ESTABLISHED 1875. The Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu Journal. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, SEPT. 23, 1905. A SELF-MADE MAN.

Manawatu Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 496, 23 September 1905, Page 2

ESTABLISHED 1875. The Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu Journal. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, SEPT. 23, 1905. A SELF-MADE MAN.

Looking back through, a long vista of past years it is interesting to recall that, like most self-made men, M. Witte (who has been prominent of la;e by reason of his astute conduct of the peace negotiations on behalf of the Russians) had to wage a bitter war against fate befere he was able to attain the position of Russian Minister of Finance. Some forty-five years ago M. Witte was an obscure engineer, only too glad to find a temporary engagement as under-stationmaster at Kiaw during one of the employee's absence. He was then as he is now, a big burly man of a morose nature, which reflected itself in bis powerful though gloomy countenance. Poor and precarious though his position was, he ! had some years previous married a \ beautiiul young Jewess, and either I owing to the hostility against the Hebrew race-which is one of the most insuperable traits in the Russian character—or to the fact that M. Wifcte's taciturnity inspired fear among: his own townspeople, his house was universally avoided by the

inhabitants of Kiew. Fow cared to associate with the man who was destined a few years later to hold one of the proudest positions in- the Russian Government. No one felt this more than M. Witte himself; but true to his nature, he refused to solicit the friendship that was denied him, even by hi? inferiors. But his day was near. The RussoTurkish war broke out, and daily lonp; trams filled with soldiers destined for the front swept through Kiow station on their way south. One day M. Wifcte's foresight detected some slight mistake in one of the Government arrangements regarding the transport of soldiers to. the seat of war, and in order to prevent a catastrophe he took it upon himself to stop the train. Kiew looked on in horror. Exile was the penalty meted out to any man who dared, under tho circumstances, -to countermand bae of the Tsar's orders. And, mdeed, for some time it appeared that Kiow's prophesy would come true, for Witto was removed from his post; and thrown into prison^ where he lay for months before being brought to trial. But in the moan time tho Tsar had become interested in the audacious stationmaster ; and when at last he was brought to judgment,, instead of being sent to Siberia, ha was fully exonerated and given an important position in St. Petersburg. Then the uphill work commenced. Never Eausfierl with the honours rusted out to him, Witte strove to rise yet higher. He soon enjoyed the Emperor's complete confidence, and that alone was enough lo raise enemies all round him. On the ground that M. Witte's beautiful wifo is a Jewess, she has been excluded from the Court. Ilia only daughter, who is one of the beauties of the Russian capital, was married to Prince Nanshkin.