The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-06-24
THE PASSPORT IN RUSSIA.
"a Document That Gives the Officials
Of the Government Chance to
Extort Money.

may be as to what takes place In Russia,
1T is, as rule, not very difficult to ex-
! cite his interest in the subject of pass
ports, says the Pail Mall Gazette. To
the Briton, accustomed to liberty from
childhood, there seems to be something
6incomprehensible in the importance
that is attached in the empire of the
@czar to the square bit of parchment with
out which it is impossible to enter or
leave that country, or even, one may add,
to get board or lodging. 1t is only, how
ever, after a residence of some length
lin Russia that the stranger attains to a
perfect knowledge of all that concerns
the passport; the experiences OF the
ordinary tourist are not of very varied
nature. Having only secured the pre-
cious document somewhere in England,
he will, if he is wise, have it close at
hand when he nears the Russian from
tier, for no sooner does the train come
to a standstill than door at the end OF
the corridor is flung open, and there APP
pear two dignified officials, each, of them
wearing long brown coat with red fac
ings, and sword. One of the officials,
lifting his hat. asks for the passport,
which is duly carried off and duly ex-
amined, while the traveller, under the
guidance of porter, is taken to large
whitewashed hall to have his luggage ex
amined in all its minutest details. After
a time he may be shuffled by some kind
hearted loafer into crowd in one cor
ner, where he hears his name called out,
and has the passport returned to him
a welcome. sign that the authorities be-
lieve him incapable of corrupting the
subjects of the czar, and are, therefore,
willing that he should proceed upon his
journey.
The next time the passport will be re-
quired is when he arrives at his desti-
nation. If he goes to hotel, the man
ager must send off the passport at once;
if to a private house, the dvornik, or
porter, who is in the pay of the police,
will take it to the proper place. After
q few days it will be restored to the
owner, the back scrawled all over with
writing in Russian characters, and be-
fore he leaves the town where he resides
it will again have to be sent to the po-
lice. But suppose the stranger has been
in Russia for more than six months
then there is fresh development There
is a knock at his door some morning
and majestic individual enters and,
seating himself before the pen and ink.
proceeds to a Viva-vOce examination:
What is your father?" What is your
age and religion?" and why are you
in Russian" These are few of the many
questions that are asked. But observe
He is looking at you minutely. Now he
notes down your height, the color of your
eyes and hair and other interesting par
ticulars. This done, he carries of your
passport, and tells you that, having
been in Russia for six months, you
ought to have applied for another one
II the authorities are not satisfied on
the frontier or elsewhere, they may re-
quest you to retire into "durance vile"
until they have made inquiries. No
doubt they are courteous, and will en-
deavor to soothe your ruffled feelings
with cigarettes and a tumbler of tea sea-
sOned with lemon, but in other respects
they are memorable. Thus, suppose
there is traveller of unimpeachable vir-
tue named Smith, who has black hair,
and the police are looking out for a
criminal named Smith of about the
same height and also with black hair,
it Is not at all improbable that the un-
Improbable Mr.. Smith will, at some
point or other. be unable to proceed on
his journey. There is no redress for the
delay, or even an apology. And, strange
as it may seem, even the Russian Off
Gals can make mistake and stick to it.
Not so long ago an English officer, whose
name shall be Jones, lost his passport in
Russia, and applied for another. The
+. new one arrived after the usual delay,
but unfortunately, the officer was de-
scribed in 1t as Miss JONES'" Anticipate
ing possible difficulties in the future. he
returned it, asking that the error might
be rectifled. But the passport was sent
back to him with curt note, intimating
that it was not likely that the official
who had filled it in had made any mis-
take in the particulars.
He Raised Chickens.
Some amusing incidents occur at the