The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-11
Passengers on the Siberia Sc
cretly Discover Her Birthday.
As a Matter of Fact Was Not
Even in That Month.
MUCH EMBARRASSED
Given Cake, Champagne and a
Concert at Night.
Editor Howe Preparing to Land
at Famous Old Hong Hong.

Sunday December 8.
In travelling on railroad train, you
know you are approaching a city when
houses become numerous. In travelling
at sea, you &now you are approaching
city when fishing boats become NUM-
erous. This morning, from one side Of
the ship, i counted more than hundred
fishing boats: we are approaching Hong
Kong: we will land there between four
and five o'clock this afternoon, the bar
Der says.
There is consequently a good deal of
activity on board; the passengers are
packing their baggage and exchanging
cards: many friendships have been
formed that will last a long time.
have become very fond of two elderly
gentlemen: Mr.. MunsOn and Mr.. Milli-
gan, Of New York. Their gentility ap-
peals to me, as does their fOndness for
each other. They seem to be old Globe
TrOtters. and having Travelled this way
before, know a good deal We have
met them at many places, and I shall
long remember them.
shall long remember a Mr.. Brown,
q paymasteT in the navy also Captain
Babb, of the marine service; also Cap
tain wise, of the same service. I shall
remember, also, a Mr.. MOntavon,
principal of schools in the Philippines,
and a man of very wide information.
Also the passenger who wants to know
how the Chinese in the interior learn
to swear, since only missionaries go
there. I do not know his name, but he
interests me, for every time I go on
deck, I hear him inquiring: How did
they learn it?''
seem to have known these people,
and others among the passengers, for
years, and viii send them Corn Carnival
souvenirs on my return home
The ladies on board think it great fun
to get me started talking about my
boys. have good boys; and have
good neighbOrs and friends at home
and I talk a great deal about them, too
One lady said to me, Il seem to know
Atchison as we'll as though I had lived
there" And I replied, well, it's a
good town, all right "
one night Mattel and I were sitting
ia a railroad car in Japan, waiting for
the train to start for Toxic. The car
was full of japanese; We were the only
whites in the train, so far as we knew.
How do we know we are going to
TOkio?" Mattel asked. THE brakemen
viii take care of uh' I replied. The
brakemen have ways of knowing where
travellers are going. When jay appears
at the railroad station at KyOtO, carry
ing a valise, the brakemen know he is
going to Kobe, because all the foreign
Jays who appear at a certain hour are
going to Kobe; they have been going
there for years-a perfect stream of
them Those who appear at another
hour are going to NiklSO, where there is
a famous temple. Therefore the brake
men have no trouble in dispOsing of
them.
Likewise. when a strange man, with a
long black beard appears at the union
depot In Atchison, the brakemen know
he is going to the Russian settlement
in Mcpherson county; if he is Dutch
man. they know he is going to Hanover;
If ne is Swede, they know he is going
out on the Central Branch; if he is an
italian, they know he is looking for A.
shall take good deal more interest in
depot: If there is a man in town who
can talk to them. I shall look him up.
If a japanese appears, I will try to
find cup of tea for him, and see that
&c is not ruined with cream and sugar.
If the traveller is a Russian, L viii try
and find Vodka for him.
The old bOatswain-be careful to
pronounce this word "bOsun of the
ship. is a great character. He has
been in the employ of the Pacific Mai
company thirty years and is known
as 1.-The Admiral" He has son on
board who is twenty-eight years old
The Admiral poses for pictures, at the
request OF the passengers, and talks q
little English; a Chinaman never
seems to learn much English. It was
the old admiral who, in my dream
took me home in row boat. when
was sick and miserable. and I will al