Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-26
SENATOR sHERMAN's LUGGAGE.
The Trouble the Statesman Had with
the English Customs Officers.

London Special Correspondents New York World
The immense amount Of trouble and annoy
ance which Senator Sherman and his family
had in getting some trunks and few boxes
filed with Paris clothes into London is still
a,subject Of gossip in the American colony here,
TO many of whom the irate Senator has related
his woes. The Senator has not entered any
formal complaint against the British customs
in general, or the men who kept him waiting
in dreary station for an hour in particular
but he promptly told Of his trouble at the
American legation, and Secretary Harry White
went down to the foreign Office to see about it.
Sir Philip Currie told him that that they were
" very, very sorry, Of course" but to cut a
long story short, Senator Sherman had been
treated as nine out Of every ten travellers would
have been under the circumstances, and the
men who had put him to so much annoyance
really seemed to have confined themselves
strictly to their duties. II they had known
who the Senator was why Of course there would
havs been no trouble, but-and all that sort of
thing. Even taking the facts OF the case as
Senator Senator Sherman tells them, a little
palm oiI' and an average amount of good
temper would have saved him all the trouble
OF which he complains (sub rosa) 80 bitterly.
1t seems that Senator Sherman's family or
dered some dresses and things in Paris which
the tardy dressmaker did not send to the hotel
until all the trunks had been packed and the
Senator was abou, to start for London. There
was no time to repack the trunks so the dresses
were brought across the channel in the French
wrappings In which they we're delivered. There
was no trouble until the Senator reached Lon
don. He arrived on a very 'full'' train and
there was work enough for three times the force
OF examiners employed at the station. The
railway porters were all engaged at once by the
knowing ones before the train had come to a
stop. The Senator started for his luggage.
After while he found it. But several porters
had got ahead OF him, and the examiners were
busy before piles Of open trunks and bags.
When the Senator's turn came the boxes with
the dresses in them looked suspicious to the
eve OF the British examiner, and withal very
troublesome to undo. Senator Sherman as
sured the examiner that they contained nothing
dutiable and proffered his card.
II don't want your card, said the examiner
without looking at it; Its my business to ex-
anime your luggage"
But nevertheless he did not examine it and
the Senator lost his temper little. Presum-
ably the examiner lost his too, for the Sena-
tors luggage was left till almost the last and
then it got such an overhauling! The trunks
and boxes were turned inside out and the deli
cate Paris dresses almost ruined. Then the
things were tumbled back haphazard into the
boxes again and the Senator left to get them
home and out of the station as best he might.
1t was undoubtedly case of rough treatment
and the Senator has cause to complain. But"
said well-known NJ. P. to whom the World
correspondent talked about the matter last
night, II don't think the examination was any
more exasperating to Senator Sherman than
the torture which have had to undergo with
the customs officers in New York. A New York
customs officer would pay little attention to the
card of British Mp. In fact, if member of
the government were to go over and hand ut
his card it is a question if the customs officers
would know who he was. They might if it
were Salisbury or Gladstone, but under no
he cir sta hu hA,,I1 IT, l,al,
customs officer be expected to know Senator
Sherman?"