The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-05-14

unusual to see Il large, portly gentleman
drive up to the tavern door just at dusk,
order his horse to be ''put up'', and after
taking supper retire for the night leaving
orders to be called early in the morning;
he invariably came from the east. 4 rigid
examination of him and his surroundings
would have led to the discovery, probably,
that the plump saddle on his horses back
was stuffed with sewing silk, that silks
and satins were hidden between the two
backs and fronts Of his sleigh; that the
false crown in his hat concealed q pound
on more Of needles, and that his trunk
contained nothing but his comb and tooth
brush and lot OF old newspapers. The
lean, lank, shad-like guest who appeared
in the early morning would hardly be
recognized as the portly gentleman Of the
night preceding, and the increase in the
weight Of his trunk during the night was
truly miraculous. 1t was singular fact
that all travellers of this character when
they left here took the back route for the
west; all the revenue officers were sta
toned on the shore route.
Large quantities Of foreign merchandise
were smuggled across the river at and
near Bucksport. About three miles this
side Of the Ferry was Shute's tavern where
nice supper could be had at any time on
call. An invitation to Il revenue officer at
this place to take ride to Shute's behind
span OF spanking bays was irresistible.
While he and the owner of the bays Were
enjoying their supper the bays We're
harnes5ed to another sleigh and the Uls2ts-
pectlng officer rode back with cargo of
merchandise sander his feet which had
never paid tribute to ''Uncle SAM: his
presence was guaranty to all other Of
tlcers, that no search was necessary. Gill
the generous, whole-souled Gill''-and
/ his span Of bays enjoyed a refreshing sea
son here until peace was declared and
then disappeared as mysteriously rs they
came
One more incident of the smuggling
era, which will be remembered by few
who We're not indifferent spectators on the
occasion, must be recorded. A prominent
trader, whom we will call MI p, occu-
pied the old telegraph building, keeping.
us the sign indicated, q variety Store
Two of his friends came in great haste
one afternoon and informed him that the
revenue officer was coming to search his
premises. There was time only for n few
words between them before the officer
came in and informed p. that he had come
to search his cellar for smuggled goods.
L. flew at once into II towering passion.
apparently, denounced in most violent
language all spies, intormers and revenue
officers, concluding with the assertion that
any man who attempted to search his
cellar would do 50 at the peril Of his life;
all which only served to satisfy the officer
that he was on the right track. At the
same moment that he began to raise the
trap-door leading to the cellar, p. rushed
to the front door of the store threw it
wide open. then to the fireplace from
which he seized a large brand, and scream
ing at the top of his voice, .'Powder
every man look ont for himselfm flung
it through the opened trap into the cellar
and rushed into the street the officer at
his heels Several individuals who We're
standing in front of the store alarmed by
the cutlery joined the stampede. which did
not terminate until all engaged in it,
p. on the lead, had nearly reached the
old lanyard opposite the Court House,
There all came TO q halt and stood mo-
mentarily expecting the explosion which
was to send the ''N ariety Store and con
tents on an aerial excursion. After while
the officer began to suspect. from the
tlttering about him, that he had been vie
timized and deliberately retracing his
steps he re-entered the store and proceed
ed to make thorough search through the
cellar but found nothing liable to seizure.
1t was not long afterwards that he learned
indirectly, that while he was running for
dear life and waiting torthe explosion, P's
friends had adroitly removed through the
back cellar door quite a number Of suspi-
cious looking packages and deposited
them elsewhere; but it was a long time
before he ceased to be reminded of the
''PoWder Plot and his grace for life