The Hunt for 'Contraband' Travelers
Federal inspectors search the Port Gamble area after a boat reportedly lands thirteen Chinese immigrants, marking the era of strict Exclusion Act enforcement.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Port Gamble, July 28—A steamer is reported to have landed thirteen Chinese near Port Gamble on Tuesday night. Inspector Coblentz and two deputies were here today searching. They have arrested three Chinese without certificates. None of the other contraband Chinamen have yet been found.
“None of the other contraband Chinamen have yet been found.”
This item documents the aggressive and often dehumanizing enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion Act, a central dark chapter in Washington state history. It illustrates how the machinery of the state was used to police borders and suppress immigrant labor, a history that continues to shape contemporary conversations about migration and civil rights in the Pacific Northwest.
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