The New York herald., 1879-12-29
AMERICA REVISITED.
George Augustus Sala Takes
Note of Us.
THE TERRI6LE CUSTOM HOUSE.
Not So Bad as 1t Has Been
Painted.
From the London Daily Telegraph ]

Yesterday (rhursday) Thanksgiving Day in
New York: but discourse concerning that
highly important celebration must say something
touching the in which We passed the terrific
ordeal of the Custom House. Throughout the voyage
of the Scythia the Custom House had been held up
to the fearfulest Of bugbears. and 1t was not
only the foreigners on board who loud in de-
nouncing the grinding tyranny of the tariff and the
nqusitorial proceedings OF the douaniers Those of
my fellow passengers who Americans were
prompt to join the chorus of indignant dsparage-
ment OF the fiscal regime at present in force and to
Indulge in the most dismal representations touch
Ing the treatment to which their trunks ana them
selves would be subjected on arrival. Ladies
turned pale with mingled horror and wrath as they
recited how the oaedGuvre of Worth. in the way Of
long tailed dresses belonging to their female friends.
had been ruthlessly dragged out of Saratoga trunks
exposed coram ptsbLco the dockhead. and exam
ined under the arms to ascertain whether they had
been worn and how. if they proved to be new.
they had been subjected to exorbtant duties Then
uprose shrill complaints that renovated lace and
cleaned gloves had been treated articles Of
wear. and charged sixty per cent ad valorem; that
the wicked Custom House officers would not recog-
nixe the right of lady to import say. fifteen cor
SETS eight Partisan bonnets and two dozen pairs of
silk stockings and box full of cambria handker-
Chiefs trimmed with Brussels lace, for her per-
sonal use. "As il we wanted to smuggle anything!
As IL we were New York miliners and dressmakers,
who crossed the Atlantic half dozen times year in
order to smugge dutable articles into the States!'
At the vehement disclaimer of such an imputation
noticed that q lady. presumably OF French extrac-
ton. wagged her head in acquiescence with the
tments just uttered, but. at the time. turned
very pale.
BOARDED THE INoUIsrToRs.
The gentlemen on board were quite US excited and
took equally gloomy views Of the prospects before
them. One addicted to field sports had brought
with him a hunting suit Of the most approved Mel
ton Mowbray model. which he hoped to display at
meet ut Rockaway Beach on Thanksgiving Day. He
would have to declare that suit, he muttered. He
would have to pay for his pink" for his buckskns.
for his tops. for his velvet cap; nay even for his
hunting crop. There was no way out Of
1t. Articles not declared, and found to be 'dutia-
ble"-the abhorrent word-were liable to peremptory
seizure; and the worst OF it that it impossi
BILE to bribe the Custom House officers. They
immaculate. They are all as incorruptble the
late Lord Bacon and their and deeds are more
over. so narrowly watched by agents from Washing
ton fitting about in plain clothes and taking notes of
al they that they could not be venal If they
wished it. listened to their dolorous forecasts and
held my tongue. hoping for the best. I have seen
something OF custom houses-even to the most
my time. and never came to much
grief As regards smuggling-a recreation to
which never cared to devote myself-it
may be held to be like matrimony, q lottery.
after the Scytha had passed the fort Staten
Isand-I do not know its name. but it is one Of the
most picturesque forts saw-that
boarded from pretty litto steam yacht by the much
dreaded officers OF the Custom House. Everybody
answering to tho name OF passenger trembled.
Everybody seemed . CALLED jade, and our wthers
were unwrung. Now was the moment to 'declare"
ss to what you had in your impedmenta and to make
solemn oath as to the truth of your declaration.
Perfectly unconscious as to whether had anything
to declare not descended to the saloon. prepared
to swear anything. The chief ohicial-a benevolent
old gentleman, with snowy hair-sat enthroned in
state at the head Of the table. where Captain Banks
had, during eleven days. presided with SO much
grace and urbanity. Some subordinate inquisitors
and sworn tormentors sat by him, and the table
Uttered with forms of declaration. I think
that was number three tho list Of decara-
tory oath takers. gave the chief inquisitor
my name. Ho bowed gravely and said that he
had communication for me. I felt slightly
unnerved. What could the communication be
An order to quit the territory of the United States
forthwith? Not at ali; 1t was IN invitation from
dine with him at bis beautiful country house at Glen
Cove the next day. felt reassured. and imme-
diately swore to am sure know not what-for
Am parcel blind and hard Of hearing-quite cheer
fully. Then made my way for q crowd of ladies
ana gentlemen. who with troubled mien thronged
round that terrible table. Some Of the ladies subse
Quently dissolved into tears. Some more philoso-
phic OF the gentlemen consoled themselves with
those cocktails for the confection of which Robert
one of the saloon Stewards is SO justly celebrated
There was, Of course, good deal of swearing gone
through below; but incline to the opinion that
there prodigious deal more swearing performed
in an unofficial manner the Scythias deck and in
the dock shed during the agonizing period of bag
gage exaamihtion.
MY EXPERIENCES.
:. What happened to my companions candidly aver
that do not know. and am selfish enough to con-
fess that do not much care 1t is q case of every
man for himself in Custom House, and given
regular rasping, ndiscriminate. omnivorous tariff.
such as the present American one Is said to be.
suppose that most strive to evade the duties
as tar as they possibly can and that II everybody
the way Of surcharges. My own experiences were
BRIEF simple and eminently satisfactory. The
enormous dockshed into which we were turned
loose from the Scythia's gangway presented one of
the most extraordinary spectacles that beheld.
Imagine the Long Room at the London Custom
House brought into combination with the platform
of the Midland Railway Terminus at st. Pancras.
Throw in of huge corridors of the Bezesteen
at Stamboul with soa.pcon Of the Agricultural
hau at Lslington Imagine this colossal area
traversed I'M. in every direction by brawny
on handbarrows, and in the corners OF the
shed picture the powerfully horsed wains OF the
Adams Express Company ready to carry away the
trunks ana portmanteaus, so soon as they have
passed the Custom House, to the various hotels at
which the owners OF the luggage intend to stop.
The transport of baggage has been reduced to
science and entails the merest minimum of discon-
carriages. comparatively speaking in New York and
the light and elegant coupes which you hire for u
dollar an hour-the tariff at tho steamboat piers is
heavier, tancy-cannot be expected to carry heavy
luggage. Thus you thrown ON the tender mcrcies
OF the Adams Express Company. But Adams
know not whether he be an extant entity or an inl
papable symbol-takes advantage Of you lie IL
your guide. philosopher and friend. You tell him
where you mean TO stay; he whisks your be-