She Was a Spy of Sorts

By Rick Nichols

Eva Florence Smith

     The Aug. 13, 1953, issue of The Oskaloosa Independent contained a front page story headlined “The Late Eva Smith Recalled In Saturday Eve Post Article,” a story that included the paragraph about Oskaloosa native Eva Smith that was part of John Kobler’s article “Smugglers are their quarry” for the July 11, 1953, issue of the Saturday Evening Post. Smith was the daughter of James and Nancy Smith, and among her several siblings were the multitalented Jennie Davis, the wife of attorney Brick Davis, and Alice Nowlin, a teacher and the wife of longtime educator Clifford Hiram Nowlin. Eva's oldest sister, Ida May Smith Van Cleave, wrote an account of their family's journey from Ohio to Oskaloosa in 1861. This story appears in the April 2026 issue of "Yesteryears."

     According to the story, the article by Kobler was “descriptive of the work of U.S. Customs agents,” whose ranks had included Smith at an earlier time. In explaining to his readers “the school of instruction” that was conducted for the benefit of these agents, Kobler had this to say:

     “Among the most effective operators the school has turned out are members of a select distaff group known as the Lorgnette Squad. The soubriquet derives from the first of them, the late Eva Smith — ‘Little Eva’ to every inspector in the port (of New York) — a tiny but vastly dignified woman who would roam the steamship piers pretending to be a passenger. Dressed to the nines and holding a lorgnette to her eyes, Inspectress Smith seemed to be seeking her luggage. What she actually sought was indications that a gown, fur or jewel worn by a returning tourist had been purchased abroad and was therefore dutiable. The stitching, on most foreign clothes is different from American stitching, for instance. Through her lorgnette — an extra powerful one — the implacable Little Eva could spot the differences at five paces. She could recognize the origin of a fur piece by the shape of the animal’s head or the placement of the eyes. Keeping her ears open, she often overheard whispered remarks like, ‘How do you like the ring Harry bought me in Paris?’ In such cases, an elegant lift of Eva’s eyebrows would bring an inspector on the double. None of her victims ever suspected what had betrayed them. ‘She was sensational,’ says Kennedy (head of the Port of New York Customs School). ‘She could mingle with the very best people, and nobody’d be the wiser. Lord knows how much they had to cough up on account of Little Eva.’ Eva’s mantle is shared today by six inspectresses, all of them as dignified of presence as they are acute of observation. The lorgnette squad, they are called.”  

This story appeared in "Yesteryears" in October 2023. The story of Eva's journey to settle in Kansas with her family when she was three years old appeared in "Yesteryears" in April 2026.

On Friday, Aug. 12, 1894, the Oskaloosa Independent printed a letter from Eva Smith:

     New York City, Aug. 8, 1904.

     Dear Mr. Roberts:—In glancing over the prizes offered for the Old Settlers' meeting in August, I see so little for the girls that I want to offer a prize of $2 for the most artistic tissue paper hat made, and worn, on that day, by a girl under 15 years old.

     If this meets with your approval I will remit in time for you to hand in the prize to the favored girl. I would suggest Mrs. Buckmaster, Mrs. [W.O.] Worswick and Mrs. [F.H.] Roberts as the judges, as I believe none of them have girls to compete for the prize.

     Regretting I cannot be there to see the parade and wishing you fair weather and a good time, I am

     Very truly yours,

     Eva F. Smith

     Studio 100,

     Carnegie Hall

The Independent reported that the prize for the most artistic tissue paper hat was won by Marguerite Patterson.

In addition to her customs duties, Eva Florence Smith was an artist who exhibited her paintings at several galleries in New York.