Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-10-24
WHEN A STEAMER CONES IN.
ON a New York Pier at the Landing OF
VOyagers From Europe - Examining
Passengers Baggage.


of warping with iron cables and rope
hawsers, and towings back and forth by
two tugs, one at the head and the other
at the stern, the huge iron hull was put
alongside the wharf 1t still lacked
few minutes of sunset, but the customs
officials had decided that the baggage
was too extensive, both in numbers and
bulk, to be searched until morning. A
man stationed at the end of the bridge
shouted: "Only handbags allowed
ashore tonight" And those who had
attempted to get off with anything bulk
ier were turned back remorselessly.
The first to set foot on the pier was
a ruddy-cheeked, comely young woman
with brown fur hat and ulster, who
was Immediately seized by half dozen
other women, and kissed over and over
again in the most demonstrative man.
ner. The smacks were so long, so loud
and so deliberate that even the customs
inspector, who was gently attempting
to disengage the young woman's travel
ing bag, was suffused with blushe1.
When at last the young woman was re-
leased her hair was in picturesque dis
order, and her cheeks ruddier than ever.
She unlocked her bag confusedly, exhib-
iting a small quantity of linen, comb,
sbrush, and other toilet articles. The
inspector put both hands in, felt of the
linen, pronounced it all right, and, after
relocking, wrote the word Pass"
with number in white chalk On the
leather outside. An old lady who had
been kissed only once, and that by an
other old lady. followed with handbag
and shawl straps. The shawls were eX-
,;poJ ooraf,11lxy ,noida onJ ont for,
possible Valenciennes and Mechlin lace,
were marked "Pass," and then the in
spector turned his attention to natty-
looking young man in tweed suit,
with tall, narrow case in his handand
a flat paper box under his arm. He ex-
planned the contents of the box in an I'M
dertone, and then added in loud, con-
tident voice, shaking the case. "These
are whips-four of them"
"Well, you won't want them to-
night, will youP" asked the official.
The young man said that he wouldn't,
and he was told to put the box and the
whips into the customs office, little
glass Widowed hut half way down the
pier.
When the passengers first emerged
from the ship the inspectors were drawn
up in line, toeing mark that stretched
at right angles across the pier. AS fast
as the passengers, loaded with baggage,
reached the mark the chief beckoned to
one of his men, and the latter, advanc-
ing, relieved the passenger of his hand
bag, shawl-strap or whatever else he
carried, and proceeded to examine it. In
most cases the search was brief, the con-
tents of the bags being chiefly toilet
articles. Occasionally an Inspector
found q valise of soiled linen, which
was examined with greater. care than the
rest. on the presumption that smuggled
valuables were to be found in the most
unlikely places.
A lady approached, leading hand
some Italian greyhound in leash. She
was accompanied by two children and a
maid. The vigilant eyes ofthe chief had
detected her, and burly official, with
gold-laced cap, advanced respectfully.
" Is the dog for breeding purposes,
madam"
"No, sir"
Twenty per cent, added the man,
pointing her in the direction of the little
glass house.
Meanwhile another Inspector was on
his knees, rummaging her valise and
shawl-straps. Neither contained any
thing dutiable, and, after paying for the
dog and filing her declaration, she was al
lowed to go.
There was a crow wd at the little office,
and q young man leading a big New
foundland dog by steel chain struck
match, lit a cigar, and sat down on q
pile of boards to wait his turn. A party
of young fellows, each carrying four or
five silk umbrellas, took an official one
side and talked long and earnestly with
him. The official nodded his head, and
the young men marched off with salts
fled air. Others got their handbags
through without any search whatever.
The father of a family who had come
ashore, leaving his children's night
clothes unpacked in his trunks, rushed
wildly about seeking for somebody who
could aid him in his extremity. He was
told to "go to Kibbe."
Meanwhile the crowd and tumult at
the gangway increased. The rear guard
of the 200 cabin passengers determined
to get some of their trunks ashore, with
or without permission. They bribed
porters and cabin boys to carry these
things over the side, OF shouldered their
baggage themselves and carried it down
the steep inclined plane, despite the
threats and imprecations OF the red-faced
customs officer on the pier.
By seven o'clock passengers and Off
cials had concluded their labors, and the
big gas-jets which had been shining
overhead were turned down.
Bright and early the next morning the
more serious work of searching the
trunks was begun. The stea nship had
been brought into her berth on the
south side of the pier and vast guam
tity of baggage brought up from below
and trundled ON to the pier. Trunks of
all sizes, from the largest double-extra
Saratoga to the neatest, smallest Russia
leather, lay scattered over the wharf for
hundreds of feet on both sides of the
gangway. Boxes, valises, hand bags,
old fashioned carpet-sacks-e every va
riety of baggage was mixed in inextrica-
BILE confusion. Bewildered passengers
wandered rom one end of the pier to
the other hunting up stray pieces.
Some gave up in despair, and, sitting
down, deliberately waited for the I1iss-
ing articles to turn up. Others kept the
inspectors travelling from one end of the
wharf to the other hunting for packages
and examining each as fast as it was
found. Old tourists carefully collected
their trunks and oxes into one pile and
then called up the nearest officer to
search them. A bl, nix form of declara-
tion was filled out by the inspector.
specifying the number of dutiable arti-
cles Many did not know what articles
were dutiable, and at the inspectors re-
quest ran over list of all the principal
goods and chattels in their possession.
"Have you anything to declarep" was
the constant question, monotonously
repeated.