The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-03-20
SPYING OUT sMUooLED eooo.
Work of the Women inspectors OF q
New York Custom House.


New York Custom House.
The dock of any of the European steam
ship companies is an excellent place to see
for yourself whether the women inspectors
earn their money. A woman writer for
the World went over to New jersey with
two OF the women inspectors recently.
They were very cOmpaniOnable women,
receiving the stranger pleasantly, and one.
fourteen-yea office holder, giving all pos
slble information as to the rules, regula-
tons, and experiences. Amid the hustle
and excitement that attend the landing of
ship load of passengers the women in
spectors stand on one side of a portable
desk, the men on the other, and as the first
man or woman comes up with his slip de-
/ Claring his baggage an inspector is as
signed. Imagine, for instance. the first
passenger whose trunks are opened. 1t is
a trying time The woman inspector be-
gins on the first opened trunk by making
dive at the big canvas catchah made TO
hang up in the statc-rOom. She empties
all the pockets, feels of the sponge. shakes
the tOOth-pOwdcr vigorously. gives the
comb and brush crack and drops them
so the next turn will slide the things all
out-amOng the clothes. The next thing
is warm shawl carefully pinned up in
towel. ''fhat towel has never been
washed, Qpt come the pins and into
lie inspectors mouth they go. The
shawl is passed, but the 10 cent
towel is strung over the back of the
trunk. There's basket down at the bot
tom of the Trunk. Out it comes. but it
contains nothing but the second-best bon
net. Shake the shoesl Rattle the modest
little common-sense slippers Open the
puff-bOx! Smell the colognel Unfold the
prim little home made undergarments.
flaunt their hens and tuCks to the breeze.
| They probably need airing, anyway.
Scratch the corners, tap the bottom of the
trunk, and that one is done. Then an
other trunk is gone through in the same
manner. Every little poyery of possession
will be displayed and its owner will blush
and beg and expostulate all through but
the stern fingers of justice will get through
! that trunk despite it all and will fetch out
at the end six cheap fowls and a few little
childish trinkets not worth appTaising.
The last thing out, the tired inspector
straightens her aching back, mOps her face
with her handkerchief, gratefully puts her
chalk mark on the trunks and hampers,
gives back her mOuthful of pins, and goes
| to tell her friends that THAT woman near.
| " drove her crazy with her talk If they
| would only unlock their trunks and hold
| their tongues we wouldn't get nervous,
| and they would be likely to come out O
good deal better" So says this expert
enced woman, who, after all, has been
only during her duty. The entire per-
! Torrance, seen once from beginning to
end, gives you a complete idea of the value
of these women inspectors, their quick
| eyes and quick wits And surely no man
| could detect tire dutiable from the unduti-
| able goods in a wOmans trunk as these
lively, energetic women do.
! And the hard-heartedncss they must
| indicate against tender, cOaxing damsels is
really touching. Here are two fair Boston
| flowers. One is short and the other is tall
and both are specialized and wary. Both
are like ice in the cool way that they meet
| the vigilance committee. I'VE have few
| TRIES" they say, but they are quite our
own" and they Herewith put their arms
about the grim inspectors plump waist.
| I'm sure" SAYS one, laying her hand at
| fectionately on the shoulders of the law,
"you never saw such badly packed trunks,
but. really, | was so disguised with my old
buds when / had to bring them back again
/ just didn't care"
I'm sure" said the other, my things
must look very common after the elegant
things you see every day." Herewith re-
| ligiously laying out some nOn-dutiable
trinkets of one kind and another. An hour
later you pass by those danes from Boston.
All the cOlors of the rainbow lie about
them, and they are listening meekly to the
words of the appraiser: About $50 duty,
madam, for each of you."