Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-04-08
CROSSING THE LINES.
Discomforts of Passengers En- Route fror
Canada to the States.

Discomforts of Passengers En- Route from
Canada to the States.
sLadies and gentlemen will please
claim their baggage in the baggage
car"
AS the express train rolls into Wind
sor daily over the Great Western road a
request in words similar to the above is
gently preached to the passengers in a
voice of fog-whistle proportions. A
blue-coated individual generally walks
through the car and announces that
Uncle Sans agent is waiting in the
baggage car to pass personal effects
through the customs. The usual plan is
to make this announcement twice and
then slam the door on leaving the car
with noise that cuts short the dreams
of drowsy passengers and sets all the
babies crying. This has the effect of
putting every one in good humor for the
ordeal of passing customs.
When the train slows up at the Wind
sor depot fifteen or twenty minutes are
consumed in detaching the cars and
transferring them to the ferry. There
is a succession of violent jerks and
miniature collisions, which still further
rouse the passengers from any lingering
inclination to lapse into somnolence
and increase their good spirits. The
ferry then slowly pushes its way through
the river, headed for Detroit. Then the
curtain is wrung up in the baggage-car
and the fun begins.
While the ferry is crossing the river
passengers who have baggage in the
shape of trunks or large packages step
into the baggage car and take their turn
at exposing their effects. This is about
the time when the passenger who has
his baggage checked through in bond
sits back in his seat in the passenger car
and views his fellow travellers with COM
miseration. First comes a young lady
who has two Saratogas. She gives up
her KEY to the custom-house officers as
sistant, who unlocks both trunks and
turns up the inner lids. Then the GUS
tom-house officer puts his hand to the
bottom of each trunk and deliberately
turns the contents over into confused
heap. The young lady bushes violent
" as various articles ofwearing apparel
which were carefully slowed away at
the bottom of the trunk now appear on
top. The lids are slammed down, locks
IuGIlGu anu PiiiN Va
the customs department imprinted on
each with piece of white chalk.
Next comes an old woman, who in
sists on opening her trunk herself, and
will not let her bunch of keys out of her
possession. Her trunk is small af-
fair When the object of the proceed
ing is explained to her she is about to
take the officer of the law into her con-
fidence, and relate to him the history of
each article in the trunk, from a bed
quilt to pair of new slippers for her
grand daughter, but the callOus officer
has chalked her trunk and left her be-
fore she has uttered ten words. There
is a newly married couple on the train,
and they have three large trunks. The
bride remains in the passenger car
while her husband undertakes to mollify
the customs officer with combined flat
terry and sudden intimacy of acquaint-
ance. He gets the minion of the law
into corner of the baggage car and
tells him that those trunks contain moth
ing dutiable and that it would mar a
blissful honeymoon if they were opened.
OF course the argument fails and the
Young man is obliged to return to the
passenger car and secure the keys from
his BRIDE. He comes back looking very
wrathful and as the customs officer pro-
ceeds to make a minute examination OF
all three trunks the young husband