The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-06-28
Searching for Contraband Of War.

A correspondent of the Boston Journal
relates incidents attending the search for
contraband at the Relay House. We quote:
You hear the whistle of the train bound
for Harper's Ferry. As it comes rounding
the curve, the guard is drawn up on each
side of the track. Soon as the train stops,
soldier steps on each platform of every
car, and sees that no one gets of or on.
The one whose business it is to "develop"
any contraband articles or persons enters
the forward passenger car. He looks on
and under the first seat and finds nothing
but a very suspicious female. Her hoops
are very large, and she looks about the
waist as though she INDUCED in free use
of cotton, or else is walking freight train
in the service of the rebels. The searcher
looks, but doesn't know what to do. He
cannot, of course, treat her as he would a
man, for everybody would call him brute,
and besides, be has no taste for such things.
At last, be timidly requests that she will
rise, in the hope that some reasonable arti-
Gle may fall and discover her character.
Here is man who either looks little
confused, or else puts on stolid expression,
as though be vestigated his seat, the scar
cher politely asks the individual to empty
his pockets. Mind you this is really done
politely, and while asking thousand par
dons for the demand. All letters directed
to individuals south of the Potomac are con-
iscated. Ottentimes they have been found
to contain valuable information. If the
man is very suspicious the search is cores
pondiugly rigid. The hands are passed
over his coat and inside his vest, and woe
be to him if anything is discovered that
stamps him as 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 at once, others buster and threaten,
and have to be shut up by the fear of imme-
date arrest if they open their mouths again.
The searcher then says, "all who have
baggage will please step into the forward
car" He then asks each man to open his
trunk, and passes his hand as carefully as
may be through the varieties with which
human beings fill their travelling appara>
tus. Ones luggage does not undergo one
half the danger which it is subjected to in a
Liverpool Custom House. 1 have seen
both classes of operators, and I would much
prefer to 60 by the Relay, than to land in
Liverpool.
Suddenly the searcher comes across a
common looking, red, wooden trunk. 1t is
marked Mary Birkitt, Wheeling, Virginia.
There is nothing suspicious about it. It
looks in keeping with some village aunt who
had foresworn the company of the coarser
sex, and had just returned from visit to
some relations who had lately thrown them>
selves away by swearing in the presence of
parson to keep house, neatly and econom-
ically, for some one of those worthless crea-
lures called men. The searcher calls out
Tor Mary to come and display her dry goods,
but no Mary is to be found. He calls
again, and with the same result. The con-
ductor is questioned, but knows nothing of
the matter. The thing looks all right, but
it won't Go to let Mary Birkitt's trunk 60
on without knowing what is in it. So alter
having sounded 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 a very white, nicely done up pair
of sleeves. Then comes chemisette, and
euOu % OiCco, obu tucu-tWO IIIllOU vi per-
cussion caps. All Mary that was sorry
dodge. No wonder you didn't answer when
your name was called Why, my dear
Mary, you have here more caps than you
could wear in dozen life times. The trunk
is coniscated.
Col. Jones was once going through train
on the scent of suspicious articles. He saw
between two seats small basket. The top
was partly raised and discovered some sand.
witches, gingerbread, &c. 1t was of course
nothing surprising to see luncheon basket
in the cars. The conductor came up and
said, "Cololel, an old woman owns that bas.
ket; l believe she has stepped Into the for
ward car" Well, that was very reasonable
However, just as be was going to leave the
Colonel put his little finger under the ham
die, to see how much basket of luncheon
weighs, you know. But the thing didn't
come up. Somehow it stuck to the floor.
He then applied his whole hand, and after
removing the gingerbread, discovered about
half peck of bright brass buttons, which
were on their way to adorn the uniforms of
Virginia rebels.
WE sometime aUO stated that GO1Onal |