The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-07-17
How Flora McFlimsey HOOdwinks
Uncle Samuel.

There was slight futter 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 ap-
praiser. That gentleman had the cover
removed and looked into it. After re-
moving several integuments of wrap
ping and tissue paper, his eyes lighted
upon ravishing pink silk that would
| make sensation in the finest drawing
room in the city. He looked again at
the invoice 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 moderated.
The bill was from one of the most
fashionable millinery establishments of
Paris. He glanced again at the direc-
ton on the box, and read the name of a
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 a
most elegant and costly complete bridal
outfit. There were. besides the we'd
ding dress, bal]-dresses, house-dresses,
street-dresses, carriage-dresses, travel
ing-ts.esses, complete suits with per
feet little loves of bonnets" to match,
and all the mysterious Peraphernalia OF
feminine attire. The drapery sharps
lost their breath in astonishment and
admiration. When they regained 1t
they began to compare the invoiced-
- l. 4,
A pink silk dress was valued At 500
worth at least 1, 500. The other dresses
were undervalued by tie invoice in a
still larger proporti61. The loves of
bonnets were PCT down at 40 francs, and
were worth 9S1ess than 100. The aggre-
gate valuassion on the invoice, which was
Dased Gh the milliners's bill, was $500
fra2es, when it should have been at
least 18, 600, and was fixed by the APP
praisers at that sum. The dry goods
experts retired to their stores, and the
custom house officials held ecret con-
clave to see what should be done. The
penalty prescribed by the revenue laws
in case of undervaluaticn extends to
the goods, which are confiscated and
sold by the government.
The duty on this kind of goods is 60
per cent. ad valorem. In case of an
attempt to defraud the revenue, such
as appeared to have been made in this
case, 20 per cent. additional is imposed,
and in case of confiscation, the owner
can only get the goods by paying the
appraised value, the 60 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
sigL ed, were satisfied that he had not
knowingly been party to the attempted
fraud, and consented to allow him to
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 now
sporting the gorgeous attire and turning |
envy. It was claimed by the owner and |
and other trimmings were bought by |
them In this city and sent to the MILL |
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 number of
wealthy citizens here who habitn ally
import their dresses and millinery from
Paris or undervalued invoices, while
the regular houses have to pay the reg
ular duty of 60 per cent. on the full
value of their goods imported.-lSdn
Francisco Chronicle.