Butprecioustimewenton，andagaincametelegramsfromtheladiesthatnothingwasdone。AgainIwenttotheministertourgethematteruponhisattention;againheassumedthesamejellyfishcondition，pleasingbutevasive。ThenIrealizedthesituation;wentatoncetotheprefectofSt。Petersburg，GeneralvonWahl，althoughitwasnotstrictlywithinhisdomain;andhe，amanofcharacterandvigor，tookthenecessarymeasuresandtheladieswerereleased。
LikesomanyotherpersonswhomIhaveknownwhocameintoRussiaandweredelightedwithitduringtheirwholestay，theseladiesreturnedtoAmericamostbitterhatersoftheempireandofeverythingwithinit。
AstoVonWahl，whoseemedtomeoneoftheverybestRussianofficialsImet，hehassincemetrewardforhisqualities:fromtheCzaratransfertoaprovincialgovernorship，andfromtheanarchistsabulletwhich，thoughintendedtokillhim，onlywoundedhim。
ManywerethesufferersfromthisfeatureinRussianadministration——thisshirkingoflaborandresponsibility。AmongthesewasagentlemanbelongingtooneofthemosthonoredRussianfamilies，whowasgreatlydevotedtofruit—culture，andsoughttobringtheproductsofhislargeestatesinthesouthofRussiaintoMoscowandSt。Petersburg。Hetoldmethathehadtriedagainandagain，buttheofficialsshruggedtheirshouldersandwouldnottakethetrouble;thatfinallyhehadinducedthemtogivehimafreight—carandtobringaloadoffruittoSt。
Petersburgassoonaspossible;but，thoughthejourneyoughttohavetakenonlythreeorfourdays，itactuallytookseveralweeks;and，ofcourse，allthefruitwasspoiled。AsItoldhimofthefruit—trainswhichbringtheproductsofCaliforniaacrossourcontinentanddistributethemtotheAtlanticports，evenenablingthemtobefoundfreshinthemarketsofLondon，healmostshedtears。Thiswasanotherresultofstatecontrolofrailways。Asamatteroffact，thereisfarmoreandbetterfruittobeseenonthetablesofartisansinmostAmericantowns，howeversmall，thaninthelordliesthousesofMoscowandSt。