The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-07-17
IN ST. PETERSBURG.
Strange SIGHTS and Scenes in the CAPITAL
Of the Gar.
The Custom-House and the Passport System
Big Russian Buildings and Rus
sian Streets.
Correspondence OF THE MORNING CALI.

am prisoner in the land of the Gar.
Not In jail, but in prison, nevertheless /
have seventh of the whole world as my
prison-yard, and tenth Of its inhabitants
as my companions. Every one of these one
hundred odd millions of prisoners has TO
give an account of himself. Every man in
Russia, whether born there or stranger,
must have passport. and if he goes from
one part of Russia to the other he cannot
stay in town over night without showing
his passport. He cannot leave the country
without his passport has been yised
by the authorities, and their permits
sion must be gotten for his departure.
All this looks very hard. 1t is In
reality very easy and l find it so far but
little trouble. The hotel authorities attend
TO everything. and few cents of a fee is
the only charge. ! entered Russia from
Germany. The ride from Berlin to St.
Petersburg takes thirty-six hours, and the
fTst-claSs fare is $50. | took sleeper and
found the roads good and the acc0mm oda-
tions fair. There was nothing of the fine
woods, the silver-plated vestibules and the
gorgeous fittings of our limited express
trains, but the cars were bOx-like af-
fairs divided up into pigeon-hOle COM
paTtments, entered from narrow
passageway that ran along the whole side
of the car. Each compartment had TWO
upper and two lower berths, and the lower
opposite mine was occupied by German
colonel who snored IN four Languages all
night long. The berths are about three fest
wide, and the pillow / had was little rnb-
Der bag filled with air from the garlic
tainted lungs Of the conductor. 1t had
White pillow case on IL, but its size made
me think of the cowboy who up0n going to
bed for the first night in q Western hotel
took out his revolver and began TO Gre at
the electric button.
When the waiter appeared he pointed to
the pillow and told him TO take that darued
little thing away, for he was afraid il
would get into his ears. The single towel
furnished me in the box-shaped washToOm
next morning was no bigger than the pill
low, and the looking -glass was of about the
size Of ScrlbDerS Magazine. | luckily had
some soap in my bag, or l would have had
TO wash without 1t, aud the sleepers here
provide no brushes or combs Of any kind.
The conductor acts as the porter and your
boots are not BACKED, though the man eX-
poets fee. as porters do. Tbs conductor
spoke English, French, Russian and Ger
man, and he was dressed IN more style than
one OF our army generals. Still, he accepted
the quarter | gave him with more bows and
thanks than | have ever gotten from a
negro on Pullman, and he carried my
baggage into the Custom-hOuse at WlIbal-
lin, Oh the Russian frontier.
Ii you are not suspicious character and
IL your passport Is all right you will have
no trouble in getting into Russia. Thanks
TO a note from the Russian Minister at Ber-
lin, my trunks were not opened at all, and
my passport WAS taken, carried away, reg
isleTed and brought back IN less than 10
minutes. / had TO show Ii again before |
could get out of the custOm-house, and when
/ arrived here the first thing | was asked for
81 the Hotel de Europe was my passport
II | change my hotel in st. Petersburg
II will have to be registered again, and
II 1 leave ST. Petersburg the hotel keeper
WEI ask me where l am going and the fact
will be announced TO the authorities. By
this means the Government knows Just
where every citizen and every traveller is at
any time, and If you wish to get the address
of any one Ia St Petersburg YOU can do Ii
for postage stamp. All that is necessary
Is to write out your inquiry on blank which
tle police have for the purpose ana drop il
"a the post. A few hours will bring an
enswer giving full information concerning
the whereabouts of the man. In this re-
spect the passport system has its advan-
tages. Such mysterious disappearanceS as
occur here are not unlraceable by the police.
and the Government is a great INTEL gence
bureau, which the people patronize quite
extensively,
The rule Of demanding a passport from
all who come into the country is imperative,
and il often works great hardships. poor
old German woman came up TO me in the
custom-hOuse at the frontier and asked me
In German if / could not help her. She had
CONS to Russia all the way from Hamburg
q full two days ride by fast eXpress-and
had bought her ticket TO Moscow, where
her children lived. She had failed to get a
passport. aud was here without money or
friends. She said she was Y years old,
and she looked it. The tears ran down
her withered cheeks as she told the story,
but could do nothing tor her but TO advise
her to telegraph her children TO come on
and help her. l am told here that but few
Americans have trouble at the custom
houses in Russia, and some are said to have
even gotten through without pass sports.
The officials, however, have "a pretty cool
/ ist of sus picious characters, and IL is said il
any one has ever had much to do with Rus
sian matters his name is on the list Such
q woman as Mrs. Creamer, the Polish
nihilist, would not have been allowed to
come into Russia even if she had been sent