The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-01-19
Clever Devices Of SSmugglssrs.
rom the Lewiston Journal.

From the Lewiston Journal.
After a few puffs from his cigar
Bath man who is interested in ship
ping began an anecdote. ''Cap-
ftain," said he, "that story reminds
me of something in about the same
line in which / was interested. A
friend of mine, who was master OF
large ship, promised he would bring
me home some excellent liquor on
the next voyage he made, and he ac-
companied the promise by the boast
that there would not be any duty
paid on it, either. Well, 1 had not
thought much about the matter I'M
til one day / noticed in a boston pa
per that the ship had arrived in
port. But the next days issue of the
same paper contained an interesting
story of the manner in which GUS
tomhouse officials discovered that
about half OF one of the spare spars
which the vessel carried was hollow,
and that the hole contained fifteen
gallons of liquors: l never got my
five gallons and my friend got four
months in jail, while the ship made
the next voyage under the charge of
the mate"
A little, short man now took up
the conversation, and said: 81 re-
member a pretty neat thing once
which was done in this very port only
a few years ago by the captain of one
of the ships of the Houghton fleet.
He came across from Liverpool, and
on the voyage he treated the sailors
unusually well-so well, in fact. that.
when the captain asked twelve of
them, shortly before going into port,
to do him a little favor, they readily
consented. The result was that when
the ship was moored to the wharf
those twelve sailors walked ashore,
each with an imported leather shoot
ing coat on, under his own rough pea
jacket. The captain followed them
to rendezvous, where the sailors
Invested themselves of the English
coats. The captain set EN- up all
around several times and parted from
his sailors like an old friend"
No sooner had this anecdote been
concluded than another old sea cap
tain, rich and retired now, broke in
quietly with, eyes, that's good
scheme, but it don't always work. 1t
didn't when l tried it, anyhow. You
see, was in England and l bought a
handsome shawl for my wife, who
was not with me, paying $50 ($1OO)
for it. When / got into New York, l
asked the stewardess of the ship if
she would wear the shawl ashore for
me. She said she would, and putting
it on, wore it over the side and out of
the reach of the inspectors. l fol-
lowed her ashore, but when over
took her well up town, the hussey re-
fused to give the shawl back to me,
and threatened to call a policeman
if / attempted to take the shawl
from her. What could l do? /
couldn't prove that the shawl was
mine, and so | was obliged to stand
there and see that woman walk off
witha 500 shawl that | had writ
ten to my wife about. You may
believe that l never tried anything
in that line again"
A hearty laugh went round at the
captain expense, and as soon as it
had died away the the mate of a
large four-masted schooner, now
discharging in port, spoke up: "Two
years ago" said he, II was mate OF
alarge ship, with Capt s., of this
city, as master. In Birmingham,
England, one day, we both pur-
chased silk umbrellas. They were
very good ones, and we paid $12
apiece for them. We came across to
New York, and after we had been in
port a few moments the captain and
myself started to go ashore. The
day before had removed the cover
ing from my umbrella and had wi ped
up all dirt / could find in my room
to make it look old. The captain
had thought this precaution unneces.
sary, and we started ashore, hav.
ing mine all waving in the wind and
the captain having his wrapper
round it and done up in it's original
package as well. An inspector stood
on the wharf, and as soon as we had
passed him he turned and followed
us. He stepped up to the captain
and took his umbrella away from
him, and later in the day the captain
was fined $25 for petty smuggling,