The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 25, 1906, Page 15

S — e e —_— i 1] g For sidewalk and adway seen where there nd t s spread, a humble te for the cioak of a Sir Walter awkward sp dor we ver & particula da the scent of redwood and tk from nd brown etween hold undreds of fish that are g de hed from the web t botto; e boat, ttie talk 2 not one word ir task and the a wharf being nd and in all seasons a ren- the unemployed—are as if the merc contempla- dustry had quite bereft them wharf, too, are spread count- <% BINTOA PLIVS ARE Nor MADE TR STRETCHERS sub nets drying in the sun and must be revaired » how trifling- they appear. re e which shows an cnor- ough to have cost a e share of its last catch—stands a ate fisher. ant's inspection, then down ps and off come shoos and one eavy yarn seck, while from the pocket f b rough jacker he produc ng uttle fillied with a heavy brown cord The net is held taut, his serving a third set of fingers, and the long uttie flics back and forth till the wning gap Is elosed. The knot by ch the cord is held like the size of mesh fol the pattern of is distingui. only by toes the al puff of steam, a 1 the transport we, have the tiny and n sound of it, three short blasts being the p's sign that shehas been passed s and is now ready stoms. revi cutter, Golden off and the. distance that see cabin a ce in the saloon,” is the decks, and though the e could not possibly be carried out e letter, its pronouncement resuits in a rush of men and women that packs the room’s length, There follows the receiving of the declarations, Mr. Stephens and an as- gistant proceeding as y as may be with the routine questions, “The items liere stiow all you are bringing ' and “You gwear to this, do you?" tollowing each affirmation with a numbered card and a quick to the inspector at the Time and ag: as one or another of the feminine passengers crowds close, the tly making way, it happens that the declaration so carefully made cut is unsigued and anocher erush thiough the tightly wedged line is necessary to find pen and ink for the correction. Or, when the form is properly prepared the whele thing is in-pencil and must be done again. The most distressing feature of all this is that it surprises no one. It is accepted as a matter of course that women cannot fill out the simplest blank correctly and without omission. Mr. Stephens explains and the men in line give place with a patience that would be beautiful aid it not stand as a con- cession 1o incompetence. It is but fair to say, however, that these errors prove to be not exclusively a feminine manifestation and whenever one of the capable sex makes a like mis- take, I feel a glow of something close akin to gratitude. They are loyal to American fabrics and materials, these passengers, If their decla- rationg speak true; and the actual in- spection on the wharf will bring to light no foreign goods beyond the one hundred dollars’ worth to which each one is en- titied by law. Swiftly names and numbers are checked off the ship’s list, as the ling disappears, and it is discovered that five have not rcported. ralghtway the one hundred and twelve who have been disposed of are forgot and we wax feverish over 1 have grave fears that they may be concealed some place about, with quanti- ties of Eastern silks and embrolderies they do not wish to declare, but Mr, Stephens has a better explanation than at. are leaning over the rajl,”” he , as he writes their names on a card the cabin boy, “enjoying the weather and the beautiful view of the harbor. It hasn't occurred to them that they are holding up the ghin.” Here enters a pretty girl in br eathl crosses the threshold, “The boy says you want me—Miss Clark.” “Your declaration,” ficer. “Dear me, I wonder if I've i e lost T've had the worst luck from losllx:: things this trip. I knoéw I put that card ym;rxsvp me in my purse, but—"" “1f you have already turned in gecla.