Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-04-05

lie Safety. | was foreigner. IL
was his duty to inspect my papers.
"Monsieur is English, | believe,
and from London p he queried.
"No. | am an American, from
New York.
$50 ! Does monsieur travel for
pleasure -
"Oh, no. am IN France 70 buy
chestnuts for the American army|
"Chestnuts for soldiers " he
queried. "That Is strange. Non
sieur speaks French q
"Sorry to say that my French is
a failure
"Ah, so. I will look at the
papers"
They were papers, as have said,
that no official would dare Qnes-
ton, and, after looking lem over
he bowed very low, aud inquired /:
"Will monsielr remain long in
( France p
"That will depend on the state
of the chestnut market" replied.
Daring the day 1 called upon
the secretary of legation for con.
sultation, aud when | told him OF
the spies, he said thatevery Amer
lean in the country was under sur
veillauce to Il greater or less de
gree. The war in the United States
was exciting the French people
and making them restless, and the
political police had been doubled
in number. Revolution was breed
ing, and Napoleon was determined
to apply the knife with a vigorous
hand. Suspects were arrested and
imprisoned in the most arbitrary
manner, and no one felt that he
could trust any one outside his own
family.
l was to 60 from Paris to Reims.
Spies had followed me every where
in Paris, and | planned to get out
of the city without being shadowed.
The clerk at the hotel Office hoped
/ I would give him a days notice Of
my intended departure. He want
ed to inform the spies, but | de-
termined to beat him. ate my
dinner as usual, went out for a
stroll, and when | returned / rush
ed for valice, already prepared,
demanded my bill on the instant,
and was out of the house in ten
minutes, pleading case Of lite or
death.
| went on foot for three squares,
engaged a cab TO take me to the
station from which | could start
fcr Versailles, and as soon as he
had put me down and departed i
walked away and engaged another
vehicle to convey me to the right
depot. We arrived ten minutes
before the departure Of tie tram,
and purchased my ticket and got
away with a rush. As came to
know subsequently, there was a
great row raised over my depart.
ure. Spies we're sent ont by the
dozen, kilograms despatched by
the score, and | arrived at Relms
TO end a crowd Of no less that SIX
officials awaiting 10 arrest me. 1t
was not exactly an arrest, either.
AS left the train al Official touch
ed me on the arm aud respectfully
said
"Nousieur ;he American will
accompany me ~
"It possible" replied, knowing
well what was coming.
"Then monsieur Will accompany
me IN my carriage TO make q call
at headquarters
Two carriages followed ours, ana
after drive of mile we drew up
( at the headquarters Of the Bureau
OF Public Safety in Reims. 1t was
"A mIsnomer. 1t should have been
called the Bureau Of Public Peril,
tor the arbitrary measures OF this
depSftuxnt were making fresh en-
emies every hour IN the day. The
chief was a very pOinpous and Dig
nifed man. lie received me po-
litely, but coldly, and the first
question asked was :
ais monsieur guilty OF some
crime that he leaves Paris sc
secretly -
81 left when | got ready, anC
after my own fashion. Here are
ny papers. Examine them and
satisfy Yourself
He looked them over. 40 OIL
cial in France dared dispute then
or put me under arrest after seeing
them.
"But why did monsieur claim t.
be an Englishman ?" he asked.
81 never did
$50. But you speak French
and yet you denied it,
81 never denied it,
"But you say you want chest
nuts for American soldiers. Wha
do they do with them 2"
"Make soup. of course
"Oh That is different l
must be good soup. Monsleu
asked why the French did no
make a republic"
"That was to please one Of you
political spies
"Spies : Have we spies "
thousands, sir. They are
, every station, IN every hotel ant
cafe, on the steamboats,, IN ID
omnibus. IN the theatcr and church