The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
A CASE OF BRIBERY.
BY LUKE SHARP.

In the centre companion way Of most
Atlantic steamers there is framed a pub
lie notice which attracts a good deal of
attention from the passengers on tho way
over. 1t is published by the British Gov
crnmcnt, and is t. the effect that any
person offering q bride to one of Her
Majcsty's customs officials will be heavily
fined. The amount of this fine i, men
toned, either e40 or e10o Or something
of that sort. The contemplation of this
notice for nine or ten days every time a
person goes up the centr, c .mpanionway
is calculated to give that person a very
great respect for the unbribahility Of the
Liverpool customs offices. TIL, Amcri-
Gun Government has no such motto, s
posted up anywhere that 1 ever saw.
Whether it is because it is so well known
that the American customs officer never
under any circumstances accepts q bride,
or whether the government fears that the
public would regard the posting # q no.
tice rs n joke, 1 have not been able to
ascertain.
l have never met anyone yet who would
bride q Liverpool customs officer. The
penalty which has stared him in the face
during the voyage is apt to discourage
oil such attempts. However, there arc
few things which u person could take
into England on which duty is axacted.
| believe the customs officers have a
prejudice against dynamite, against pi-
rated reprints of English 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 Gus
toms authorities pcnncd us oil up in the
several rooms of u building on the land
ing. Here there was a good deal of fuss
and showing through a passage way that
was very narrow, and tho hand
baggage was examined as we
passed out. This was a very slow
and tedious arrangement. and
it was nearly II 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 a room
which we reached by a long incline. On
climbing up this incline we entered a
large building seemingly containing
only one immense room. It was we'll
lighted, and the scene was one which
once looked upon a person would not
forget in a hurry. On the right hand
side were piled trunks, bags, ~valises, hand
satchels and baggage of every descrip-
ton. On the left ran q 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 rapid
ly to the imperturbable officer. All over
the room were some 100 excited pas
sengers running wildly hither and thither
trying to collect their luggage. Trunks
that were marked with names were ar
ranged in alphabetical order. The Sec
tions Of the building were
lettered 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, drag
ging tho trunks about under the owners
directions, and as soon as one trunk had
been examined it was taken away by a
stalwart porter who called a cab, and
its place was flied by another trunk
slammed down by another stalwart
porter. 1t was n scene of b%ewilderinp
confusion. AS I always travel as light
rs possible, endeavoring to compress nv
belongings into a satchcl that can be
carried by hand if necessary, my troubles
were over, and so l strolled along with
comparative indifference, enjoying the
strange and bustling appearance of the
place. I was able to give some assist.
ance here and there to companions OF
the voyage, and rather put on airs as
being an old traveller with some ex-
pcrience OF that sort of thing, don't you
know, and p!umcd myself on having my
baggage examined long ago.
At tho further end of the room were n
couple of ladies who were travelling
alone. One of them had a large trunk,
and the trunk had q new tangled lock,
the latest of American patent. A Gus