The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1889-10-26

teaus to be lifted out of the forward
hold, four pieces at time, by rope
and windlass. Each lot thus lifted
out was put upon hand-truck and
wheeled up the wharf by 'longshore-
man, past all the passengers,
who scanned each truck-load, and
claimed their own when they recog-
nized it. AS fast as a passenger Sc
cured all his belongings, he went to a
desk set up on the wharf, and showing
his number to Che official in charge,
had an inspector detailed to follow
him back to his little island of bag
gage, for it to undergo inspection. Io
each lady unattended by a man fe-
male inspector was detailed; to each
man, or man and family, male in
spector was told off. The trunks and
bags and hold-alls, and even the hat
boxes, are all gaping like so many
fishes beached in a storm, and the in
spectors and inspec5resses are delv-
ing in the receptables, merciless ly
disarranging the packing that was
produced by so much care, and per-
haps even by professional packers
hired in London or Paris.
The employment Of female inspect
ors in numbers sufficient to meet even
the midsummer demand at the one
great port of the nation has proved a
great convenience to all our lady vOy-
ayers, except those ''supects" who
have to submit to personal examina-
tion. There are twenty of these in
spectresses, and they are detailed
to each incoming ship in the proper
tion of one to each thirty cabin pas
sengers. 1t is quite possible for more
than half ship-load of homecoming
passengers to land and undergo the
customs ordeal without being aware
of the presence Of these inspectresses,
for they are of lady-like appearance
and department, and the tiny badges
they display only when they are act
ually at work easily escape notice.
So far as l heard, in this case, no
uty upon any thing, and no passenger
was taken aside to be searched. This
disagreeable necessity occurs very in
frequently. 1t does occur when what
is found in the trunks gives proof of a
clear intent to smuggle; when jewelry
is found sewed into clothing or slipped
in with the straw or paper used in
packing other things. 1t occurs still
more frequently when guilt and anxiety
are written on the face and reflected
in the behavior of the person whose
baggage is undergoing inspection. In
such cases the inspectresses deal with a
wife apart from her husband, taking
her into the little building or room
used for the purpose, and to be found,
in some form or other, on every steam
ship company's wharf The men are
examined by officials of their own sex
in the same way.
/ repeat, however, that. so far as
heard, no one was found guilty of en-
deavoring to bring in more than Uncle
Sans good-nature would allow. How
it was about the Judges curtains did
not hear, though he and his wife de-
clared at the last that they would put
the unhappy purchase on top of every
thing, in full view, and would volun-
teer to pay whatever duty was re-
quired. But there did float back upon
the wind of rumor, few days later,
an almost Incredible tale. It was to
the effect that the little lady who
sewed so placidly upon her quilt, far
beyond the clouds of borrowed trouble
on the voyage, was practiced SNUG
gler. 1t was said that into every patch
she. laid on she sewed a diamond to be
smuggled in for a relative in the
jewelry business. Imerely repeat the
rumor-and with the incredulity / felt
when l first heard it.-Julian Ralph,
in Harper's Weekly.