Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-09
A DIPLOMATIC TRICK.
How Bismarck Insured the SAFE Pas-
snge of His Correspondence.


Stepping to the counter. Herr Won Bis
marck asked a grinning young shop boy.
in shirt sleeves, a blue linen apron, not OF
maiden freshness, and blessed with pair
of large, red, greasy paws, engaged in
weighing some Dutch cheese, to oblige him
with sheet of writing paper. some seal
ing wax. and pen TO direct letter, says
the Cornhill Magazine.
On the boy producing the needful with
the traditional What else, STRIP Bis
marck said, my hands are rather cold;
you had better do II for me-" and he
handed the boy a couple OF letters wrap
ped in the sheet OF blush paper forming
an envelope, for in those days made-up
envelopes were still unknown in Germany.
Evidently fiattered by the request of sncb
an imposing-looking client, for Herr Won
Bismarck's tall hat was almost touching
the ceiling of the squalid little shop, the
greasy-haired youth took the parcel, and,
having closed it skilfully with some brown
sealing wax and Endorsed 1t with the
initials of the firm, he returned 1t to its
owner to write the address.
Sorry my friend, to give you more
trouble" said the future Chancellor, in
his jovial way, but / can't manage to
write with my gloves on, so just address
ii for me-" and he handed him a PEN
cilled slip with the name of Herr Fritz
Piepenbrink. or some such name, oil ami
colonial warehOuseman, No. 900 Fried
richs strasse, Berlin.
THANK you, young man, that'll do capt.
tally" and paying for the paper, ETC.,
with a small tip to the oily boy with the
stereotyped grin, he pocketed his letter
and We left the place TO continue our
walk.
Il dare say you are wondering why l
treat my correspondents TO such greasy
evil-smelling missivesV and he showed
me the cheesy fngermarks of the boy on
both sides of the improvised envelope.
I'm tell you a secret, and teach you
useful lesson for futures times. You may
some day thank me for the hint" eX-
claimed Herr Won Bismarck, laughing
heartily. You know we are blessed here
in Frankfort. as throughout all South
Germany, with the Thurn and Taxis Pos
tai Administration, a mine Of wealth TO
that fortunate family, but the most
wretchedly managed concern under
the sun. As you may imagine, 1t is un-
der the thumb of Austria, hence slow,
and the triumph Of red tape, with pro-
nounced weakness FOR diving into other
peoples business and Swimming, Of course,
the correspondence Of all German and
foreign ENJOYS, accredited 10 the Diet,
with preference for mine, the eyer-sus-
pected Prussan culprit and traitor. They
have established a regular Black Cabinet
In the princely post-Oflice, where special
ly trained Imperial and Royal wiseacres
peruse our prose with critical eye. trJns-
hitting copies of extracts or all treason
able matter, or particularly interesting
reports, to the august BallplatZ, where
Gentand, and after him Klindworth, have
established q lynX-eyed system of polti-
cal espionage pOlitisches Schnuiiien) ex-
tending all over Europe, and comprising
go ipso all German courts and chancel-
leries. Not being particularly anxious
TO crafty the morbid curiosity of our
Austrian ally, I have thought IL advisa-
BILE to send important reports to the
Berlin Il. o., as well as all my letters
TO the King, TO Herr Won Manteufel, and
to my sister and some particular
friends, under cover TO some mercan-
tile firm In Berlin, changing frequently
and usually asking a counter jumper in
a cheesemonger's or oilmans shop TO adj
dress them for me-and you can easily
understand that the Imperial and Royal
sniffers CSchnufier) don't manage to guess
the correspondent of the Prussian repre-
sentative under greasy, Hl-smelling
cover, such as you have seen. II stands
TO reason that the smell OF cheese or
herring and the mercantile scribbling Of
a shop boy must deceive sharper men
than the Thurn and Taxis post officials,
and the specially delegated Austrian post
office clerks. The only precaution 1 have
to take is to go to different shops in quar-
ters Of the town where l am not known
and to vary the Berlin address from
time to time-thus I'm perfectly safe. lie
tour est joue. and / snap my fingers at
the BallplatZ. 1t is simple enough, as
you have seen, yet it wouldn't do to send
everything through that channel. as they
would otherwise get suspicious. so L treat
my Austrian friends at least once a week
to some Of my diplomatic prose-unim-
portant stuff, and occasionally something
l want them 70 know-or TO believe; and
he INDUCED in a boisterous laugh