The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-02-21
SOME CURIOUS THINGS SEEN IN
THE MUSEE DE lOCTROI.
The Thousand and One Fraudulent Ways
by which Smugglers Cheat the French
Governmental sleepy valet-The Pea
SAINTS Pumpkin-The Mummy.

more properly speaking, the museum oil
fraud IL illustrates tue thousand AMI one
fraudulent ways used by smugglers for cheat
ing the government.
Let us enter the museum. What spec
tacle What an incongruous medley OF
articles, many seemingly 50 out Of place AMI
vet all made for the same oGject-to rob the
state-and consequently the entity called 1.-THE
world and his wife
Under the guidance of our cicerone we be-
gan an inspection Of the curiositles about us
aud remarked with astonishmont among them
an enormous block of white marble, which
must have required almost supcrhuman
strength To move 10 say nothing OF the cost.
We turned inquiringly 10 our guide, who
smiled and asked us to touch the block OF
Carrara with our fingers. We obeyed, and
imagine our surprise 10 find that the enor-
nous mass weighed less than "A bundle OF
feathcrs Its history is as follows: \ freight
train arriving one day from Italy and
carrying six squares Of marble custom
house officer remarked an unusual indenta-
ton IN one Of them, aud suspecting that
something was wrong, had the bright idea to
break off "A corner with the aid of a hammer,
when, miracle the marble was sheet iron and
hid p 900 francs worth of Venice lacel
LOGS FOR THE FIRE.
Here in this corner is a pile of logs, ready,
tO all appearances, for the fire Error These
logs are OF metal ceverly covered with bark,
each end looking rs If it had been sawn Off.
They were found filed with cigars. Further
on rolls Of linen; hit them with your cane,
the sharp metallic sound will prove that they
arc simply cans tor alcohol Our guide now
drew our attention To n quantity % dinner
plates, four dozen in each pile, only the upper
and under twelve being intact, the remaining
twenty four having no bottom and fitted into
this long hole "a zinc can for spirits
At this moment We pointed out to our
cicerone a tall valet de pied in full livery,
>ated IN one corner, Lis arms crossed, his
head sunk forward on his chest, apparently
sound asleep Look at the doorsecper," we
remarked the intense heat has overcome
linn. and even our conversation has failed to
wake him Tap him On the shoulder our
friend smilIngly answered We at once took
advantage Of the suggestion, and could not
restrain cry Of horror, as the valet, losing
bis equilibrium, rolled on to the floor
DO not be- frightened" we were told.
This mannequiu has done good service by
Introducing ,urreptitiOusly into the country
quantities OF alcohol Feel him. he is made
IT zine, the head and hands only are made OF
wax, and so perfectly initiated as b cheat
nature herself To this cash in the skull we
owe the accident Of his discovery and cap
ture.
look at these millstoues," continued our
friend, they are tobacco boxes, and these
'tOurnures are made Of India rubber to hold
eau de vie. Admire this opulent breast
ia zinc Ii added 10 the charms Of "A
pseudo wet nurse, in reality a perfect
copy OF the skeleton woman, whose oaby
au0ber onel nourished itself off the eighteen
ntors Of brandy contained therein. That vest
there IN the corner made of baudruche gold
beater's skim and spotted with blood, was
found on poor devil of an engineer, killed
ia a collision II two trains. The poor fellow
couldn't even drink the liquor he was Snug
Cling in
POOR PARALYTGC
Guess the usage Of these two bladders
fastened together with carriers ana this pair
# crutches.'
f haven't an idea Of their USE
1T is very simple, however A poor para
lytic, crawling slowly and painfully along,
with aid OF these same crutcbe5--hOlOw and
Tiled with tobacco-passed every dag before
guards, carrying fifteen liters Of wlne. sub
jet 70 duty, under her skirts
As to this pumpkn-a present from an
octroi IN Normandy-it passed TO and fro
every morning for three months under tue
noses Of the 'OctrOyens,' among other yegc-
tables, when it, honest proprietor went 90
market Unfortunately the peasant omitted
to change his fraudulent vegetable at the end
Of the pumpkin season, and 1t was discovered
one day Tiled with cider brandy
As our interlocutOr spoke We stopped much
puzzled before an ordinary looking coffin, on
which was pasted a railroad bulletin.
All" said our friend suddenly you
notice that curious object from Marseillesi
During the cholera epidemic Of 1884 the en-
ployes IF the administration noticed cart
on which wa, a coffin covered with heavy
pail pass the gate every day. The men un
covered respectfully before this victim Of the
terrible disease, and drew back, holding their
noses out Of fear OF the microbes Time pass
ed the cholera also, and still the cart with
it, sad burden made its appearance daily and
at the same hour This regularity aroused
suspicion at last, and the fear Of contagion
having nown with the cause, one Of the
guards lifted the pail and discovered, not
corpse but mummy composed Of cigars"
But 1 should never finish were | 10 attempt
a description Of all the curiO-ites To be seen
in the museum. From the Paris Figaro,
by G.. l.. b.