The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-11-04
GETTING our OF RUSSIA.

Upon the advice OF some OF my friends
in Minusinsk, decided to get rid of all
my note books, documents, letters from
political convicts and other dangerous
and discriminating papers, by sending
them through the mails to friend in
st. Petersburg. To intrust such ma
terial to the Russian postal department
seemed very hazardous thing to do,
but my friends assured me that the
postal authorities in Minusinsk were
honorable men who would not betray to
the police the fact that had sent such
package, and that there was little prob
ability of its being opened or examined
in St. Petersburg. They thought that
the danger of losing my notes and papers
in the mails was not nearly SO great as
the danger of having them taken from
me as the result of a police search.
The material in question amounted in
weight to about forty pounds, but as
packages of all sizes are commonly sent
by mail in Russia, mere bulk in itself
was not a suspicious circumstance. l
had box made by an exiled Polish car
penter, took it to my room at night, put
into it the results of my whole Siberian
xperience-most of the dangerous pa
pers being already concealed in the coy
ers of books and the hollow sides of
small boxes-sewed it up carefully in
strong canvas, sealed it with more than
twenty seals and addressed it to friend
i'll st. Petersburg, whose political trust
worthiness was beyond suspicion and
whose mail l believed would not be
tampered with.
Thursday morning, about half an hour
before the semi-weekly post was to leave
Minusinsk for st. Petersburg, carried
the box down into the courtyard under
the cover of an overcoat, put it into a
sleigh, threw a robe over it, and went
with it myself to the postofice. The
officials asked no questions, but weighed
the package, gave me written receipt
for it and tossed it carelessly upon pile
of other mail matter that clerk was
putting into large leather pouches. I
gave one last look at it, and left the
postoffice with heavy heart. From that
time forward was never free from anx-
iety about it. That package contained
all the results of my Siberian work, and
its loss would be simply irreparable. AS
week after week passed, and heard
nothing about it, I was strongly tempted
to telegraph my friend and find out
whether it had reached him, but knew
that such a telegram might increase
the risk, and refrained.
We reached the Russian capital on the
10Th of March, and as soon as had left
Mr.. Frost at a hotel with our baggage,
called droshky, drove to the house of
the friend to whom had sent my pre-
cious box of note books and papers, and,
with fast beating heart, rang the bell
and gave the servant my card. Before
my friend made his appearance was in
perfect fever of excitement and anx-
iety. Suppose the box had been opened
by the postofice or police officials and its
contents seized. What should have to
show for almost a year of work and
suffering? How much could remem-
ber of all that had seen and heard?
What should do without the written
record of names, dates, and all the null
titudinous and minute details that give
verisimilitude to story?
Ny friend entered the room with as
calm and unruffied a countenance as if
he had never heard of box of papers,
and my heart sank. had half expected
to be able TO see that box in his face. /
cannot remember whether 1 expressed
any pleasure at meeting him, or made
any inquiries with regard to his health.
For one breathless moment he was to me
merely the possible custodian of box.
l think he asked me when arrived, and
remarked that he had some letters for
me; but all l am certain of is that, after
struggling with myself for moment,
until 1 thought could speak without
any manifestation of excitement, l in
quired simply. did You receive box
from me?"
"A boxr' he repeated interrogatively.
Again my heart sunk; evidently he had
not received it. 'SOh, yes," he con-
tinued, as if with sudden flash of COM
prehension, 1.-THE big square box sewed
up in canvas. Yes; that's here
I was told afterward that there was
no perceptible change in the gloomy
March weather of st. Petersburg at that
moment, but l am confident, neyerthe-
less, that at least four suns, of the larg-
est size known to astronomy, began i'm
mediately to shine into my friends front
windows, and that could hear robins
and meadow larks singing all up and
down the Nevsk prospect.
sent the precious notes and papers
ont of the empire by special messen-
ger, in order to avoid the danger of a
possible search of my own baggage at
the frontier, and four days later Mr..
Frost and L were in London.-George
Kennan in Century.
How Kaffirs Smoke Cigars.