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standing；　who　swore　that　they　knew　the　man　perfectly　to　be　a



former　employee　of　their　engineering　department　and　a　deserter



from　a　Russian　ship　of　war　in　the　port　of　St。　Petersburg。　It　was



also　a　somewhat　significant　fact　that　he　spoke　Russian　much



better　than　English；　and　that　he　seemed　to　have　a　knowledge　of



Russian　affairs　very　remarkable　for　a　man　who　had　never　been　in



Russia；　but　to　account　for　this　he　insisted　upon　the　statement　as



to　his　birth　in　Alaska。　Appearances　were　certainly　very　strongly



against　him；　and　he　was　remanded　to　await　more　testimony　in　his



favor；　but　the　next　thing　I　heard　was　that　he　had　escaped；　had



arrived　in　New　York；　was　posing　as　a　martyr；　had　graciously



granted　interviews　to　various　representatives　of　the　press；　and



had　thereby　stimulated　some　very　lurid　editorials　against　the



Russian　Government。







Another　case　was　that　of　a　Russian　who；　having　reached　the　United



States；　burdened　the　files　of　the　State　Department　and　of　the



legation　with　complaints　against　the　American　minister　because



that　official　did　not　send　out　the　man's　wife　to　him。　The



minister　had；　indeed；　forwarded　the　necessary　passports；　but　the



difficulty　was　that　the　German　authorities　would　not　allow　the



woman　to　enter　Germany　without　showing　herself　to　be　in



possession　of　means　sufficient　to　prevent　her　becoming　a　public



charge；　and　these　her　husband　could　not；　or　would　not；　send；



insisting　that　now　that　he　was　naturalized　he　had　a　right　to　have



his　wife　brought　to　America。







I　have　no　apology　to　make　for　the　Russian　systemfar　from　it；



but　I　would　state；　in　the　interest　of　international　comity；　that



it　is　best　for　Americans　not　to　be　too　prompt　in　believing　all



the　stories　of　alleged　sufferers　from　Russian　despotism；　and



especially　of　those　who　wish　to　use　their　American　citizenship



simply　in　order　to　return　to　Russia　and　enjoy　business　advantages



superior　to　those　of　their　neighbors。







That　there　are　many　meritorious　refugees　cannot　be　denied；　but



any　one　who　has　looked　over　extradition　papers；　as　I　have　been



obliged　to　do；　and　seen　people　posing　as　Russian　martyrs　who　are



comfortably　carrying　on　in　New　York　the　business　of



counterfeiting　bank…notes；　and　unctuously　thanking　God　in　their



letters　for　their　success　in　the　business；　will　be　slow　to　join



in　the　outcries　of　refugees　of　doubtful　standing　claiming　to　be



suffering　persecution　on　account　of　race；　religion；　or　political



opinion。







Nor　are　Russian…Americans　the　only　persons　who　weary　an　American



representative。　One　morning　a　card　was　brought　in　bearing　an



undoubted　American　name；　and　presently　there　followed　it　a　tall



raw…boned　man　with　long　flaxen　hair；　who　began　orating　to　me　as



follows：　〃Sir；　you　are　an　ambassador　from　the　President　of　the



United　States；　I　am　an　ambassador　from　God　Almighty。　I　am　sent



here　to　save　the　Emperor。　He　is　a　good　man；　he　is　followed　up　by



bad　men　who　seek　his　life；　I　can　save　him；　I　will　be　his



cup…bearer；　I　WILL　DRIVE　HIS　TEAM。〃　This　latter　conception　of　the



Emperor's　means　of　locomotion　struck　me　as　naive；　especially　in



view　of　the　fact　that　near　my　house　was　an　immense　structure



filled　with　magnificent　horses　for　the　Emperor　and　courta



veritable　equine　palace。　〃Yes；〃　said　my　visitor；　〃I　will　drive



the　Emperor's　team。　I　want　you　to　introduce　me　to　him



immediately。〃　My　answer　was　that　it　was　not　so　easy　to　secure　a



presentation　to　the　Emperor；　offhand；　that　considerable　time



would　be　necessary　in　any　case。　To　this　my　visitor　answered：　〃I



must　see　him　at　once；　I　am　invited　to　come　by　the　Empress。〃　On　my



asking　when　he　received　this　invitation；　he　said　that　it　was



given　him　on　board　the　steamer　between　New　York　and　Hamburg；　her



Majesty　and　her　children　being　the　only　other　passengers　besides



himself　in　the　second…class　cabin。　To　this　I　said　that　there　must



certainly　be　some　mistake；　that　her　Majesty　rarely；　if　ever；



traveled　on　public　lines　of　steamers；　that　if　she　had　done　so；



she　certainly　would　not　have　been　a　passenger　in　the　second



cabin。　To　this　he　answered　that　he　was　absolutely　certain　that　it



was　the　Empress　who　had　given　him　the　invitation　and　urged　him　to



come　and　save　the　Emperor's　life。　On　my　asking　him　the　date　of



this　invitation；　he　looked　through　his　diary　and　found　it。　At



this；　sending　for　a　file　of　the　official　newspaper　of　St。



Petersburg；　I　showed　him　that　on　the　day　named　her　Majesty　was



receiving　certain　officials　at　the　palace　in　St。　Petersburg；



whereat　he　made　an　answer　which　for　the　moment　threw　me



completely　off　my　balance。　He　said；　〃Sir；　I　have　lived　long



enough　not　to　believe　everything　I　see　in　the　newspapers。〃







