Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1897-05-21
PUZZLED THE LINGUISTS.
No One Thought to Address Him I'm
EnRli1h.


ing, even though they put him in the
detention pen with lot of Slovaks and
a handful of Liverpool stowaways.
Schneider had arrived on the Males
tic, and he was sad. He really object
cd inwardly to the loss of his things,
because he said so afterward. But
That was all subsequent to the fun he
had had unwittingly with the immigra-
ton inspectors.
1t is wcll-known fact that these inn
migration people speak more languages
than you hear in two months on the en-
tire East side. Only once have they
been stumped, and that was when a
IIottentot Bushman came along with
n few labial gymnastics that set aguess-
ing. every man on the island.
While Schneider was moaning in the
Fl pen Chief Clerk Ledcrhilger came
along. CHANGING to observe the mel
ancholy appearance of the man, he
turned toward him. Now it happened
that Schneider, besides having sort
of Teutonic air, wore clothes of unmis-
taxable German origin. So naturally
Ledcrhilger addressed him in German.
Sind Sic Deutsch?' lie asked.
Schneider bumped up his shoulders,
spread out his palms and shook his
head.
Funny" murmured the clerk to him
self, ~ would have sworn to it, too"
And Schneider stood with q curious
look upon his face while the chief clerk
went after the French interpreter.
Presently Mr.. Lederhilger returned
with the French inspector. Calmly
and confidently the interpreter strobe
smiling toward Schneider and when in
range hurled out eXplosively:
"Etes-vous Francais?"
Again Schneider shrugged his shout
ders and nodded negatively.
well, WELL" said the chief clerk.
"Pll just get the Russian interpreter
now. He'll fetch him, surely"
So pretty soon the Russian inter-
prefer came along, easy and pop-sure of
getting Schneider down to a fine
point.
Just you watch" said he, "Ill get
him."
HI" said he, walking up to the
moody immigrant, "Zawarte Pa Rusku
hay. Redden Sic Yiddish?"
Schneider moved his seat hastily to
another part of the room, where he sat
violently shaking his head. It was
painfully evident that he didn't under
stand. 1t was also evident that he was
beginning to become alarmed. BY this
time oil the other interpreters had
heard something was up, so they came
streaming in by ones and twos and
squads, and up the stairs and through
the doorways, and one climbed over the
gate. And all the while Schneider's
alarm rose higher and he sat with q
look Of great apprehension upon his
face.
Just let me try him." said the Ital-
ian interpreter: "Hi-Sieta Italiano-
si2"
Schneider bobbed his head negatively
and protested with his hands. Then
they surprised him and shot off bomb
bardment Of polyglot questions calcu-
lated to confuse the senses of a polar
bear, which at best is always calculated
to keep cool.
"Habla suited EspanolP" cried the
Spanish interpreter.
"Konne tolla Svensk?" roared the
Scandinavian.
'Thiggin thu GaeldaedhP" piped a
man that had a smattering of Gaelic.
"Cmwvir fan ffacken?" was the taffy
OF the Welsh inspector.
"Che pau muvish po RuskiP" yelled
the Polish interpreter. "Che pau Pol
.ish?"
) by this time Schneider was backed up
against the wall with his hands out
stretched to ward Off the horde.
Maybe he's n Hottentot!" some one
rOared, and red-faced man leaned over
and screamed: Xxi bobbiri Walli? HI
hobbiri Walli?" But then some one
cried out in English: "That amt Hot
tentot, you mud-hen. That's Hindoo-
stanee!" Then Schneider began to
yell, too.
"Hay," he cried, what is this, any
way--a lunatic asylum or what?
Lemme out!"