The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-07-16
How Flora McFlimsey HOOdwinks
Uncle Samuel.

There was a slight fiutter at the GUS
tom-house day before yesterday. A
box from Europe, sent overland IN bond
IN the usual form, passed through the
hands of preliminary officials and came
| duly under the inspection of the APP
| pr8iser. That gentleman had the cover
removed and looked into it. After re-
moving several integuments of wrap.
! ping and tissue paper, his eyes lighte
upon a ravishing pink silk that would
| make a sensation in the finest drawing
room In the city He looked again at
| the iuv0ica and again at the silk to
satisf himself that his eyes had not
| deceived him. The two did not seem to
correspond. 1t was apparent that the
goods were underrated.
The bill was from one of the most
fashionable millinery establishments of
Paris. He glanced again at the direc
tion on the box, and read the name of
prominent banker of San Francisco.
Getting curious about the matter, he
sent out and secured the services of two
dry goods and feminine drapery sharps,
who are interested in the two leading
dry goods houses of the city. These
gentlemen examined the contents of the
package, and found them to consist of
most elegant and costly complete bridal
outfit. There we're. besides the we'd
ding dress, ball dresses, house dresses,
street-dresses, carriage-dresses, travel
ingdresses, COmpleta suits with ''per-
feet little loves OF bOnnets" to match,
and all the mysterious parapheInalia OF
feminine attire. Tue drape 'shacps
lost their breath IL aat3nishment and
admiration. When they regained it
they began to compare the invOiCed
value of the goods with their real value.
A pink silk dress was valued at 500
francs the draperv sharps said it waJ
worth at least 800. The other dresses
were undervalued by the invoice in a
still larger proportion. The loves OF
bonnets were put down at 40 francs, and
were worth no less than 100. The aggTe.
gate valuation on the invoice, which was
based on the miliiners's bill, was $500
francs, when it should have been ii
least Is, ,OO0, and was fixed by the ap-
praisers at that sum. The dry goods
experts retired to their stores, and the
custom house officials held a secret con |
ciave to see what should be done. The
penalty prescribed by the revenue laws
in a case Of undervaluatiCn extends to !
the goods, which are confscated and
sold by the government.
The duty ON this kind of goods is 90 !
per cent. ad valorem N case of an |
to defraud the revenue, such |
as appeared to have been made in this !
case, 20 per cent. additional is imposed, |
and in case of cOnfscation, the owner
can only get the goods by paying be
value, the so per cent Origi
nal duty and the 20 per cent. penalty.
But in this case the custOm-house au-
thorities, on being interviewed by the
banker to whom the goods were con
signed, were satisfied that he had not
knowingly been party to the attempted
fraud. and consented to allow him 10
take the goods on paying the regular
duty and the 20 per cent. additional.
The banker quickly drew his check for
the amount, and the lady owner is nov
sporting the gorgeous attire and turning
the hearts Of upper tendon green with
envy. 1t was claimed by the owner and
of the goods that the feathers
and other trimmings were bought by
them iu this city and sent to the milli-
ner in Paris, and that the invoice was
based on the cost of the raw material,
without regard to the cost Of manufac
ture. They disclaimed any intention
Of defrauding the customs. On the
other hand the leading importing and
dry goods houses com
plain that there are quite a number of
wealthy citizens here who habitoaily
import their dresses and millinery from
Paris on Underva!ued invoices, while
the regular houses have to pay the reg
llar duty of 90 per cent. on the full
value of their goods imported.-San
Er0llciscO ChrOnicLe.