—auon." Mr. Stephens Inlerv&’x?t‘: nlf );ou Lave a card we gave you to show e inspector, you are n e ot the Mrs, Clark “I'm not Mrs. Clark at all,” she re, b 5 . lles with a laugh. “I'm Miss Clar] it sy k—and here's S0 amid general apologies the pry girl goes out to see if she can ml:dst'ltl: missing matron, and as she goes ghe re- turns the card to her shopping bag, and ;\'edhe'ulr ]her !:y: “I hope to goodness on' ose that befor 3 e I get to the The cabin boy rounds up a dis chargeds soldier, who Ingenuously explains lhat‘;‘: wauA waiting to be sent for. “Are vou bringing nothing back wi you?” asks the officer, noting that ntz: decluraucdn declares only the soldler's name and regiment and ot details. e “‘Only some shawls,” is the re ) ply, and, directed by Mr. Stephens, he who l?lfl :;ahllled to be sent for retires to a nearby e, where he' proceeds enumeration. skl It is a slow process, his writing, by . but length be has the work complelgd, wh:x: it appears that the ‘“‘shawls” are shells, after all, and not dutiable, 4 Anuther straggler enters, m vi and stern. G T Her papers are in order and her pass- ing without incident, except that when asked the usual question, “You are traveling alone?” she replies with firm- suggests the of- 1 = ness, “No, I am an army nurse.” ‘Whereat every one smiles except her- self. I Mrs. Clark now comes forward, ex- pressing regret that her delay has eaused trouble and murmuring that she didn't know there was any hurry. y So the absentees are gathered in, and when it devclops that the last, who re- sists the combined efforts of a large corps of volunteer sleuths to rout him from his retreat, is ill and in the hos- pital, the word {8 given that the board- ing officer’s work is done. It has been decided that the sick and prisoners Avill not be transferred to the Slocum, which has come alongside, until the transport has docked and the regu- lar passengers are discharged. There are no large hodies of troops aboard. A few discharged men from the army and navy, forty patients in the hospital, some twenty prisonars and a half-dozen poor fellows who from injury or hardsblp have become insane in our Philippine possessions, with the cabin complement, complete the list. Down in the hospital all the white iron cots but one are empty. Every conva- lescent has gathered the last remnant of his strength for the Janding and wrinXled uniforms are buttoned closely around wasted bodies that seem scarcely able to bear their weight. There is little moving about. Occasio ally some ohe sioops to tighten a stru ar coi@ about his baggage, but Tor tr most part they sit quite still, lookirg as if 1t wonld be a biesced relief to tumbile \):lllcl( into the clean beds, uniforms and all. “We started from islands with some very sick me, the hospital sergeant, ‘‘but in every case they began to improve as soon as we got out to and the moumth's voyage from Ma the TS AR TIENTA S hus done them a worid of good. They are as eager to land as if just being l‘;l‘.d‘ in good, old U. 8. A. will cure every “They will go to the Presidio first, and from there to their homes or to other service as they gain strength.” When the werd comes that the Thomas has docked and that the Slocum is ready to take them over it ls found that many must bs helpad to the deck and across the gangway, though some strike out beidly and evan tasist upon carrying their o baggage. Nov one bus is to s dear Epactors inging something home and the customs In- called upon to say whether thema J aese tea trays aren’t a mighty nica gift or whether this tiny model of a bambno-hatsy isn't the neatest thing of its kird thet was ever brought over, or nese shells aren't wonders of in color and shape. nothing to keep from the s Port. re proud of their simple trink- ets pad have already' lived over scores of t!mes the pleasure of their presenta- tiop to wmother, wife or sweetheart at the Journey’'s end. One gives an inspector quite a shock. when by removal of -the top of his great straw ‘“‘telescope,” 2 half-dogzen boxes of cigars are brought to view. Don't you know you're allowed only What are you doing * questjons Mr. I TRANFPORT e one,” is the reply, and the lids are ralsed in proof. Then we sec that the receptacles of smokes of the long ago are now dolng duty as collar and tie holders and cases for odd shells and beads and various souvenirs of service in the East. Down in the ship's brig are the pris- oners beund for Alcatraz and though there is, as one might think, small cause for exhilaration over theéir making pert, they seem as restless and as eager for the transfer as any of their fellows in the light and air above. They are not criminals in the eivil sense of the word, as thelr guard re- minds me. Young fellows, most of them still wearing the khaki of service, clear- eyed and decent looking, they are paying the penalty of some infraction of military discipline—for drunkenness, usually, or, 1Al the case of two or three, for desertlo Transferred under, guard to the er boat, they are exposed but as soon as they realize accord they turn their backs happens that the photogragher line in which the letter P, the badge of punishment, becomes a pi pal feature. There s, all the while, the passengers whose trunks are