The Stowaways of the Laurada: A $50 Fine for a Trip North
Two men caught sneaking aboard a steamer bound for Alaska were forced to disembark in Bellingham, facing Canadian customs penalties and a hefty fine.
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.
TROUBLE FOR LAURADA.
A dispatch from Victoria states that P. Hughes and J. Jones, stowaways, were discovered on the steamer Laurada while en route from Seattle to Skagway. The men claimed that they did not have sufficient money to pay for their passage north, and Captain White put them ashore at Bellingham on the British Columbia coast.
It is said that a strict construction in Canadian customs laws makes this a grave offense, and that there is a fine of $50 with all costs attached. If the money is not paid within thirty days, and the Laurada is caught by the Canadian authorities, she is liable to be confiscated.
This 1903 incident highlights the precarious nature of early 20th-century travel, where a lack of funds could result in immediate stranding across international borders. It mirrors modern debates over border security and the humanitarian crisis faced by migrants attempting unauthorized crossings, though here the 'migrants' were likely just broke travelers rather than refugees.
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