Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-04-02
Smuggler's Devices.

You viii be surprised to hear of the
curious assortment Of dutiable articles
that are intercepted in the steamship
mails from foreign postoflices. said q
prominent official of the custom house
to reporter for the New York Morn
ing Journal
The post is fayorite medium with
persons in Great Britain, France. Ger
many, and other countries for SHINING
presents to friends in the United States
The senders do not think of the dnties
to be paid when they forward their
packages, but under the customs laws
aud regulations presents of merchants
able value are classed as dut able. like
goods imported in the regular way.
Iradesmen in London, Paris, Berlin.
and other European capitals use the
mails pretty freely to send samples and
goods OF small bulk to American Gus
toners
Ladies' find an easy, cheap, and
safe way Of putting into letters and
newspapers articles of fashion, knick-
knacks and mcmentoes from the old
world. The mails are also used for in
territorial smuggling, but it is some
times difficult to distinguish between
smuggling andlegitimate importations.
Diamonds, watches, the precious stones
and Jewelry of all kinds are intercept
ed by Mr.. J. NJ Wilson, of the post
Office bureau. Not long ago pack
age which was directed to Maiden
lane diamond-dealer was found to CON
tam several thousand dollars worth of
uncut diamonds. He paid $500 duty
on them. Hundreds of packages con-
tanning t's-eyes, rubies, canoes, in
tagios, emeralds, and sapphires sufli-
Gent to stock 4 good sized jewelry
store are constantly received
'Laces, kid gloves, silk stockings,
six handkerchiefs, and other light ar
ticlcs are enclosed in newspapers and
pamphlets. They are inclosed SO that
it is hard TO detect them. A pair of
silver sardine tongs going to Califor-
ma was recently found hidden in a
package Of pamphlets. In an English
newspaper were discovered ladies' silk
stockings, one black and one red. Ac-
cording to the revenue law these might
be taken as samples and entered free.
trick was suspected and the articles
were detained. The next steamers
mail contained newspaper addressed
to the same person. In it were folded
one red and one black silk stocking to
match the others. The lady to whom
they were addressed lived on Murray
Hill. She was sent for and paid the
duty
The genial official also told the Jour-
nal reporter that old bibles and books
were used to send watches and other
jewelry, the leaves being cut out and
spaces'hollowed out to hold sthe snug
gled articles. One book arranged in
this way disclosed, on being opened,
three gold bracelets, two watch chains,
two lockets, a set of sleeve buttons, five
gold pins, and two necklaces. This
collection was on its way to lady in
Cincinnati. 1t was appraised at 1884,
One mail will bring the first part of a
book and the next mail the rest of ii,
but this trick for getting books in free
is rarely successful, and many authors,
clergymen, and other professional men
have come to grief in their efforts to
secure valued volumes at Il slight cost
About the holidays the mails are
heavily burdened with dutiable goods.
The advantages Of putting goods
through the postoificc over the regular
way of importing is that no brokerage,
warehouse, carriage, or entry fees are
required.