Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-06
TAKING OUT PASSPORTS.
Where American Travellers Have Un
Gle Sans Seal Put on Them.

Gle sans seal fut on Vnem.
THE DOCUMENTS THAT PLACE A MAN uNpxa
THE STARS AND sTRIPEs-How THE PASSPORTS
ARE IssUED-PERsoNAL DESCRIPTIONS MADE
OUT BIT CLERK WITH AN OBSERVING EYE.
This is not paternal government. Uncle
Sam is merely an amiable, distant relative to the
| American citizen under all ordinary circum-
| stances. 1t is only when the American goes
abroad that the striped trousers and star-be-
spangled waistcoat seem the uniform Of fatherly
care. Through the State department q watchful
eye is kept on the citizens of this country who
choose to wander in the land Of strangers To
the man at home the State department seems a
useless and ornamental establishment of red
tape paper seals, exclusion, and secretiveness
Abroad the State department is the only branch
OF the government he has use for, unless it Is
the navy.
An American citizen, signed, sealed, and GER
tined to by the State department-that is,
furnished with an American passports not q
stranger in any land.
The passport is a sort Of accident insurance
poiicy, though the officials in that very dig
mined department might not like to look at il
In that light Pay fee of 81 and you are
gwen document which will command the
services OF the American minister or consul il
you are In distress in a foreign land. You may
travel through the greater part of Europe
very comfortably and never have occasion to
use TINS document; but if you do need it you
want 1t very badly. Again, there are some
places where you cannot 90 without il. Having
n, your loving country might even 90 to war to
defend you from insult and outrage It is O
Iormldaple protection on occasion.
FILLING OUT PASSPORTS.
ms the great season for passports The
clerks in the State department in charge of
that branch of the work are kept busy taking
Inscriptions OF portly papas, slender spinsters,
elderly mammas and young daughters, not to
mention young men with isping foreign ac-
cents, who come to have their citizenship certi-
fed to before going abroad. This business is
done IN large light room on the first floor of
the big granite building where Mr. Blaine for
initiates his vigorous foreign policy. A very
pohte gentleman asks you some pontedly per-
sohai questions. examines you critically, makes
pen picture OF your prominent points, takes
your dollar, and you are insured against diplo-
matte accidents. The applicant for PASSPORT
must nave some one to identify him. Then he
must answer as to his age, his place of birth,
and give a little of his pedigree, as we'll as de-
scribe his occupation. Then the passport man
writes down very careful description of the
applcant-his height, his weight whether fat
or lean, the color of his hair, the color of his
eyes, whether cross-eyed or straight, the style
OF beard the shape of face the length of nose.
and general description of that feature, shape
OF Iace, whether long or round, high cheek
bones or not stopped or straight and many
other little points besides that go to make up
individuality of appearance. All these things
nave to go into the passport papers.
SEEING ONES SELF WITH OTHERS EYES.
II one wants an utterly impartial opinion of
ones personal appearance it is necessary only
to get out passport and read the description.
The man engaged in this descriptive writing
has been at 1t for number of years and is
quite an expert. He is regarded also as a ply
slognomlst Of no mean ability, for his study Of
the human countenance has been prolonged
and critical There are difficulties in the work
but he Is most accurate portrayer of person.
alltles. 1t requires skill to give an accurate
and at the same time satisfactory description
OF lazy who Is not quite well satisfied as
she appears to be with what nature has done
for her In an architectural and artistic way.
Many women would prefer to run the risk of
being sent to Siberia or locked in Russian
dungeon rather than have it said in their pass
port that they were born fifty years ago, are
unmarried, angular, with high cheek bones
and sunken eyes, wear false teeth artificial
bangs. and are endowed with noses much out
OF the ordinary proportions. In cases where
this Is perfectly accurate description the pass
port man must exercise diplomacy. 1t might
not do to point out as distinguishing feature
narily large feet. for instance, or that she had
moustache on her upper lip.
THE HARDNESS OF A PASSPORT
man may imagine that a passport is I'm
necessary luggage, but he is spt to be corrected
Of this impression if he acts on it. There are
| countries, such as Russia, where he cannot go
without it. But where greater liberty is al
lowed travellers, and apparently there is no
need OF a passport. occasion may arise at any
moment when having one would save lots of
trouble. You might 60 to Ireland No one
would demand that you show your passport on
the border. But just suppose some patriot got
the notion that you were a British spy or an
emergency man." You might go hungry for
want of hospitality and walk many a mile
because conveyances did not happen to be for
hire when you wanted them. You might find
yourself the object OF boycott. Then it would
be that document proving you to be of that
nationality next beloved to Erin's Isle by the
sons of Erin would shed comfort about you
that can be appreciated only in distress
You might be anywhere most in Europe and
commit some slight offense that would throw
you into prison. You might hit man in the
| nose-a trifiing thing to do in this country, but
| one regarded with the utmost seriousness in
foreign countries. If you were an entire
stranger you would send for the American con-
sui. If you had passport it would be all
| right with you; but if Won had not-well your
position would be awkward to say the least.
You would find it not an easy thing to prove
yonr citizenship, and you might spend con-
siderable time in confinement There would
be case where you would want your State
department accident policy.
1t is easy enough to get passport, and they
are convenient when necessary. Formerly the
fee was IS, but the last Congress reduced this
to 81.
PREPARING FOR STATEHOOD.