New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-01

more satisfactory and, tired Of his opportunities and
sarcasms the Consul obliged % tell him he could DO
no more and had many other duties 10 meet ms
American threatened % bring personal suit against the
Consul for the loss of his trunks Moreover ne wrote
g. the State Department $50 have heard, ana 1t cost
the department twenty-five or thirty letters, 10 say
nothing Of time and hard feeling finally To itself
that the complaint unjust.
There are probably thousand cases Of complaint
made 20 the State Department annually that nave no
more ground, and issue from unsopmsucatcd travellers
who are ignorant Of why Consul IS sent 10 any speG
fc place regard him as useless and ovcrpaid II he can
not satisfy them individually and return home to roast
the service.
once when | was sitting in the Consulate at Buk-
~ harcst, Rumanla man came IN VINO wanted the
Consul to nav his fare back 10 America the ground
that he was an American sailor who had lett his snip
down AT odessa the Black Sea. Bucharest Is about
twcntv-four hours travel from Odessa is therefore not
seaport and no funds at the Consul disposal Tor
charity The charge affairs at the ministry as hap
pen also 20 know ont OF his own pocket pad Tor the
mans ticket back Kustcndie got the British Consul
General enlisted and between them thy secured berth
Tor the man on Z; British tramp steamer.
II one Of the big cities in Italy happened into the
Consus office in quest Of an American newspaper,
and found il about half filled with what appeared 10 be
theatrical trunks | expressed my amazcmcnt IN halt
amused comment; but the Consul sighed and smiled
"They belong TO some American music hall artists,
he said. "Poor folks. They got broke in Germany and
came down here to work The manager Of the house
where they had been sent by booking agent insisted
that the lady should sit around his cabaret after the
show and encourage the wine sales. The husband OBJ
icccd nasmuch they rs respectable rs any mar
red couple in the world and, after argument closed
his contract. The manager tried TO hold them to it,
and then wouldn't rclnqush their baggage. They IL
nalv got il away through tcChniCalitv. and let them
bring it hero so it can't be held ~ by Italian legal
p6Xitics until they can get other bookings.
"Wherc are they?' | asked, interested
"Oh lent them money to get them and their baby to
Berlin, he answered.
And right then knew that he had been compelled
to do dozens Of other Consuls do, take a chance
for the government allows funds for such eXigcncieS
THERE was once a Consul in Moscow who was too
tender hearted, and broke himself financially help
ing impoverished Americans out OF difficulties. am
sorry say that he incidentally broke also with the
State Department. He was "too easy and now the
very who used to borrow from him kind enough
to say The last knew Of him he still there wan
dering like forlorn ghost about the streets.
This Consulate in Moscow is the seat Of
the Consul General And a most able man he is, being
thoroughly familiar with MS duties and expert Stats
tcian. His nameis John II. Snodgrass. Russia
long off to the average citizen, and not worth con
sdering trade relationships although takes from us
several million dollars worth Of farm machinery Ameri-
trotng horses, cotton etc. and exports 10 mil
lions more went there to help a friend get his pass
ports arranged one cold morning in February 1t was
still dark being but little after eight o'clock and
pected TO have TO call Mr. Snodgrass from his bed and
explain the emergency and necessity for haste We
climbed the stairs, and discovered that the lights were
burning. The place was already open for business and
learned afterward that this soft snap Of position
usually required about twelve hours day steady hard
grinding work! Sometimes it changes its schedule to
fourteen sixteen hours.
Down in Odessa the Consul has a busy season occa-
sonally wherein he has to work about twenty four
hours day. Over in Alden the Consul also has pleas
ant berth. And living there is so comfortable When
drink OF anything is served the waiter puts paper over
the top Of the glass to keep the dust out and the smell Of
stale camels frequently nauseaes the traveller And the
mercury 1t is almost liquid as it is in some Of the
equatorial posts where representatives hold to their
positions in the vague hope that time other they