Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-29

The stores employ many Chinese. they are ma.
Ionea all night by Chinese watchmen, and the
only domestic servants are Cinnamon or Ia
Ranese women. Many of the Chinese come in
the spring, when the harbor opens. and leave
gam mostly for Chefoo, in the late autumn,
wnen 1t closes. There has been some tan
aoout putting prohibitory tax upon Door John
Chinaman here too. but ii will come tn moth
ing; he Is indispensable.
SOCIETY AND SPORT.
Lie In this corner of Russian Tartary il
lively enough. especially in winter. Commu-
nication with the outside world is easy by mail
and telegraph. Letters come by sea Cyery few
go overland) from San Francisco in four weeks.
ana kilograms to European Russia are ridicu-
i1usly cheap During the summer there are
the constant festivities attending the arrival of
foreign men-of-war. All the Russian officers,
700, are fond of society, and there is a first
rate oand. In winter it is, of course dread
iuuy cold, and frozen stick Of milk is left at
me uoor IN the morning, and the beef is kept
fr one1 nm In q tub and cut out as wanted But
from christmas onwards for a couple Of months,
4 am told there is ceaseless round of social
gayety. Excellent pheasant and duck-shooting
Is 10 be had over the surrounding bays and
nils; large deer abound in an island days
SAIL to the south; while the famous thick-coated
northern tigers are TO be found by seeking. One
OF the traditions of Vladivostok and a true one,
TOO, tells how young fellow named Chud jakow
was out shooting one day when tiger met him.
he nred and killed it. Scarcely had it fallen,
however, when a second walked out of the
woods: He fired again, hitting this one, which
turned tail and disappeared. A moment later
tiger appeared again from the same place.
He fired for the third time, supposing this to
be the same animal, and wounded it slightly.
Before he could reload. however, it was upon
him and he was fighting it for his life. His
rifle was useless, and he had only long hunt
ing-knife. As he did not return at night his
father and friends organized a search-party,
and at last found him unconscious between the
paws of the dead tiger. A little way off lay
the body of the first, and Just inside the wood
they found the second, which had died of its
wounds. The days are gone by when the
houses at Vladivostok were barricaded against
the great cats, which used to come into the
back yards at night and revel in the family
slops put for them, and when men did not VEN
ture out after dark except five or six together,
all armed; but have seen one Of the tigers
thus shot by Chudjakow, and photograph Of
the young man himself and the three skins.
UNDER MILITARY RULE.
Everything in vladivostok is made subservi-
ent to military interests, and there is no pre-
tense to the contrary. The mayor is merely
the vehicle of the governors will The neigh
borhood Of every fortified point is strictly
guarded by sentries, whom no civilian ever
passes. The local weekly newspaper, the
Vladirostok with a circulation Of $50 copies, is
edited (excellently so far as geographical, eth
biological, and other non-contentious informa-
ton is concerned) by a member Of the staff
and the governor himself is the censor. In re-
turn for this, however, it receives an official
subsidy OF 2,000 roubles a year. The police
who know everything that passes and the
| movements of everyone, resident or stranger,
are of course the governors pawns, under the
command OF military officer. No foreign
consuls are allowed to reside at Vladivostok,
the only foreign representative being Mr.. Ter
ami, called the Japanese commissioner
Of trade or some such non-political title.
Most foreign newspapers and books are
| forbidden, as in Europesn Russia.
And inquisitiveness or gossip on the part of the
foreign population about local, naval or mill
tary affairs is sternly discouraged, and tres
passers against this unwritten law soon learn
very distinctly that they will be more comfort
| able if they obey it. The Russian officers that
met and talked with told me, of course, lust
as little as they liked, and the sources of infor-
nation were therefore distressingly conspicu-
Gus by their absence. was Immediately told
that could not not inspect the batteries or
Notifications from within-a permission I
should never have dreamed of asking, but sew
eral places where no Englishmen had ever
been before-the whole of the navy-yard and
| arsenal, for instance-were thrown open to me;
| the governor card took me almost everywhere;
had written permission to take photographs,
with certain specified exceptions-a permission
4 hScLy oraAcu ny och vi. was lnmtuldtely
introduced at the Naval club; and finally the
governors adjutant lent me his own boat. As
1 thus sped across the harbor of this Russian
| stronghold. in command of Russian officials
barge. pulled by six lusty Russian bluejackets,
and with Russian rear-admirars flag trailing
behind me, il struck me a decidedly unique
position for an English journalist, and as an
interesting commentary upon the suspicion
| and exclusiveness and unfriendliness that are
so freely attributed to the Russians by our own
i people and press
In my next letter / will try to answer the
| question, rs Russia impregnable on the Pa
cfie?' in the light OF the new and striking facts
have discovered. HENRY NORMAN.