Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-20

groves and gardens. And the little section
houses along the track between stations are
neatly kept and always have gardens at
tached. Occasionally the train passes a big
beet sugar factory or flour mill and Old
fashioned windu1ills with their long, ghast-
ly arms revolving lazily in the breeze add
a picturesaueness to the landscape.
At the Russian Border.
We came into Russia just about sunset,
but the twilight this month lasts until
morning. These are the longest days of the
year and we are so far north in latitude
that it is easy to read a newspaper In the
open air Is late as 1890 or IL o'clock In the
evening. 1t gives one curious and uneasy
feeling when bedtime comes, because II is
not customary to grown people to retire in
daylight. wonder what the chickens think
about It. and whether the ROSTERS are dis
organized as to Growing time. The Rus
slams call these 1.-The white nights" of the
year and make the most of them. because
when November comes and up until April
they have to light their candles at o clock
in the afternoon.
The Russian custom house is at Wirballen,
where everybody changes cars, because the
railways on either side of the border are
not of the same gauge, and the inspections
is very serious matter. Formerly ii was
much more serious than now, The regula
tons are the same, but their enforcement
has been somewhat relaxed the govern
ment grows more liberal and democratic.
l am told also that the customs officers and
the police are much more considerable to pas
sengers on the Nord express which carries
none but first-class fares, than with the or
binary trains which carry second. third and
even fourth class. The distinc ZION Is based
upon the theory that reyolutionists and ter
rorists do not travel in luxury.
An army of porters, great stalwart fell
lows with heavy boards, wearing long white
linen tunics belted with a broad strap and
high boots, with their trousers, as loose a s
those of a zouave, tucked In at the tops,
take everything out of the cars and carry
your bags and bundles into the customs
examination room, where they place them
In rows on benches. Formerly when have
been through here before passengers were
not allowed to assist at the examination.
They were conducted from the train like
dumb, driven cattle into waiting room,
giving up their passports at the entrance.
AS fast as the passports We're found salts
factory an inspector would come to the door,
call for the owner. go with him to the ex-
animation room and search In his trunks
and bags as he identified them, but last
night we followed close at the heels of the
porters and remained with out baggage
until 1t was examined In the most formal
manner The inspectors did not search any
thing.
Merely Cursory Examination.
The last time came all manuscripts and
books were seized as contraband. even re-
to evade them, sealed up all of my notes
and manuscripts in forrnidable-iooking Of
fetal envelopes which were addressed to
Mr.. Meyer, the American ambassador at
ST Petersburg, and intended to call down
the vengeance of Uncle Sam upon any one
who dared to tear them open. But all that
trouble and ingenuity was wasted. Two
big blue envelopes lay on the top of every
thing in a most tempting manner, but
neither the police nor the custom house in
spector deigned to touch them. They did
not even look at the addresses. so that all
those fine precautions were wasted
Nor did they even shin at our books. We
had q lot of novels hidden AWAY among our
clothing with great care for fear they would
be seized. Twenty years ago. when first
came to Russia, everything of that sort was
confscated: the police wouldn't let a print
ed line go into Russia; but nowadays You
can take In any books you like.
The train on the Russian side of the bor-
der was even more luxurious than that in
which we had been riding from Ostend.
The compartments we're larger and more
handsomely decorated. the beds were wider
and softer. and everything was as fne a.
II could possibly be- but the rata Of speed