The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-03-09

 sorts of craft, from motor boats to large unarmored cruisers, though most of its units are armed liners, and is called by the service afloat 'srhe Search"
 It is understanding the facts to say that these ships carry as searchers- as stoppers for the blackade-runners the keenest-eyed, keenest-witted 1 men in the world.
 You see Germany, needing very badly those things which are consid- cred contraband and forbidden pas sage across the North Sea, is pre- pared to make it very much worth while of any ship which can elude the searchers and get the goods home. Therefore there is always some ship or other trying to get through the cordon with contraband.
 "Onion Made of Rubber
 For instance, there was the vessel which our ship-an armed liner working exclusively on ''rhe Search overhauled. She seemed innocent , enough-as a matter of fact half her holds were absolutely empty, and she only had onions in boxes slowed away in the others.
 Her papers were quite in order, and after a quick overhaul the searching party turned to leave for their own ship. But the boarding party hap pened to possess a petty officer with a, taste for onions, and he tried to persuade one of the suspects crew to give him a couple of the succulent globes. The emphatic way in which the man refused aroused his susp1c- ions. He grabbed one of the onions under discussion, and in derision rais- ed it to his mouth, intending to bite a lump out of it.
 But instead of crunching through crisp white flesh his teeth met a kind of reluctant resistance, and 1t was only upon close examination that the onions were discovered to be wholly made of rubber.
 They were works of art; even the veins in the brown outside covering leaves were faithfully reproduced, to- gether with the flores of the roots hanging at the bottom. And all were rubber, and therefore contraband.
 That ship-and her onions to a certain base in the North of Scot land where the navy has experts to deal with such cases. Later on she made her appearance in the Prize court sale lists-never again to run any blockade.
 Find in q Big Liner
 We had great luck one day when we overhauled a monster Dutch liner which regularly ran between Holland and America. She and we were old ms stopping her and sending over g searching party in a boat whenever we came across each other.
 We made the usual inspection o1 her papers,; then her cargo holds were gone through and found clean, an6 everything seemed quite all right. Oul lieutenant had an inspiration whicr sent the liners crew, hurrying to ge all the passengers luggage on decl for inspection, and it was in search. ing through this that the inquisitivG Britishers made their first discovery Sixteen trunks made of raw hide werC found to contain, under a layer O. feminine fripperies and lingerie. first rate sole leather cut to the shape O the trunks and pure Para rubber il blocks.
 Lady With Rubber Round Body
 The lady who admitted ownership of the trunks was an adipose woman weighing about IS stone. She declar ed that she knew nothing about tn leather or rubber.
 Well, we'll run over your cabi1 and see if anything turns up" sai' the lieutenant. It turned up all righ six cases of glass jars marKet 'Honey-wanted on the voyage" wer discovered, and it wasn't honey al al but pure dental rubber. The lady be came hysterical, and had to be sooth ed by the chief stewardess.
 Don't get annoyed" calmly coun seIled the officer. we haven't finish ed yet"
 "What!' screamed the lady. '|Yo have discovered everything. Wha more do you need to search? Tax the stuff and let me go.''
 ''No.'' came the cool reply. q war to search you-your person." said tn lieutenant. You don't seem to beel er-built just right, somehow"
 He called the chief stewardess an ordered her, under many fearson threats to search the adipose lady. l fear and trembling the two wome entered the examination room an the door closed. Five minutes later opened again, and from it came skinny scarecrow with a georgeoI costume hanging from her shoulder Imply, with great salt tears coursir down her face, while on the table il side the room lay the fifty odd pount of surgical rubber bandages she ha carried wrapped about her body.
 Machinery Constructed of Copper
 Then there was the chap who d clared himself frankly to be carr Ing contraband but swore that u stuff-tanned hides, leather-beIonge to a firm in the North of France, al was intended for transhipme through Holland. We almost let hi go, but one of our chaps-he was farmer in the old days-became i terested in a selection of agricultur machinery which the cargo-carri had lashed to her upper deck. Thes said her captain, were intended f york in the war area-were to pla