RUSSIAN CAMP LIFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2068, 8 October 1885, Page 4

RUSSIAN CAMP LIFE.

An interesting article on Russian camp life is published by a military con espondent in the Cologne Gazette. In no European army, he says, is the training of the troops in camp dcv eloped to such an extent as in that of Russia. Every summer more than three-fourts of the Russian army aic ■tatumed in forty two cimps in various parts of the Empire. The training lastfor from three to four months, according to the climate, and extends to all arms of the service, terminating with the great manoeuvres in the autumn. Special camps are formed for the engineers, where officers and men of other corps aie often ti ained as sappers. The most important, though not the Urgent of the Russian camps, is that of Kmshoo Salo ; it is the camp of the Ini penal Guard, and is under tho immediate supervision of tho Emperor and the grand dukes. The foice as.sem bled at this camp consists of 57 battalions '>f infantry, C 7 squadrons of cavalry, and 120 guns, and compiises in all about 25,000 men. All the Litest inventions in tho art of war are tiled there, and from the Cadi's country houses in the Milage proceed tho orders which in the course of the yoar penetrate into .ill parts of the Empire where troops are stationed down to the frontiers of Afghanistan and China. The tents of the men are arranged by battalions, the companies being separated from each other by well-kept pathways. Each tent is placed on an embankment of earth 4ft. high, and holds from six to eight men. Tho men sleep on wooden boards placed on boxes, which contain their clothes, kc. The sergeant has a boaid to himself; the others sleep two together. The officers live in huts, opposite to the men. Each nnt has a httlo garden ; tho officers in command of a tegiment or battalion are allowed a whole hut to themselves, and those of a lower rank a fWed number of rooms, according to seniority. The dining-rooms for the men are airy and spacious, and tbe food is o\ccllent. Each meal is precede* by a hymn, sung by all present. The officers' club comprises a large dining-room, billiard-room, niiisicrooms, a library, a bowling ground, a croquet lawn, and a shooting gallery. There are also a hospital, a bath house, a field bakery, schools, and a soldiers' club. On the left wing of the camp are stationed the men of the Ist or Preobrajonski Regiment of the Foot Guaids. Tins is the olde«t regiment in the Russian army, and is composed of men selected for their size and strength. The commander of the regiment is the Emperor, and most of the Grand Dukes are on tho list of its officers, which comprises members of the oldest Ru§si»n families. After the formation of the regiment by Peter the Great it bec.imo the nucleus of the Russian artillery and navy, add its officers still have a boat with a special flag reserved for them in the fleet. Each of the regiments of the Guards has its characteristic type. The Preobrajenskis are distinguished by their size, the Semenoffskis by their good look-, tho nflemen by their being all of the same height, and the men of the Pavioff regiment by their all having snub noses. The latter also wear high grenadier caps, many of which still bear the marks of bullets fired at their wearers in recent campaigns. The best *hots in the Russian army are the men of the " Rifle Batallion of the Body Guard of the Imperial Family " and one of the Guards battallions if composed entirely of Fmlauders, commanded by officers of the Swedish nobility. Most of the nationalities of the Russian Empire, indeed are represented in the camp ; Cnm Tartars and Germans of the Baltic provinces stand side by side with the Russian dandy of St. Petersburg and the mrujik of Moscow. The officers of the Guards are selected from the "Pages' Corps," the principal military school of the Empire. One of the most distmguuhed of pupils of this school was Prince Krapotkm, the well-known Nihilist. His name was inscribed in letters of gold on the marble tablet where the names of tho most eminent members of the corps are recorded, but it has now been blotted out. In front of the camp is a huge plain used as an exercising ground, in the immediate vicinity of which is the village of Krasnoe Selo, where the Emperor and Empress occupy a country house charmingly situated in a park. The Empress takes great interest in the regiment of Chevalier Guards, of which she is the head, and she is very popular in the army generally. Although her gay and impulsive temperament often makes her overstep the forms of etiquette, she has hitherto escaped the scandal which attacks the highest personage at the Russian Court. She has been compared to Marie Antoinette, whom indeed she resembles in many respects ; but her reputation stands much higher than th.it of tho unfortunate Queen. The officers live very luxuriously, but drink little wine except once a week, when they are allowed to invite guests to their mess ; and gambling is strictly forbidden in their clubs.

Thk American Tinned Plate Associa tion has published a statement which shows that, if all the tin plate consumed in that country were manufactured there, it would pay.12,000,000 dollars for labour in the tin plate works alone, and would furnish a livelihood, directly or indirectly, to 300,000 people It would pay the interest on 30,000,000 dollars of capital to be invested in the construction of mills and machinery. It would stimulate railroad transportaticn and other interests, as in the maiui fact tire of the tin plate there would be used 8.">0,000 tons of iron ore, 300,000 tons of limestone, 1,500,000 tons of coal, 300,000 tons of pig iron, r>,000,000 bushels of charcoal, 5,000,000 pounds of lead, 23,000,000 pounds of tin, 10,000,000 pounds of tallow, 10,000.000 feet of lumber, and 30,000,000 pounds of sulphuric acid. In the face of such figures, we are compelled to admit that the tin plate industry is worth fostenng in the United States. •Sir Lvov Playfair has forcibly illustrated the a^ertion that England is far behind other nations in educational matters Speaking .it Bristol, he said that against the four teaching him \ersities and 5000 students of England, the Fatherland can show no tewer than twenty-one universities, with 24,000 •tudents and 1800 professors. As an instance of the zeal and munificence with which the German Co* eminent is evei ready to meet educational necessities, Sir Lyon Playfair mentioned the case of Strasbourg Univeisity, which, when the city poised out of the hands of the French, was in a sad condition of decay. While strengthening the physical fortifications of the town as a frontier stronghold, the conquerors did not lose sight of its intellectual requirements The university buildings were rebuilt at a cost of £700,000, and numerous laboratories for scientific research were provided at an additional cost of neaily £100,000. Even Scotland beats England altogether in the provisions for university education, for with less than one-sixth of the population of England she ha« as many teaching universities, and 500 more student*!. Thk writer of "Melbourne Gossip" in the Sydney Mail has the following intereating paragraph — " When Antonio asks the Venetian usurer : 'Is your gold and silver ewes and rams?' Shylock makes answer : ' I cannot tell ; I make it breed as fasr." And this must be the case with some of the Melbourne money-lenders ; one of whom, who is also of the Hebrew persuasion, was examined in the insol\ency court the other day in connection with certain pecuniary transactions he had had with a grazier of Narree Warren, to whom he had advanced £500. For this the witness, David Henry by name, admitted that he wai to recover £ 1 , 500, being at any rate 300 per cent. The man attempted to justify these exorbitant terms by stating that they covered the risk, as well as the bonus and interest. When ssked what special risk there was in this particular case, the money-lender was driven to acknowledge that he did not know of any. Harpagon and Sir Giles Overreach atill flourish in the midst of us, and the men pourtrayed by Moliere nnd Maisiuger have their little prototypes in this city, and cover their wives and daughters with diamonds paid for out of money wrung from necessitous borrowers of money at rates of interest which are simply appalling in their magnitude." You Cay Bp Happy if you will stop all your doctoring yourself and families with expemne doctors or cure-alls tint do only harm, and n;c Nature's simple remedies for all jour ailments, jou will be well and h<ippy find mvo great expense. The greatest remedy for this, the fjreat, wise, and food will tell you, i* Am Co's Hop Bitters.