The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-08-19
VACATION SEASON.
Our Chicago Correspondent on
Summer Resorts.
Effects of "Doing" Europe A Clever
Smuggling Dodge - Hotel Fare in
Country and City-Getting
Close to Nature.
Especial Chicago Correspondence.l

Especial Chicago Correspondencel
The summer vacation season is at its
height. All who can afford the time
and expense take their week or two, or
a month or two. ''off'' about this season.
Some who went early are beginning to
come struggling back. Even some
summer trips to Europe have been fin
ished and the pleasure seekers have re-
turned to work.
tits a strange thing this running off
TO Europe for q summers outing. Il
shows how strong remain the bonds
that still bind the American to the old
country. There IS still q good deal of
the old colonial spirit extant ttot binds
one 20 the metropolis, the mother state,
for that is the meaning OF the word.
An American, provided he has the
means. thinks no more of trip TO
Europe than Of an excursion from Chi
ca-o 20 san Francisco. He Just takes
a Jump across the Atlantic for a few
weeks. and ne never thinks that lie is
doing anything unusual
How different in Europe. II 4 Euro
peau goes to America he makes his VIII
before he starts and takes an ever
lasting farewell Of his friends. for he
knows not whether he Will return TO
them this side Of the grave. Such is
the sentiment. if not the intelligent
conviction, and we know that our
emotions are stronger than our intel
lects.
Speaking with friend few days
ago regarding his trip to Europe from
which he had returned only recently,
the conversation turned upon the an
noyapces caused by the inspection Of
travellers goods by customs officers
He compared the trained officials Of a
European government with the poiiti-
clans employed in New York. and the
comparison was not favorable 70 the
New York officials. In that connection
he told a story Of one of the clcverest
smuggling tricks ever perpetrated.
which don't think was ever published
before.
The New York revenue officers re-
ceived dispatch signed with the name
of their agent in London announcing
that a clever smuggler would leave on
q certain steamer, and that he carried
about thirty thousand dollars worth of
diamonds concealed under 4 porous
plaster on his back. Of course the New
York officers were on the lookout when
the boat arrived, and a custom house off
Ger in citizens clothes called Mr.. Jones
that name win do for the story-aside
and said he wanted to speak to him.
Have you anything 'dutiable about
your person, Mr.. Jones?" he asked.
NO, sir"
''Well, am sorry, sir. but you have
been reported to US and we shall have
TO search you"
3Tr. Jones kept his nerve through this
ordeal.
4 don't find anything" said the
officer but am sure you have some
thing about you. You viii have to
strip"
Mr.. Jones quailed. He protested
against the indignitv, but without
avail. lie was obliged to undress.
Still the officer found nothing. At
last The porous plaster on the SNUG
gler's back appeared to attract the
officers attention. It bulged out in
such a strange fashion.
THAT porous plaster VIII have 10
come of, ,7 said the officer.
But, my dear sir, the plaster was
prescribed by my physician. ! can't
take It off" faltered Mr.. Jones, now
thoroughly alarmed.
Makes no difference. Wen get
physician to take it off.
50 the porous plaster was taken of
and under It was found a large amount
of diamonds which were promptly con-
fscated. Mr. Jones was allowed to
depart for the west.
The diamonds were examined and
found to be paste. Instead Of thirty
thousand dollars they were not worth
ten dollars.
Here was 2 conundrCm. Was the
smuggler himself swindled in buying
the diamonds? The mystery was not
cleared up till some months later. when
a letter arrived from Mr.. Jones, writ
ten at some little place ii the north
west. The writer explained that he
sent that cable dispatch from London
himself in order to deceive the New
York customs officers and put the paste
diamonds under the porous plaster To
carry ont the scheme. The real dia-
monds, which were actually worth
thirty thousand dollars, he carried IN
bar of soap and smuggled through sue
cessfully.
The celebrated summer resort eli
mate of Chicago did rot live up to its
reputation until long after midsummer
this season. Still I cannot help wonder
ing why people go ont into the country
the way they generally do or 90 to the
fashionable summer resorts from the
region around the great lakes. What
recreation does one find in going TO 4
little town where it is Just as hot or
hotter than in the metropolis. and
where he is not used to the ways OF peo-
pie, and tries to keep up city manners,
city diet and city comforts. If there IS
a hotel it viii not give him country
food 1t viii attempt to give city TODD,
and not being able TO keep expensive
cooks and walters viii make a failure
OF 1t. / have often thought If the coun-
try hotels would only give their guests
plain but good country diet, instead Of
making abOrtive attempts to initiate
the tables of the first class hotels Of
Chicago, they would satisfy their guests
much better and make vacation il
the country more wholesome and enjoy
able. What summer tourists need
above all is change mean change ii
their mode of life, although the other
kind of change" IS also necessary.
Why does not some country hotel or
summer resort try this experiment?
In the central part Of Illinois is a