San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-04-27
BETRAYED BY A BIRD.
The Singing of Canary Arouses the
Suspicious of a Customs Officer.


Suspicious of a Customs Officer.
Everybody has heard the old SAYING,
"Given away for an old song" but came
very nearly being given away bya song
few years ago.
At that time was living in a little Ca
madam city within hundred miles OF De-
troit, and as was about to visit the City
of the Straits, | accepted number of COM
missions from acquaintance to bring them
back various articles they needed. | and
a few of my friends desired to get some
German canaries, and their price being
high, we dubbed together to buy dozen
at wholesale rates and planned to escape
paying any more duty than was absolutely
necessary.
Accordingly one fine morning 1 crossed
the river on the ferry boat carrying my
canaries and armed with receipted bill
from the accommodating proprietor of the
bird store for one dozen female canaries at
twenty-five cents each instead of a dozen
males at $3.50 each. Marching into the
little office on the Windsor dock l laid
down my bill, when the official informed
me that under new regulation issued by
the department on the 1st of January every
bill had 10 be certified correct" by the
dealer before it would be accepted by them,
and that | would have to go back to the
store and get that done.
l was diSmayed, for | only had about
fifteen minutes to catch my train, but after
losing about five of them in fruitless en-
deavor to persuade the custom house officer
to accept the bill as it was | started back
to Detroit, leaving my stock in his charge,
not without some misgivings as to the wis
dom of my doing so, but fearing to arouse
suspicion if | took the birds away with me.
In about half an hour was back again,
with my bill duly certified to, only to find
that the officous custom house officer had
torn part of the wrapper from the cages,
Ostensibly for the purpose of giving the
birds more air, and that as soon as he had
done so one of them had commenced to
sing, which ne considered very suspicious
proceeding for female canary to indulge
in, and wanted to investigate thoroughly.
Then / had a bad quarter of an hour, in
deed.
However, cited numerous cases of fe-
male birds | had known to sing, and after
he had subjected me to the ordeal of sew
eral penalty laden oaths, he had about con-
cluded to accept my money and allow me
10 20 III peace, Wueu Ilc lcdGuSISu HllSSIC-
ant struck up again in tones loud and
shrill enough for the whole dozen, and my
officious official said he guessed had bet
ter go to the big custom house at the top
of the hill and see his chief.
By this time | was wishing that the
canaries and the officious official were all
at the bottom of the river, but having gone
so far had to brazen it out to the end, so
| accompanied him to the sanctum of her
British majesty's collector of customs, and
after undergoing a severe cross-eXamina-
ton in ornithology and a new series of
blood chilling oaths was allowed to leave,
with the intimation that they would re-
member me, friendly sentiment which
concluded that thoroughly reciprocated,
as it would certainly be long time before
1 forgot them. then returned with the
officious official to his little house on the
dock, paid my much offered money, and
departed for the depot, there to wait two
hours for the next train, the misguided
though well meaning canary thrilling q
last pean of defiance as l closed the door
behind me.-Detroit Free Press.