The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1861-07-17
NUMBER %.
Searching for GOntraband Of War.

contrabaLGs at the Relay House We quote.
You hear The whistle OF The train bound
for Hafper's Ferry. As it comes rounding
the curve, the guard is drawn up on each
side of the track. Boon as the train stops q
soldier Steps on each platform of every car,
and sees that no one gels in or on. The
one whose business it is TO "developen any
contraband articles or persons enters for
ward passenger car. He looks on and un-
der The first seat and finds nothing but a
very suspicious female. Her hoops are
very large, and she looks about the waste
as though she indulged in free use of cot
ton, or else is walking freight train ln the
service of the rebels The searcher looks,
but doesn't know what to do He cannot
oil course treat her as would male, tor ey-
erybody would call him a brute, and be-
sides: he has no taste for such things. At
last he timdly requests that she will rise,
IN the hope that some reasonable article
may fall and discover her character.
Here is a man who looks little confus-
ed, or else puts on solid expression, az
though he were utterly Indifferent After
carefully investigating .his seal, the search.
er very politely asks the individual 10 emp
iy his pockets. Mind you this is really
done politely, and while asking thousand
pardons for the demand. All letters direc>
ted 10 individuals south of the Potomac are
con6scated. Oftentimes they have been
found 10 contain valuable information IL
the man is very suspicious the search 10
correspondingly rigid. The hand are pass
ed over his coat, his vest, and woe be to
him il anything is discovered that stamps
him as a spy. So the cars are looked
through one by one. Some of The passen-
gers laugh, some grow mad and swear.
some at once see the reason of the thing
and yield al once, others BLISTER and threat
en-, and have TO be shut up by the fear of
immediate arrest if they open their mouths
again.
Tbs searcher then says, all who have
baggage will please step into the forward
car. He then asks each man to open bis
| trunk, and passes his hand as carefully as
may be through the bundles of varieties
with which human beings fill their travels
ling apparatus. Ones luggage does not un-
| dergo one half the danger which i; is sub.
lect TO in a Liverpool Custom House.
have seen both classes of operators, and
would much prefer TO go by the Relay than
10 land in Liverpool.
Suddenly the searcher comes across a
communicating, red, wooden trunk. II is
marked Mary Birkiu, Wheeling,Va. There
is nothing suspicious about it. Il looks in
! keeping with some village aunt who had
| forsaken the company of the coarser sex
and had just returned from visit 10 some
J relations who had lately thrown themselves
away by swearing IN the presence of par
son 10 keep house. neatly aud economically,
/ for some one of those worthless creatures
called men. The searcher calls out for
Mary 10 come and display her dry goods,
but no Mary is TO be found. He calls again
| but with the same result The conductor
is questioned, but he knows nothing abou:
+, the matter. The thing looks all right, but
| II WON'T do 10 let even Mary Birkiti's trunk
60 on without knowing what's in il. So af-
Ter sounding another call for the spinster TO
make her appearance, the searcher calls for
hammer and chisel and opens The thing.
Nothing alarming is presented. On the top
is very white and nicely done up pair of
sleeves TheL comes a chemise.te, and
then a dress, and then-two millions OF pef-
oussion caps. All Mary, that was sorry
dodge. No wonder you didn I answer when
your name was called. Why, my dear
Mary, you have here more caps than you
could wear in a dozen life times. The
trnnk is confscated
Colonel Jones was once going through a
train on the scent of suspicious articles -
He saw between two seats a small basket
The top was partly raised and discovered
some sand wiches, gingerbread, sc. 1t was
of course nothing surprising 10 see lunch.
con baskets in the cars. The couductoI
came up and said:
"Colonel, an old woman owns tha; bas
ket; l believe she has stepped into the
forward car"
Well, that was very reasonable. How
} ever, just as he was going 10 leave it, the
| Colonel put his little finger under the han
die to see how much basket of luncheon
/ weighs, you know. But the thing ddn'
come up. Somehow it stuck to the floor
/ He then applied his hole hand, and af:e
removing the gingerbread, he discovered
about half peck Of bright brass buttons
which were on their way TO adore the uni
: forms of the Virginia rebels.
ARREST OF A FEMALE Spy A young dam
sci OF eighteen years has been arrested b.
the Michigan regiment. She gave he
II Kir,rrnhr,rr -h LII