New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-16
COURIERS.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THOSE WHO ARE
IN CHARGE OF ROYAL TRAVELS OR
OF CONFIDENTIAL GOVERN
MENT DISPATCHES

foature OF Old World travel that the ofilClal an
ncuncemcnt in the English and German papers
to the effect that Queen Victoria has placed the
services Of her Director Of Continenta! Travel,
MI. r. Dosse, at the disposal OF her grandson,
the Kaiser, during the latters pilgrimage to the
holy Land and tour in Egypt may render 1t
of interest to offer few notes not only describ-
Ing the duties of these functionaries, but like
wise explaining the distinction that exists be
tween ordinary couriers who are al the disposal
Of any one who chooses to hire them, royal and
imperial couriers such MI Dose the late
Mir Kanne and the late Court Counsellor, Won
klaudy. and finally State couriers who are
known on the Continent as courier De cab
met" who are intrustcd with the duties Of con-
Veying from one capital to another Government
dispatches Of too confidential q character TO be
Ccnflded 10 the mails.
Ordinary couriers essentially relic OF
those days when foreign travel was restricted
to the very rich, when the methods Of locomo-
ton were slow and difficult and when the
knowledge Of foreign languages was so limited
that an Englishman or an American who coud
converse fuently in French. German. ltahan or
Spanish looked upon by his countrymen
either with admiration as genius. or WIN sus-
picon as a freak. The amusing picture drawn
by writer's English wei a. American, o. the
amazement expressed 10y then e"untTymeh
when, on landing foi th' first iime N France,
they found even the little children II the
streets positively able to speak Frcnch. was by
means an exaggeratioD thirty OF fori! years
ago and the late Prince Bismarck himself has
placed on record thai al the tlmC of ms resi-
dence IN London som, twosCore years ago. NJ
learned 10 share the suspicion ana dlstrus! with
which the English regarded those OF thor lei
low countrymen such as FOR instance th' late
Ear Granville and the iat. Lore Ampthiu. who
rpok, the Gallo tongue with toe much IdIona'i'
perfection.
This being the ease. il only patUfal that
rich American and EngnsL people formerly traN-
cling Oh the Continent of Europe should re
uuirC the assistance q men who could not ONLY
serve as Interpreters. but who were likewise ac-
quaiuted with the mali;erS ana customs O. thc
various countries t. be VISITED iIno Who could
take charge IF The entire travelling aTranEt-
mcnis in return for ii pccuniay consideration.
II 10 the time % the Franco-Irussian War no
ono who wished 10 travel with any degree O?
comfort would have crcamt az starting for the
Continent without couril To-ddy. when not
cLIy most Wcli-cducatcG people possess al Least
sn,attcrine Of French ana German which j.
shared hy every wcll-condItIoncd valet oI lady >
my save III oascs a. Oriental travel wher. ii
takes VI the entire time ana attention OF al ox
Tori"nc,d dragoman e hccI track of thc thiev-
ine natives of high ana jow degree who are I'M
,elled not only by INCLINATION but also by tradi-
tion;,l usage. and even by creed &c fleece III
every able mann.r possibl. the "giaour, '
~ Nhite foreigner
HONESTY or Tue COCE!EES
4. a general rule these couricrs hav, been an
honest lot Of men-that is to say, honest accord
Ing to The peculiar ethics which prevail among
the higher grade Of domestic servants all the
world over That IL IL say. they consider IT a
point OF honor to shield as fo possible their
employers from what they regard az undue ex-
iurtion or swindling. ana they also very
keen 10 detect anything ~ The natur, 81 an over
charge But on The other hand II ~ well
known that they exact from each hotclkcepeI 70
whose establishment they bring their party d
percentage upon the lawful amount Of The bill
incurred. which percentage. although pad Ivy
the Eoniface III reality comes out Of the pocket
of the employer % the courier. In The same way
the courier cAacts commission from The rdii-
road and steamship companies over winch h'
carries his party. a wei as from the shop
keepers, the theatres and the livery stable keep
crs patronized 10y his employer IN one word
the courier gets ms percentage or every franc
that his party spends abroad while he IS IL Iis
service AND. besides this, as he Is deadhcaded
everywhere he is able 10 pocket the hotei and
transportation expenses with which he, never
tb,Iess duly charges bis patron. His regular
wages amount to about 500 a month. ana as
far as Saving trouble il concerned there IS nc
doubt that he is wei worth the money