Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-04-19

were 800 cars. broad-gauge. of cab
bage shipped from Corpus Christi
station to points in the north. along
with 30 cars of cucumbers, four of
onions. and 50 cars OF mixed vege-
tables. These shipments were in car.
lots and not included in local and
miscellaneous shipments. The ship
ping season for cabbage starts about
January 18th and continues for three
months. Strawberries are just begin
ming to ripen around Corpus Christi
and will soon be abundant String
beans. and tomatoes will be along
about the middle OF May. 1t will thus
be observed that there is a good deal
of garden truck raised in this vicin.
ity for the northern markets for ear
ly spring consumption.
We have been asked a great many
times about examination of baggage
in returning from Mexico. II all tray
elers escape annoyance as easily as
we did they will have no kick com.
ing. 1t has been complained that In
some instances contents of trunks
are dumped promiscously and great
annoyance and Inconvenience occas-
Toned. The train over the National
arrives in New Laredo on the Mexl-
can border. $40 in the morning.
Passengers are informed the night he
fore they must be up early to have
their baggage ready for inspection.
first by the custom officers and next
by the U. s. officials Next morning
we evidently slept soundly as the por.
ter had to make the second call and
this furnished scant time to dress.
and the train stopped before we were
ready 10 exhibit vallses and trunks
First Mexican custom officers enter
the train and examine yalises while
trunks are being unloaded Then
they go through the trunks. This.
however. proved a mere matter OF
form. 1t seems there is a law pro
hibiting the exportation of heather
idols from the country and also some
other relics mentioned. 1t Is to see
If travellers are loaded WITH such cur
los that baggage is examined. We
must have had several idols and rare
relies so far as the examination OF
personal baggage was concerned. The
trunks are again loaded and the train
proceeds to the middle of the Rio
Grande river. the bridge spanning the
stream being long one at Laredo.
when 1t is again stopped and boarded
by quarantine officials. Each passen
ger is Obliged to furnish data showing
where they hail from. Ii from Vera
Cruz, five full days must have elapsed
to permit entry into the United
States. 1t proves a close shave for
us. We are scare five days from the
city quarantined. The physician
questions closely. We answer truth
fully, giving him our card, also prove
that we stopped one day at Monterey
and that we will remain day nj
Laredo, then pass on to Corpus Chris
ii. He is not fully satisfied and calls
in consultation two assistants and
they size us up and finally place
their o. X. and thus we escape pass
ing another day in Old Mexico. One
of the passengers is not so lucky. and
the train backs up and he must re-
main another "a hours ON Mexican
soil.
Reaching the American side. our
valises are given hasty examination
and then we proceed to the depot
where trunks have again been un-
loaded and under examination. Sus-
picious cases are given close atten
ton. The inspector asks rs if we
have anything dutiable. Believing
honesty the best. we answer: "Yes,
between $75 and Sl00r The latter
is the limit allowed as exempt. but
the custom officials can place their
own valuation on the property. Our
trunk is large and packed closely.
We again present our card, state we
will be in the city over the day and
ask that he permit us time to take
things out carefully and repack, as
we have nothing to hide-only do not
want everything upset minute sat
isles the officials and he says:
CLOSE her up" and the ordeal ls
over without any dumping. Some es-
cape while others who have nothing"
are made to dig ip. One man Is
found with three boxes of cigars. He
Is allowed only one-or 80. lie pays
duty. But as IA rule the passenger
list contributes but a small mi'e. as
1t is not the intention of the govern
ment to place hardships upon tourists
or those who have purchased Mexi'
can curios and drawn work FOR sheir
own personal use. G N.R.
From Mondays Daily.