The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-09-23
A Siberian Landlord.

Sleeping in Steam Chest. An Indignant
Traveller Seeking Air.
Our first act was to forward our
passports to the chief of police to he
yisaed. This is an imperative duty
imposed upon all Siberian travellers
when they arrive in a place where
they intend to stop for more than a
few hours.
The passports are delivered to the
landlord of the hotel, or the house
holder upon whom you may be billet
ed, ia case hotel accommodations are
lacking, and is by him sent to the bu-
reau of the chief of police. When re-
turned with the proper visa, the land
lord is allowed to keep it until bis
guest has settled his account, and so
the possession of a passport is not only
a protection and permission for trav-
cling, but is a guarantee that the
holder of it has paid his bills as he
went along.
After this little preliminary had
been attended to, we were shown to a
room which was utterly guiltless of a
bed, and contained only couple of
sofas, dilaridated table and a mum
Der of rickety chairs. On the walls
several cheap prints of departed Rus
sian rulers and Russian saints were
hung, and in their midst picture OF
Washington, decidedly incongruous
association. The room was heated to
roasting temperature by huge
square furnace standing just outside
the door, and calculated to warm the
corridor and the half dozen rooms
opening into it. Means of ventilation
there were none, and the air was so
close and sitting as to be almost unen-
durable to US who had lived on the
pare, fresh, cold and wholesome air of
out doors fer so long time.
Wearied, however, with our long
ride, we threw ourselves down on the
sofas, first tumbling our furs, blankets
and other accoutrements into the cor
ner and dropped to sleep at once, /
did not sleep long, no viewer, out soon
awoke with sitting sensation across
my breast and racking headache
that threatened. thought, to split my
head quite open. Our furs and cloth
ing, wet through from our long ride,
had thawed out under the effect of the
heat and had been steaming and smok-
ing in such a way that almost turned
our room into g first-class vapor-bath.
We could scarcely see from one side of
the room to the other for the steam.
and when [ arose and endeavored to
grope my way to the door, [ was so
dizzy and weak that could scarcely
stand. Gvosdikoff was furious be-
cause we had been put into such quar-
tiers, and swore soundly that he would
have the head of the witch of a land
lord who had ventured thus to treat
It's. With voice that Numbered
through the whole mouse he. called for
the bell boy, if such we can call the
man of-all-work whose duty it was TO
wait upon the guests.
"AfaLtchik, 7adltchik" he shouted.
"Sey tchass (dlrectIy), was the re-
Spouse from below.
Directly in the dictionary of Rus
sian servant means any time within a
week, according to his convenience.
We waited and waited, and Gvosdi-
koff stormed and fUmed. Still no
naoLtchik. Again he was called in
more stentorian tones than before.
''Sey tchass seq tchdss," was again
the prompt response, but there was no
service following it.
Our misery became uncomfortable,
and the anger of Gvosdikoff, which
had all along been steadily rising, was
now at fever heat. With an oath he
seized one of the chairs and with ire
mendous force threw it at one of the
windows.
"I'H see if we can get any fresh air, f"
he exclaimed.
With crash that smashed the glass
into thousand fragments, broke the