia as popularly apprehended. ____i_— In the province of Galicia, in Austria, there is a petroleum field some 400 miles lorg by 40 wide. The most westerly of the districts in work produces about 400 barrels of cil per day, the wells varying from 500 ft to 800 ft, and the oil being refined on ths spot. From February, 1878, to February of the present year, the numbers of marsupials destroyed in the Warwick (Queensland) district were 247,313 kangaroos, £8678 Is 9d ; 50,915 wallabies, £636 8s 9d; 4680 wallabies, unpaid ; total, 302,908 marsupials at a cost of £9314 10s 63.