I　quieted　him　as　best　I　could；　but　on　returning　to　his　hotel　he



indulged　in　some　very　boisterous　conduct；　one　of　the　minor



features　of　which　was　throwing　water　in　the　faces　of　the　waiters；



so　that；　fearing　lest　actions　like　this　and　his　loud　utterances



regarding　the　Emperor　and　Empress　might　get　him　into　trouble；　I



wrote　a　friendly　letter　to　the　prefect　of　St。　Petersburg；　stating



the　case；　and　asking　that；　if　it　was　thought　best　to　arrest　the



man；　he　should　be　placed　in　some　comfortable　retreat　for　the



insane　and　be　well　cared　for　until　I　could　communicate　with　his



friends　in　America。　Accordingly；　a　day　or　two　afterward；　a



handsome　carriage　drove　up　to　the　door　of　his　hotel；　bearing　two



kindly　gentlemen；　who　invited　him　to　accompany　them。　Taking　it



for　granted　that　he　was　to　be　escorted　to　the　palace　to　meet　his



Majesty；　he　went　without　making　any　objections；　and　soon　found



himself　in　commodious　rooms　and　most　kindly　treated。







It　being　discovered　that　he　was　an　excellent　pianist；　a　grand



piano　was　supplied　him；　and　he　was　very　happy　in　his　musical



practice；　and　in　the　thought　that　he　was　lodged　in　the　palace　and



would　soon　communicate　his　message　to　the　Emperor。　At　various



times　I　called　upon　him　and　found　him　convinced　that　his　great



mission　would　soon　be　accomplished；　but　after　a　week　or　ten　days



he　began　to　have　doubts；　and　said　to　me　that　he　distrusted　the



Russians　and　would　prefer　to　go　on　and　deliver　a　message　with



which　he　was　charged　to　the　Emperor　of　China。　On　my　showing　him



sundry　difficulties；　he　said　that　at　any　rate　there　was　one　place



where　he　would　certainly　be　well　receivedMarlborough　House　in



London；　that　he　was　sure　the　Prince　of　Wales　would　welcome　him



heartily。　At　last；　means　having　been　obtained　from　his　friends；　I



sought　to　forward　him　from　St。　Petersburg；　but；　as　no　steamers



thence　would　take　a　lunatic；　I　sent　my　private　secretary　with　him



to　Helsingfors；　and　thence　secured　his　passage　to　America。







A　very　curious　feature　in　the　case；　as　told　me　afterward　by　a



gentleman　who　traveled　in　the　same　steamer；　was　that　this



American　delighted　the　company　day　after　day　with　his　music；　and



that　no　one　ever　saw　anything　out　of　the　way　in　his　utterances　or



conduct。　He　seemed　to　have　forgotten　all　about　his　great　missions



and　to　have　become　absorbed　in　his　piano。







Among　the　things　to　which　special　and　continued　attention　had　to



be　given　by　the　legation　was　the　Chicago　Exposition。　I　was



naturally　desirous　to　see　it　a　success；　indeed；　it　was　my　duty　to



do　everything　possible　to　promote　it。　The　magnificent　plans　which



the　Chicago　people　had　developed　and　were　carrying　out　with　such



wonderful　energy　interested　thinking　Russians。　But　presently　came



endeavors　which　might　easily　have　brought　the　whole　enterprise



into　disrepute；　for　some　of　the　crankish　persons　who　always　hang



on　the　skirts　of　such　enterprises　had　been　allowed　to　use



official　stationery；　and　they　had　begun　writing　letters；　and　even



instructions；　to　American　diplomatic　agents　abroad。







The　first　of　these　which　attracted　my　attention　was　one



requesting　me　to　ask　the　Empress　to　write　a　book　in　the　shape　of



a　〃Report　on　Women's　Work　in　Russia；〃　careful　instructions　being



given　as　to　how　and　at　what　length　she　must　write　it。







A　letter　also　came　from　one　of　these　quasi…officials　at　Chicago；



not　requesting；　but　instructing；　me　to　ask　the　Emperor　to　report



to　his　bureau　on　the　condition　of　the　empire；　funnily　enough；



this　〃instruction〃　was　evidently　one　of　several；　and　they　had



been　ground　out　so　carelessly　that　the　one　which　I　was　instructed



to　deliver　to　the　Emperor　was　addressed　to　the　〃King　of　Holland。〃



It　was　thus　made　clear　that　this　important　personage　at　Chicago；



who　usurped　the　functions　of　the　Secretary　of　State；　had　not　even



taken　the　trouble　to　find　out　that　there　was　no　such　person　as　a



〃King　of　Holland；〃　the　personage　whom　he　vaguely　had　in　mind



being；　no　doubt；　the　Queen　Regent　of　the　Netherlands。







Soon　there　followed　another　of　these　quasi…instructions；　showing



another　type　of　crankishness。　Beginning　with　the　weighty



statement　that　〃the　school…boys　of　every　country　are　the　future



men　of　that　country；〃　it　went　on　with　a　declaration　that　it　had



been　decided　to　hold　a　convention　of　the　school…children　of　the



world　at　Chicago；　in　connection　with　the　Exposition；　and　ended　by



instructing　me　to　invite　to　its　deliberations　the　school…children



of　Russia。　Of　course　I　took　especial　care　not　to　communicate　any



of　these　things　to　any　Russian：　to　have　done　so　would　have　made



the　Exposition；　instead　of　the　admiration；　the　laughing…stock　of



the　empire；　but　I　wrote　a