Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1886-10-16
AN 'IMPREGNABLE" MAN
How British Customs Official Re-
s.fused a "Tip.'

In the center companion way o.
most Atlantic steamers there is framed
public notice which attracts good
deal of attention from the passengers
on the way over. 1t is published by
the British Government, and is to the
. effect that any person Offering 4 bribe
to one of Her Majestys customs Off
cials will be heavily fined The amount
of this fine is mentioned, either f40 oi
fl00 or something of that sort The
contemplation of this notice for nine
or ten days every time a person goes
up the center companion way is calcu-
lated TO give that person n very great
respect for the unbribability of the Liy-
crpool customs officer. The American
Government has no such notices posted
up anywhere that | ever saw. Wheth-
er it is because it is so we'll known that
the American customs officer never un-
der any circumstances accepts bribe,
or whether the Government fears that
the public would regard the posting of
such notice as a joke, | have not been
able to ascertain.
| have never met any one yet who
would bride Liverpool customs Off
Ger. The penalty which has stared him
in the face during the voyage is apt to
discourage all such attempts. How
ever, there are few things which per-
son could take into England on which
duty is exacted. | believe the customs
officers have a prejudice against dyna-
mite, against piratcd reprints of En-
glish books, against tobacco and some
things of that sort, but, as a general
thing. the American traveller carries
nothing with him on which duty could
be charged.
Our big steamship reached Liverpool
late one evening last summer. The
customs authorities penned us allup in
the several rooms of building on the
landing. Here there was a good deal
of fuss and showing through passage
way that was very narrow, and the
hand baggage was examined as We
passed out. This was a very slow and
tedious arrangement, and it was nearly
eleven o'clock at night before we were
through with it, and even at that time
the trunks had not been looked at. We
were then passed up into room which
we reached by long incline. On
climbing up tins incline We entered a
large building seemingly containing
only one immense room. 1t was well
lighted, and the scene was one which
once looked upon person would not
forget in hurry. On the right-hand side
were piled trunks, bags, valises, hand
satchels and baggage of every descrip-
ton On the left ran a long, low
counter on which trunks were being
examined by the uniformed custom
house officers. while, bending over
their open baggage were the owners,
generally talking rapidly to the Imper-
turbable officers. All over the room
were some one hundred excited pas
sengers running wildly hither and
thither trying to collect their luggage.
Trunks that were marked with names
were arranged in alphabetical order.
The sections of the building were let
tered with the alphabet painted large
and conspicuous along the right-hand
side, but, as the great majority of the
trunks had no name, the owners had to
run about in quest of them. Porters
were there with their short jackets and
numbered caps, dragging the trunks
about under the owners directions,
and as soon rs one trunk had been ex-
amlncd it was taken away by stall
wart porter who called cab, and
its place was filed by another
trunk slammed down by an
other stalwart porter. 1t was a
scene of bewidering confusion. AS
j always travel as light as possible, en-