, 1879-05-27

CURIOUS STORIES OF SMUGGLING.
L<tstrs Npar1,

CURIOUS STORIES OF aMTQGI1NG.
L<fsHTs Noar1.
Perhaps tho oldest phase Of smuggling (for
smuggling II really was) was patont In prae-
tice which prevailed for scvoral years In Dover,
nnd wna carried on openly In full view Of tho
psoyentiycs anl all tho inhabitants Of the town.
About 1Slg-90 the fashion casne up Of wearing
Lcghorn bonness Of oxorbltant d'mcnslone.
They we're huge straw plalts. nearly circular,
mud averaging about yard In diameter; theY
sold In England ut two to three or more
guineas each, according To, their quality, nnd
nearly half their Cost was the uuty paid on i'm.
porting them. Nov, according to the Inv, duty
Ia not domnndab|e on any article Of dress worn
b; travellers. a clover dealer tn Legllorns con-
trlvel to profit enormously bY this Law. Flo
hired numerous troop Of tile poorest
women and gtrlat-ragged, squalid, md
wretehnd-lookiug creatures they were, to
be Bure,-and paid them almost q nominal leo
Tor accompanying. hlM daily In bis voyages
to urd from tho French coast, contracting with
tho Captain of ono Of tho steamers for 6eaaon
ttcko.s for the whole Of them. lhe troop ree9n-
larly left Dover ia The morning with scarcely .
hatdful of bonnet on their heads; they tlincd
at Cainis, II they could sfTord to llue and came
bnck In the afternoon, two Or three score OF
them, each With brand-now LeRhorn Of fullest
pocket. On lalldlng lhcy were ali marched to
,hs sPeculator's warehouse, dcu9ded of their
a hundred times at least have sccn these for-
loru and tattcfcd purvoyors Of fashion both
going out and coming H., mud l could tcll tue
boat they travelled by while It Was Jet miles
uuder cloudy sky would 9ltmmor ltka s.reak
Of sluall!nc Gro tho hull Of tho vessel was dis
"A fofIn q smuaetng, j" says writer iu tho
die out, te TINT pract'ced By tourists, who think
| 1t allowable to ahtrk paying duty on thtuga
which they lsayu bought for tl1eir own use.
Public 1noruls on thFs poiut arc slightly elastic,
to think TINT nothing them 70 declare
volumcs ct Tauchnltz, cases of eau do Cologne,
yards Of Lyous suls, Or pieces Of Brussels lace.
liete Is story which will t'lustrasu femtnine
| moral: 4 Boleinn BRIDEGROOM, beiig about to
start for Paris on hia bridal tour, was informed
by l,is bride thAt She thought Of conceallnE apY-
| eral thousand francs' worth OF lace about her.
hoping bf It's sale TO pay tho coat Of their jour-
MY. Tive bridegroom was not su,i.tcn will; ths
frugal project. Aud polluted out that there we're
Custom-Heuso officers aud fenalo searchor
at Ercquel'ncs who wero sometimes struck
poeee9 4s s '' ssia bsE
. tlas!d man. ,and hAs bride, to hu1nor
him, promised to give up hor plan, but
then sto aecrpted tho lace at the sane time
|
aporuaehcd uio French frontier, the husband ~
acctou that II bis wifc we're not searched his
| fears would bo Knocked at N having been
eroundless, nnd fo would start on his married
career With prcstlao Impaired. This waa not
desirable; rather 1t waa essential that he should
from tic very outset asscrt his infalIbilitY. So
! whet the trnln stonped At Ercquellncs mud the
passengers aftghted the belgian bridegroom loft
Ills htde' & ar,n tor u.oneut, and, sitling up to
duuanlcr, whispered, i think il yun search
tllat lady vo.,ae1 you mar find aonte laco,' The
douanior wlnkcd; the happy bride was accostcd
| with tl.e Invitation to walk into the Een,ule
seareter's room. She turned pasc, tottorou, but
was led away, md I've tainutea later dismal
tiouan!cr rcappearcd, and said to the horr1flcd
] husband, 'Thank you, btr; itsa good capture,
| The lady will 10 taken to prison, and half the
f'nu will 70 to you.' THIS was painful adren-
turc, but It oocs not follow tint All husbAntls
are 10 tneoasidcratr, nor that all laaies who
smuTgfe luce are caught.h
A more amuslne auecdoto On thle subject waa
lately told at public dinner by NJ. Ferdinand
Dnvni, Psefect Of tlsc seInc: Hc said that tho
ocsro! 'nen Of Paris. who !evy t',s municipal
hut that, haylg hoastcd Ut their merits, be {t..e
rrefect} bad bceu caught. friend VI his, Te-
siding at st. Cloud. had mado . small bot A,at
lle would introduce dig into Paris III hla
n. puval took tlo bet, unA stret orders warc
Gtveu at all the gates af Paris to look out for
tho brougham Of the frcnd in question. With
| IN less tdau week, however, thu Frcfect FG-
ec!yed the sun, OF 10 centpcs, GdIllg the amount
Of duty leYtab]a on . pig, INA request to como
and asausn himself that the 9uat3rupel had bcen
successfully smaugfe1 tp. 1t turned out tLAt
the Pig, killed and asa'ded. had been driven into
Paris seated tItua'pl'antly on the box beside ths
starr with soma axIty at plump woinyn whsn
they behold them I'LL catEtage.hoxes.