handled as promptly as they wish. are being told by one must leave the ship, bag; the wharf and make ar for transfer to Island, while another ass tter of t being or who is no possible objection to their cansferred to the Slocum at once and ding to their destination in that vessel's due course. or though the great ship has been since early morning in the harbor. though there has been hours during which all these details might have been arranged, there is the inevitable rush at the v last moment, and it appears that those whose friends ‘are now signaling a wel- come from the wharf are, if pessible, even less coherent than the others, their desire to respond to greetings interfering sadly with their determination to “get things fixed,” as onme woman nervously expressed it. . These tangles straighten themselves, however, without violence, and at length th= nine Russian stowaways are brought down. As I saw them first—great fellows with placid faces framed In shaggy halr and beard—and listened to the story of how they were probably smuggled aboard In the coal taken out at Nagasaki, I won- deréd what thelr secret is and whether they would be allowed to follow their own devices on landing. We may not know their story, but my uncertainty as to the outcome of their journey Is set at rest in the quartermas- ter's office. “They are undoubtedly prisoners escaped trom Siberia.” I am told, “whose friends at Nagasaki helped them to flee the country. They are supplied with money. from $50 to $150 each, and onme of them, who claims to be a Count, seems to be In charge.” “That must be the fair-haired one who 1s poring over a railway time-table. He looked different from the others,” I think. “He is the brightest of the party. Six want to go to Alaska, where they say they have relatives or friends, and three want to stay in California.” nd may they do as they like?" 0, they must wait at Aleatraz till the Thomas is ready for the return trip. when we shall take them back.” It scems a pity. when nothing is known against them,” I begin, but the quarter- master is not sentimental and briefly I am reminded that no one's persomal feelings can possibly be invol in the question. “The Informality of thefr coming aboard us,” he sugsgats, judicially, “and, bes the United States does not admit stowaways from other countries.” So they have before them a return voy- age, delightful enough In itself, but de- pressing as to destination. He who was engrossed In the Intricacies of an American railway guide will b no chance to use L have gained, and whatever is from which he and his fellows sought safety in flight, its operation has merely been deferred for two bricf m After the Slocum’s depart quota for the varfous CGovernmegt about the bay there remaing only the final flurry of trunks and handbags on the wharf. “ytadam,® a guard at the temporary gato is saying, “that suit case hasn't been marked. The trunk -can o through,” he points to the chalk hiero- glyphie from which he reads the in- spector's "O. K. but you'll have to see about the suit case.” “The same man looked through both pleces,” she protests, “and I can't help it if he didn’t mark them both. I'm in a great hurry——" The keeper of the gate is sympathetic. He appreciates madam's impatience of the delay and is genuinely sorry. We can see it 4n his glance. But ne is firm and the hurried pas- senger turns back to find the inspectop who fafled to give her the chalk-mark certificate of release from customs. That in finding him she finds she was mistaken—that the bag had not been examined—she ddes not confide to (ho’ guard when, a few moments later, she agaln approaches the gate. Confidently, as one who has experidnced a vindica- tion, she passes on to where cab drivers and street cars will compete for the privilege of taking her up to the city. “They're always Itke that—the wo- men,” comments the guard. “They never admit they're wrong. Oh, yes, I think she believed the bag had been inspect- ed and that the imspector forget to mark it. One of the kind of mistakes hardest to confess.” Long before twelve o'clock the crowds have melted away and there re- main only # few intercsted in the un- loading of household goeds and heavier freight from the hold. Soon the ship, that for spick-and- spanness might be at the start of a Jong voyage instead of at its clese, will steam to Mare Jsland navy yard, there to be examined as to engines and pro- pellers, boiler plates and shafting, and made ready for a return to the Orient, perhaps at a speed that shall break the record made by this same vessel almost a year ago.