STATION TELEGRAPH OFFrCE. 51 



this way, though clerks would be almost 

 impossible to obtain, they would not, when 

 obtained, keep the passengers waiting ten 

 minutes at their office windows for their 

 tickets, whilst preparing their tobacco, and 

 might issue one ticket in ten without any 

 gross mistake. 



After depositing my friend and what 

 luggage we had with us at the hotel, I 

 availed myself of the offer of a gentleman 

 whose acquaintance 1 had made within the 

 last thirt}^ seconds, and drove with him up to 

 the station telegraph office to beg the autho- 

 rities at Tiflis to send back my errant trunks 

 with what speed they could. As the station 

 telegraph office is a place in which a clerk is 

 likely to be wanted on the arrival of a train, 

 it hardly surprised me to find no clerk in 

 attendance. For about twenty minutes my 

 friend and I waited; he passing the time in 

 load denunciations of the general mismanage- 



E 2 



