Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-12-28


Aetc., and ranged them on the bench or
shelf. the armed giant proceeded to lay
all the passports he had collected be-
fore the officials at the table. 1t was
an imposing scene; the varied and mot
ley crowd. the Russian porters in their
national dress and curious caps, the
Russian officials peering into the mani
fold passports OF the different nations
of Europe in solemn silence at the ia
BILE. the armed giant. grim and resolute.
looking at them with piercing eyes and
earnest cOuntenance. the Custom House
officials waiting orders TO begin their
work Of inspection.
AT length the order was given to
the Custom-House officers to proceed
with their work. There must have been
dozen of these present. and must
say they did their work with quiet
dignity and impartiality that were quite
noticeable 4I.rr -fM s.
One of the porters, seeing on nv
trunk rather large square placard OF
an American line OF steamers, with
colored flags and the names of various
ports. printed on it. was much i'm
pressed; he forthwith called the atten-
ton of one of the Custom House officers
TO it. They both examined it very
critically. and as far as could
Judge decided that was some
important parsonage; for, they opened
my trunk and shut it again without dis
turbing an, thing in it, returning my
small bunch of keys with most polite
inclination of the head. to which saluta-
ton cordially responded.
Presently another and rather officious
porter thrust his hand into my shawl
strap and pulled out .'Alurray's Guide to
Russia" holding it up triumphantly to
the inspecting officer. who very decided
ly babe him put it back again
At length one of the police officers
from the table rose and came up to me
with my passport and read aloud:
"Annah LeOwvin Ohvins?'
l bowed.
"Brishtish soobject?"
l bowed again. He then returned
me my passport Nth a long slip of pa
per- With this followed the porters
to the adjoining hall. guarded by an
iron grating or. gate, at each side OF
which stood two le-looking
armed Russian soldiers. I presented
the magic slip of paper. The iron
grating was withdrawn and at one step
/ crossed from Prussia to Russia.
On the following evening. | arrived at
the Hotel d. Angleterre. and was shown
up into small but neat room on
the third floor. | had begun TO
apply some soap and water to my face
and hands, when knock was heard at
my door, and before / had time to take
my face out of the basin OF water in
walked, to my utter establishment, \
police officer. With my face all covered
with soap and water dripping from it.
must have been an OBJ ,ect to behold,
However, / quietly told him in English
that was dressing. and that l could
permit no one, not even Russian po-
lice officer. to intrude upon me.
pointed to the door and the officer
retired. Struggling his shoulders and re-
peating the one English word he knew:
Passport, passport.
"You will have my passport in good
time" said I, and I shut my door and
went on with my dressing.
to dinner. l net the clerk and the po-
lice-oflicial. The former explained TO
me in broken English THAT now Rus
sian Government very strict" on which
| handed him my passport
afterwards learned that the Office
clerk had to make eight copies Of the
document, one for the hotel, one for the
post-oflice. two for the secret police.
two for the foreign office. and two for
the city police. | also noticed that a
good many ofiieial-looking people fire.
quented the hotel at lunch and dinner. |
and that everybody at the hotel had a
more or less constrained air whenever |
these personages appeared. Twas also |