Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-11-12

How Uncle Same Custom. omssrs Cap
ture Contrabsnd Cigars.

How Uncle SAME Custosns 0niesrs Cap
ture Contrabsnd ciEsrs.
"The ways Of smugglers are peculiar,
but the ways Of custom house men can
more than Guido them, remarked the
purscr Of Havana line steamship.
"You know" he added Relatively, "a
man who visits the Wet Indies and ap.
preciatcs a One cigar seldom comes back
10 this country without making an ut
tempt TO do some quiet smuggling. OF
course the contraband articles are cigars.
1t may not b. because he !. mean, but
the duty IL stiff, and can easily imagine
with what pleasure n box Of cigars can
be passed around among few friends
with the Recommendation, Boys, Uncle
Sam never received any duty on these,
and can youch for them 1 have been
there myself.
"The shrewd deputy Of Uncle Sam
understands all this, and In addition,
The chancos arr he appreciates n good
cigar rs much rs we do. OF course he
makes a thorough search Tor dutiable
goods on the arrival 81 oil our ships. but
there are, he thinks, many little ways by
which he can be avoided, and travellers
ART not long In finding them out.
"Thia does not worry our friend. the
customs man. for his arrangements, al
though most simple, do not fall far short
Of perfection. lie knows Of the where.
Hbouis OF every large lot ~ cigars which
leave Havana. aud when we arrive here
has, IN all probability. u complete LET Of
tho number we have ON board and the
named OF their owners
"You don't believe a. Well, never
theless u Il fact. When smuggling
was more Of business some years ago
than II l. now. a clever customs man de-
,clopcd q scheme by which the quantity
Of cigars smuggled In this port was re-
duccd 10 o minimum.
IAN agent u the department was
placed AZ Havana. IIc atraightway made
friends with the cigar dealers aud man.
ufscturers. This cost money, but the
game was worth the candle. Whenever
cigars were sold TO m American or an
Englishman, In nine cases ont u ten the
dealer delivered them, and politely In.
sisted on doing 70.
AT the request Of tho buyer they
would invariably be- sent on board bis
steamship OF 10 the hotel at which he
was boarding. In mi. way tho buyers
name aud address were Ascertained.
"Tho crafty Cuban would then make
memorandum NJ this seemingly WORTH
less information and send II 10 Uncle
Sans agent. Once IN his possession, that
man kept well posted In regard TO the
buyers movements, and on the day he
called Tor New York tue amateur Snug
glcrs name, description aud the number
Of cigars which no had were cabled To
the authorities herr.
mo faar OF detection bothered thu
would 10 smugRler. and on arrival hs
would give the customs mau the coldes,
kind " u bluff until a few facts aud
figures were ptrionicd To him.
DO they give up tho cigarsl Oh. yea,
but with mighty bad grace. and II all
tho customs men could be- par,lyzsd fol
The wishing, assure you Uncle Sam
would not have nm nhlcbodicd man In
the business II IL hard luck 10 have
some other inhn smoke the weed which
your money has paid for. but Il happens
more often than You imagine. The
goods are always ooniiscatel. and ths
amatcur smugglcr- arc lucky In getting
ont q bad hole, for smuggling IL M
oifense not 20 be trihed with.
"Oh, yes. there are dozens ~ ways by
which cigars could be struggled In thi,
port without detcctioni Int the practice
could not b. carried on long. NO III,
business has not grown. Sorry l cant
give you tomr inside information, but II
would be had policy
Then the smart looking purer reflect.
lively pulled a cigar which had never
paid duty.-New York sun.