156 THE ST. PETERSBURG BUSINESS BECOMES INDEPENDENT. 



office into an independent branch-establishment under 

 the direction of my brother Charles, whom we at the 

 same time took as a partner into the head firm. 



We obtained a large building on the island of 

 Wasili-Ostrow, in which the large offices of the ad- 

 ministration of the remount were established, and at 

 the same time a work- shop was erected for the speedy 

 execution of all repairs. 



Charles took up his residence there towards the 

 end of 1855 after his marriage with the clever and 

 charming daughter of our previous representative in 

 St. Petersburg, the above-mentioned Mr. Kapherr. 



Like his father-in-law, Charles now became a 

 Finnish subject, in order to be able to become a 

 merchant of the first guild, and as such to have the 

 right of carrying on any kind of business in Russia. 



I must mention one other circumstance, which was 

 very important for our new St. Petersburg business 

 and rendered it particularly remunerative. Count Kleiri- 

 michel had in the beginning entrusted the watching of 



~ o o 



the telegraph lines to the contractors of the turnpike 

 roads, in consideration of a large payment reckoned 

 by the verst. The result however was that no, or 

 only a very lax, watch was kept. Accidental or in- 

 tentional injuries to the lines were generally discovered 

 only after the lapse of several days, and the repairing 

 usually took place only after a long time and often 

 so defectively, that a reliable service of the telegraphs 

 was never to be reckoned upon. At last the count 

 requested us to undertake also the watching of the 



