Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1890-11-15
CRAFTY CHINAMEN
HOW THEY ARE SMUGGLED IN
TO THE UNITED STATES.
Clever Devices Adopted by the
Smugglers to EIude Detection
and Revenue Oficers-Smug-
Cling Opium Across the Border.

There are two routes which smuggleTs
use to get Cinnamon and opium into the
United states. One of them is over |
land ana tie other is by water, On Puget
Sound. The routes are used as the ex-
~i@cncies Of the occasion demand-the
destination Of the cargo or Us the presence
OF officers ncccssitates, such g presence
always being made known to the snug
gIcrs by their principals in town. The
start III either case is from the same
point Vancouver or Victoria. Van
couytr IS on Puget Sound, British Column
bia, ana IS the western terminus OF the
Canadian Pacific Railway, which runs
eastward to the Dominion Of Canada.
About three times "a month steamships
arrive at Vancouver from China with
cargocs Of Cinnamon. The average car
90 Of opium is q. 700 pounds, and some
times larger. A portion OF the opium
is retained for the use OF the Chinese
population Of the district and the re-
majnder, nine tentEs Of the whole import
alton. i~sslnus4l,d into the n;ted States,
50 the British custom officers say. OF
the Cinnamon who land ninety five out
Of eycry hundred are bound for the
1HIltiI tNtlt'S iilh Gct titFIFt
Upon arrivlngat Vancouver the China
men are taken IL charge BY their resident
countrymen in the Chinese portion of
the city. In a few days they take pass
age for Victoria, Just across the Sound,
on Vancouver Island. Here they re-
main. quietly bi,ling their time for an
opportunity TO get across to the Ameri-
can shore. They are divided into little
squads of a dozen or fifteen and are in
charge Of some crafty old Celestial who
Knows the ropes Zach man has put
up from So TO so passage money,
The guide keeps his countrylnen well
out Of sight. Their craft are ut anchor
IN the harbor-trim, clipper built little
sloops, with IA great spread Of canvas,
but looking innocent enough with the
the cabin, aud a lazy waterman stretched
on the deck smoking his pipe. The
master and his men are up town looking
out for bargains. If all is propitious and
the wind far the Chinese padrone makes
a bargain for tn. transportation Of so
many men across the Sound that night.
shortly after dark the Cinnamon steal
quietly out Of town, and, striking off to
the southwest, begin an all night tramp
across the rugged country, following in
single file narrow trails through the
woods, heading for some landlocked
bay or inlet III the Straits Of SAT- Juan
de Fuca. which connects Puget Sound
with the Pacific Ocean. About the time
when all IS quiet III the harbor and there
is no sound but the braWling aud %revelrv
from the dance hou.eS along the shore
the sloop silently steals cut OF the har-
Dor. Before day breaks tue smuggIer
has dropped anchor in some quiet cove,
the sioop resumes her appearance Of a
fishing smack, while the captain goes
ashore to consult with his Chinese friend,
after posting Il man with a glass on the
headland at the mouth of the cove to
watch for the possible coming Of the
only revenue cutter in those waters, the
Nalcott, a wheezy old craft that can be
outrun by any smuggling sloop in the
| business.
About shutdown the Cinnamon come
aboard and settle themselves in the slooL
Tor the nights run. All hands keep on
the lookout, while the poor Cinnamon
crouch together III the bottom of the YES
81. If the wind fails or if there are in.
dlcations Of revenue officers around the
s!oop puts into one Of the humorous isl
ands iotting the Sound, where there are
huts and hiding places, and waits fol
another opportunity. Then they watch
their chance to make a landing on the
American shore, where the Chiramer
are tumbled out, turned over to another
guide and hurried back up the country
on their way to the numerous towns il
| Washington.
Other consignments Of Cinnamon LAND
at Westminster, in British Columbia
Just north OF the border. From thi
place to within sixty miles east there ar.
twenty trails, good for eight months in
the year, 10y which the men can get into
the United States. There are huts anl
hiding places all along the route. TIL
native inhabitants usually belong to tn
ring. and every facility is furnished
the smugglers, while every obstacle i
thrown IN the way Of the customs offic
c.s.
There is still another route of entr,
for the contrabandists. Taking the Can
adlan Pacific Railroad at Vancouver tn,
Cinnamon proceed east until they ar
north of the border of the States of Dako
Ia. Montana or Minnesota. Thence the
make for the American border, which i
only from forty to eighty miles away
They have their well-worn trails, thei
huts and rendezvous, and the smuggler
are always on hand to guide them acres
;he BORDER.
The larger part Of the struggled opium
comes into the United States bv wav @
the Canadian Pacific, while nearly ever
week some little band of Mongolian
steals into the land Of promise from til
railroad stations.
Probably the heaviest traffic in bot
opium and Cinnamon is carried on in th
n~el-hboFhood Of the Lake of the Woods
a8Iar@e body Of water lying partly i
British Columbia and the United States
north Of Minnesota, on the numerou
-cht and passenger tea.ner and lum
<ssr boats and smaller sailing craft whicl
Ply thea waters. Once safely landed o.
the Minnesota shore the men and thei
cargocs easily make their wav int,
Chicago, y. Paul or any OF her railroad
ceutre.