The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1891-12-10
The Story of a Box.

George kenmsD, in the October u
tufY tells the story Of how BE- g4tLn
note books, letters and documents out oi
Russia, rs follows:
Upon the advice Of some Of my friends
in Miuusinsk, | dec ded 10 get rid Of a.
my note books, documents, letters from
political convicis, and other dangerou-
and discriminating papers, bY sending
them through the mails To friend in s..
Petersburg. To intrust such material 10
the Russian postal department seemed a
very hazardous thing To do, tui my friends
assured me that the postal authorities in
Minusinsk were honorable men. ghu
would not betrsy to he police the fact
That | had sent such a package, and there
was little probability OF It's being opened
Ut examined In St. Petersburg. They
thought that the danger Of losing my
notes and papers in the mails was no,
nearly 30 great as the danger Of having
Them taken from me as the result Of a
police search. The materisl in question
amounted in weight to about forty pounds
ut As Packages of all sizes are common
ly sent by mail In Russia, mere bulk In
ltsei was not suspicious circumstance.
mad box made by an eXlei Polish car
penter, took 1t TO my room "a night, put
into 1t the results of my whole Siberian
experimentation Of the dangerous pa
pers being already concealed in the coy.
ers Of books and the hollow sides Of
small DoXes-sewed 1t up carefully in
strong canvas, sealed it with more than
twenty seals, and addressed it to q friend
10 81. Petersburg, whose political trust.
"orthlness was beyond suspicion and
whose mail, | believed, would not be
| tatn rod until n
half an hour before the semi-weekly post
was to leave Minusinsk for St. Peters.
burg, | carried the box down into the
courtyard under the cover of an over
cont, put II into a sleigh, threw robe
over it, and went with il myself to the
post-ollce The oilic .als asked no ques-
tipns. but weighed the package, gave me
written receipt for it and tossed it care.
lessly upon a pile Of other mail matter
that clerk was putting into large leath.
er pouches. | gave one last look at il,
and left the post flee with heavy
heaft. From that time forward | was
never free from anxiety about It. Tha'
kaye contained all the results of my
Siberian work, aud its loss would he sim.
| ply irreparable. As week after week
passed, and | heard no hing abuu' it,
Was strongly tempted to telegraph my
friend ana lind out whether il had reach.
ed him; but | knew that such telegram
might Increase the risk, and | refralned.
We reached the Russian capital on the
10 of March, and as soon as | had left
| Mr. Frost at hotel with our baggage,
called droshky, drove to the house of
the friend to whom had sent my prec.
lous box OF note books and papers, and
with a last beating heart, rang the bell
aud gave the servant my card Before
my friend made his appearance | was in
perfect fever of excitement and auXcty
Suppose the box had been opened by the
poslulllce or box officials and its con
tents sen What should | have tC
snow for almost year of work aud suf
feringI How much could rem, mber OF
all that | had seen and heard: What
should do without the written record OF
names, dates, and all the multitudinOu>
and minute details that give verisimilitude
TO Il story;
| My friend entered the room with As
calm and unrLlll ID a countenance as if he
had never heard of buX of papers, and
my heart sank. | had half expected to
be able to see that box in has face.
canno' remember whether | expressed
any pleasure at meeting him. or msde any
inquiries with regard to his health For one
GREATNESS moment he was to NE merely
the possible custodian of beX. | think
he asked Inc when arrived, and remark
ed that he had some letters for me; but
all | am certain of is that, after slug.
Cling with myself for q moment, until
thought could speak without any mani
festatlun OF excitement. | inquired sim
ply, Did you receive a box from mt =
"a Box" he repeated inter- ogalivcly
Again my heart sank; evidently he had
not received it "Ob, SeS,' he COT .inued
IS II with "A Sudden II ssh of comprehen
sion, the big square box s-wci up in
canvas. Yes, that's here
| was told afterwards that there WAS nc
perceptble change in the gloomy Marcel
weather of st Petersburg at that moment,
but | am confident, nevertheless that a.
least four suns, of the largest size known
TO astronomy, Immediately began to shine
into my friends windows, and that
could hear robins and meadow larks sing
ing all up and down the Ncvsk Prospect
sent the precious notes and papers
out of the Empire by a special messenger
III order TO avoid the danger Of possible
search of my own baggage and four days
later Mr. Frost and | were in London.