The morning call., 1892-01-21
CUSTOMS OFFICERS.
Trusty Servants Of the United
States Treasury.
Fow the Interests of the Government Are
served-Methcds Of Work in the Sur
veyor's Department.

In no department Of the Government
service is there 10 be found more faithful,
hard working. or Intelligent BODY oil men
than in the Surveyors Department OF the
San Francisco Cus:Om-hOuse. The amount
of work done by them seems incredible
when tie ground to be covered, the number
Of vessels 20 be searched and watched, with
such small foIcs is taken into consider
alton.
The number Of men under Surveyor Kill
bum is eighty-iye all told divided as fol-
lows: Guarding officers 70. discharEing
officers So and night watchmen 49, The
night force is divided into two watches,
which are employed in seeing that no duti-
able goods are suussled on shore between
sunset and sunrise.
VIGILANT GUARDS.
They may be found pacing the ships deck
OF watching a vessel from tile wharf, at all
times Of the night, no matter what the
weather may be. Every person who steps
from the ship TO the shore is at once con-
froutei by tha yIgilant guardian Of the
Treasury, who deity examines the clothing
If the person with a skill born of expert
ence. Every package is searched. and moth
ing c0ntrabaud can be carried ashore with
out being seized by the watchlul officer. and
The smuEgIer finds himself IN the clutches
Of the law.
Tie Gflv-two inspectors in tie day watch
include the guarding. boarding and sea-dis
charging officers. These are the men who
meet incoming steamers and sailing vessels
from foreign ports, and as the passenger
steps ashore request him 10 please unlock
lis trunks.
OFFICERS AT WORK.
q 1r,f
one Of The big China steamers, for instance,
is very interesting, and shows how thor
CUghy the work j. carried on at this port.
or course the officers know tie day on
which steamers are due. and the boarding
party Is made up tWenty-tOur hours 10 adj
vance, as precautionary measure IN case
size should get ia ahead Of time. The party
consists If dozen or more men, armed with
probes and lanterns, and are nearly always
ID the immediate command Of Deputy Sur
yeyoT NaTney GaskIlI. They take up their
quarters al the barge Office at MelsgS
Wharf. where they remain until the eX-
pectrd steamer is sighted. As likely as not
tie steamer instead of being ahead, OF on
time, Is often tWeary-fUur to lory-eight
hours LAKE, Yet the party OF t.reiess watch
els are not relieved ana never leave their
st until the steamer has been searched
from stem 10 stern.
BOARDING THE STEAMER.
As soon rs the steamer is sighted from
l. & u
the wire In tie Merchants Exchange and
the barge office, and Naruey GaskIU aud his
men are taken on board the little steamer
Hartley, which starts down the bay to meet
the incoming steamer This is often very
GlSagree3ble work, as the Hartley, the only
steamer available for the work, is far too
small for the purpose and II there is a sea
ca the waves wash clear over her. Besides
being too small, she IS also far too slow,
having q speed Of not more than eight
rs an fr
lHs bar and should be replaced by
steamer capable OF going TO sea IN any
weather and able 10 steam at ! at twenty
knots an hour.
On boarding the steamer the men go to
work at once, and While q few remain on
deck Co see that no opium or other goods are
dropped over the side, 10 be picked up bY
passing boats, the rest don their OyeTaIls
aud search every nook and Granny ia the big
ship.
THE SEARCH.
Fire-r0Om, cOai-buuSers, engine-room
cabins and lockers are searched in q most
thorough manner. Not satisfied with going
over tile vessel once, size Is .drcued a dozen
times while IN port In fact there are Off
C-Ts on beard at this NOTa rs long as she
remains 10 the LaTD0T
Hardly a steamer enters the port from
tHna but what more or less opium is
found slowed away in some hoe or corner
and Is discovered by the keen seaIC.erS be-
fore the owner has had 4 chance 10 get II
ashore. y .t only Is the vessel searched In
most thorough manner. bat every piece in
the entire cargo Is closely scrutuIZ-d. to
make sure that the contents are as repre-
scented on the manifest.
Ia searching the cargo tie following
method Is employed: A merchant in tins
CITY has say fifty bales Cf goods consigned
10 him, all under the same mark, aud they
are entered on the manifest as cotton goods
a the bales are landed from the steamer
tile officer in charge Of the work on the
dock selects say twenty of the fifty bales
ana they are loaded on trucks auI taken u
the Appraisers Building, where they are
opened and Their contents examined Should
any fraud be discovered the entire fifty
bales are at once taken and thoroughly eX-
Emincd.
OTHER DUTIES PERFORMED.
Not only do the Surveyors force inspect
al. imports from foreign countries, but the
loading Of al. goods going to foreign ports is
also supervised by them. The following
tables viii give the reader some idea Of the
immense amount Of work done by them in
the course Of year: The number Of
American vessels Of all classes that arrived
at this port from foreign ports from Janu-
airy l-t t. November 30, 1891, was 4s3 with
tata. tonnage Of J27.C44 The foreign YES
seis that arrived during the same period
numbered $50, with total tonnage Of So
C9. The weight in pounds Of imports
anu exports during that period amounted to
the vast total Of 2,226. 05l, jtj pounds, every
pound OF which was weighed. In addition
10 this the amount OF wine and liquors Of
ell kinds was accurately gagged and meas
UTed, whether intended for import OF ex-
port The seizures made during the year
amounted to an ap raised value Of $4,000.
HARD WORK AND SMALL PAY.
By the above figures it can be readily
seen that the life Of an employee il this de-
partmeut Of the civil service is one of con-
tlnuOus ard work and, owing to the small
number Of men allowed ia this department.
there is 10 possible way Of tightening the
labor. The force could be increased 10 at
least fifty more with great advantage to the
Government Ten years axO the furce was,
relatively, nearly double what 1t is to-day
while the duties have increased out Of an
proportion 10 the number Of men employed
The fidelity and Watchiuluess of the men
are shown by the number Of seizures made.
The amount and value If the goods actually
smGggied into tie city Is believed to be very
small The CONDENSATION received by these
men IS out OF all proportion 10 the temDta-
tons placed IN their way every day, yet it
Is sale TO say thar any one who should at
tempt to brDe any Of the men would soon
IND himself IN very uncomfortable quarters
The salaries are lower than those paid any
hrst-class mechanic.
The employees Of the San Francisco Gus
t0m-hOuSe are noted for their courteous and
gentemaniy conduct, and the manner in
which they perform their duties has ELECTED
praise from all WHO have occasion to tran
sact business with them.