Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-03-12


heavy baggage by rail to various points
in advance on my route, and never in
. single instance did l experience any
sificuIty in procuring delivery of it on
the production of NY "ohscks."
On my return at the end of Novem-
Der, and having no use for rugs, 10,
and in the comfortable cars, checked
oil my baggage, save = dressing bag,
from q station not far FROM the Msnito-
ba frontier, straight through to New
York On my arrival there three days
afterwards, instead of "ohecking" my
baggage to the hotel where | intended
to put up, "chscksd'' it to the dock
of the steamer by which | was to sail
the following morning and thers, on
driving from the hotel, found it await
ing me at the shore end of the gang
way as l Was about to embsrk-never
having once seen or troubled myself a.
bout it since | left Litcbfeld, 20O0
miles away, and having changed cars
and lines of road tvice-at St. Paul and
Chicago:
Now, mark the contrast. l arrive
at Liverpool, give up my baggage to
the Northwest Railway Company, with
out any voucher or check being inter-
changed, and proceed to Lime street BY
subur ban railway from the dock gates
in evil-sneiliug carriages which my
American ow-trsvelers scornfuily
stigmatised as 'bunks," and into which
We were locked like criminals. 1t was
q wet, gloomy day, and after my pleas
ant American experiences l felt like
one who had "come down in the world. "
On afterwards applying for my baggage
at Lime street station, | was not only
obliged to produce my card SIS evidence
OF identity. but had to 60 down into
deep dark cellar to point out the
packages and after all this unneces-
sary bother | had to pay more than at
New York, where baggage was carried
double the distance. But the charge
is 8 mere secondary consideration. 1t
is the restless anxiety ana worry our
system-or rather entire want Of sys-
tem-needlessly impose on you from
starting till arriving at your destlna-
tion that is SO provoking.
And i, may not be inappropriate here
to remark on the grstuitous farce pre-
septed at the examination of passsa-
gers baggage by the Custom House Of
foers Seeing that cigars are dearer
and infinitely worse in America than at
home, and that no sane person would
think of smuggling a bottle Of sold
Bourbon" what can be the object OF
exposing passengers to the humiiiatlng
ordeal of opening and turning over the
contents of their pOrtmanteaus In a
windy dock warehouse, unless it be
from shesrly stupid traditional custom,
and TO furnish employment to a set OF
seedy persons whose appearance and
manners are not calculated to predis-
pose the stranger in favor of the coun-
try that welcomes him in this fashion.
OF course nothing contraband was dis
covered on this occasion and never Is,
as Eas told By one Of tho dock Off
cials, who evidently regarded the
searchers as a questionable slot" In
e free trade country, such ,I 2, ours,
this rigorous examination Of baggage is
a relic uf bzrbsrisn and the saving Of
the State from the abolition of these
Custom Houss myrwidOms would, | sm
sure, far more than compensate for and
any possible loss to the revenue from
the act Of su occasional ill-conditioned
passenger. Nothing would mora eject
ually serve to hasten the conversion Of
our American cousins to the doctrine
and practice of free trade than 70 well
come them 10 British soil without hav-
ing to undergo the foIbld3rng ordeal
ihey havest present to encounter on
landing on their own shores
| respectfully submit the suggestion
to tho consideration Of the Chanceilor
of the Ezchequsr.
But the most remarkable contrast
was reserved for my return to Scot
land. Travelling down by a night
train. | vas half frozen with cold till
arrival at Carlisle. where We werc de-
tanned an ho1r and half TO, the Lon
don train, and whsre the fire in the
waiting room merely served 10 remind
one how cold aud eom.ortless the place
was. Sleep was out of the question, ard
had landed at the Princes street STA
ton stiff and almost numb With cold
At the hotel close by | repaired my re.
cuccd "morale" rIth hot bath and a
coed Scotch breakfast But way should
one be thus tortured with cold and rem
dered missrablein 10 deferencs to sn an
cient ''use and won't that is nov be
coming obsolete among sll civilized
people In America, If dstaiued, you
do not warm your toes at tho fire, but
sit in E comfortably warmed room, and
you finish journey OF thousand miles
as fresh and comfortable as when you
started
The climax Of my home experiences
Sas reached a, the Vavsrly station, to
which | drove from the hotel, directing
the cabmaa 10 drive as near as posi-
BILE and the porter who came up to
take charge Of my baggage was told to
take to the Fife train. Having no loose
change in my pocket, | asked the cab
man to wait till I-got my ticket. On
my return, about five minutes af,erward
Mother cab nor porter was visible any
where: aud failing to find the latter on
the platform or any sign ofmy baggage,
one of the officials and myself explored
the station, as far as time would per-
init, without success. Having written
that | would be home by that train, and
leaving the cab fare with the official al
ready referred to, | came away without
my baggage, which only reached mo
two days afterwards. Had this oontre
temps occurred when on my way to ON
bark at Liverpool for America, IT would
not only have occssioned serious incou
venieuce and delay, but possible the
forfeiture of my passage money.
1t is quite unnecessary to describe
the American check system, with which