San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-20

postoffice. If the ship reaches quarantine
| before sunset, in time to be inspected by
| the health officer on his assistants. the
| mails are not landed until the ship reaches
her pier. Then the pouches, hundreds in
| number, are hurried ashore. Those for in
| land points are dispatched by the various
| railroads, while letters, newspapers, par
| cells, etc., for New York city and its vicin-
| ity are sent to the general postoffice.
GETTING THE MAILS ASHORE.
If, however, the ship reaches quarantine
| at night and is compelled to remain there
| until after sunrise, tugs in the service of
| the postotfice come up co it and take off
| the mails. The pouches for other places
| are forwarded by the earliest trains, while
| those for this city, as in the other case, are
/ sent to the postoffice bore as quickly as
possible. Nearly all tho parcels that seem
to contain books or other dutiable goods
pass through the New York postoffice, even
If they are directed TO distant points in
the United States. This is the only class
of mail matter for PLACES from this city
which suffers delay here -
In the mean time three inspectors of the
postoffice customs bureau have been sent
for at their homes, that is, if the mails ar
| rive when the men are not at their work.
and no matter what the hour or the wealth
er the three hasten to the postoffice. When
the pouches arrive there they are opened
in the presence of the customs inspectors.
Every letter or parcel that looks as if it
might contain books, etchings, Autographs,
| jewelry or other dutiable goods is picked
out of the heaps of mail matter and
stamped. If, for instance, the parcel is
made up of silk hapdkerchiefs which can
be seen through holes in the wrapping pa
per it is stamped Subject to duty" If
the package is securely wrapped so that
its contents are invisible, Supposed to
contain goods subject to duty" is stamped
on it. The employees of the postoffice who
handle the mails aid in picking out par
cells likely to contain dutiable articles.
| An idea of the task of the customs men
will be gained from few figures of the
mail brought by the Servia from Liverpool
a few days before Christmas. She carried
about 1,050 pouches, containing in the
neigh5orhood of $4,000 letters, papers,
parcels, etc This was the largest amount
ever brought to this port by vessel.
Nearly one-third of it all was for this city.
| CERTAIN PARCELS PICKED OUT.
| Long practice has made the men skillful
in picking out the parcels with dispatch.
About 5000 suspicious looking letters, ETC.,
were taken in hand by the customs officers.
OF this number perhaps 90 per cent con.
tanned books or printed matter which may
under the law be imported through the
mails. These, except the few which are
sealed and therefore subject to letter rates
are sent to the big room of the customs
bureau on the fifth floor of the postoffice
building, together with the other unsealed
parcels. A force of men at once sets to
work examining these packages, every
one of which is opened.
II the books are more than twenty years
old, or printed in foreign language, or
addressed TO institutions of learning, they
are admitted free of duty and at once for
warIed. Newer ones are appraised by men
| who have become experts at it. If the
| books are consigned to places outside of
this city they are sent to the postmaster of
| the town or city, with a statement and
entry, and he collects tie duty on them.
! A favorite trick Of would he smugglers
| is to cut OEi the heart of a book and pack
contrahand goods ~ it, Anumbcr of such
! books have been CoaGsc.tgG. Some con-
! tanned valua"ln lGaCs, others silk handker-
| chiefs, gloves, i~welry and the like. 1t is
! sheer nonsense to attempt this form of
smuggling, because all books are exam
| ined and the detection is certain.
The CUSTOMS officials have an apparent
difficulty to face in the case of sealed par
cells suppose. = contain dutiable goods
| The law tL&t s29.ed matter shall be opened
| by no one except the person to whom it is
| address Il mast be 0ocycI by the govern
| mcnt employees q, vel Is by other persons
In fact an attraction of j. punishable by