The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-06
FREE WlllSKEY IN CANADA.
TWO GCNBOA1S AND 4 CARDINAL
CAN'T CHICK ALCOHOL SNrGGLING.
n Drunkard's Paradise - High Wines
Brought from Bo~ton. Via 81. Pierre ISL
and, Are Htxcd Win Water and sold by
Tie Bcer &, Ass at Five Cent, "a DrIn.

hhu, ave 5stScu Win water ana sold by
Tie beer Casa nt Five Ccu,s Drina.
QUEBEC. Now 5.-During the sumner the
Dominion Government placed two eunboats
in the 81. Lawrence for the PURPOSE OF destroy
ing tho traffic in smuGglcd whakey. but tho
business appears to DO as !Ourishing as ever
Occasionally small cnrgoos arc seized. Seventy
barrels Of forty gallons each wero captured
the other day ut MNiIre du Loup. sixty at
Mingan flfty at or near Rivitre Oueile. and so
on: but the customs and excise officers and
gunboats are evidently unable to COPE with
tho big operators.
For years past nearly all the whiskey con-
sumed in the eastern part of this province
has been smugglcd. Most Of it is not whiskey
but watered alcohol or high wines. much
cheaper Us vol as much stronger than distil-
lery whiskey. The habitants and fishermen
call it "whiskey blanc In former days. be-
fore the smugGlers had begun to temper the
desrotism of tho distllers. small glasses with
thick bottoms were in use in the hotels and
bars. aud even then you wcre charged ten
cents. Bu, now whom YOU enterthe barroom the
barkeeper thrusts a beer glass before you and
tells you to help yourself. even to filling it
for > cents. Three or four such bcakers pro-
duce intoxicaton, so that the process OF
getting drunk is as cheap as it used to be In
what the habitant calls les Gonnes dnners-the
golden age when the earth yielded bumper
crops OF potatoes. and tho river flowed with
brandy smusEed from France. Cardinal
Taschereau has issued mdnde,ienis calling
upon the people to have nothing to do with
the whskey smugglcrs. and tho priests havo
done their best to interrupt the trade but to
no avail. There is no exaGgeration in saying
that the whole population between this city
and the mouth Of the Saguenay is very badly
demoralized.
Just now the whiskey sellers nre laying In
their winter stock. Winter is the season when
they make most OF their money. The fisher
men are idle. for the st. Lawrence is Ice
bound. and the habitants or small farmers
havo also to kill time for six months. Tho
ordinary barroom IN the lower parishes is q
small. dinGy room. with double windows and
red blinds. The bar is u counter OF rough
pine. Beer is not kept. nor any soft drinks
like soda water. nothing but whiskey. The
whiskey is slowed in kegs or displayed in
Griny decanters that contain bunch OF tansy
flowers Tho tansy is used as bitter"
stove capable of holding three or four sticks
or cordwood at a time is roaring like blast
furnace in the middle of the room. and round
it sit the drinkers. smoking acrid home grown
tobacco and talking over the events Of the
summer On the walls. which are plastered
logs. there Is sure to ',e Autograph OF DeX-
ter tro,tins mile t II 2;i7 something and
fortified town in Algeria or staying Mexicans.
|! tho whisky is sold in a, store. the sur
roundings are even moro wretchei: yet even
the interior Of u lower parish store, with its
littel OF dry Goldfish. harrellcd cells. and stale
arctic scene outside-the cheerless landscape.
deep snow. and ice-laden blasts from the
fToaen river , twenty miles T5I and more
pr32f, for Gghty cGn,s per gallon: or from that
tol ripl fhara 10 l,,.y rnnt tn
!h a at an yi SSas FIR
long drive. but. as one Of tho priests says. to
take Il in excess Is sure death :,
United states the cost Of proiurt,on heins
ahEut Tsnyiys cents rsr gallon 1t is
transferred to fishing and other vessels bound
for the st. Lawrence. OF course it pays no ex-
being exported. and the only charge at Muuc-
lon Is for storage and handling. Its imposs-
pie to form an accurate estimate of tho uuan-
quantity conveyed TO the coast OF Newtound-
land and TO ths settlements on the lttoral OF
oushy orEani2ei. In this part OF Canada it is
gents on 10th shores OF the ST. Lawrence and
along the Gasp peninsula They lit out
ssho;9pers in ,his port and At points below. os-
ers carry three or four hundred empty bar
relsanh make, straight for ST. Pierre. the chief
Islands belong TO France" the last vcstise OF
he,r. empire in North Amerien:
"A, At St. lierre the vessels take on three or
leave their empty ones for use. The Captain
has boon told where to land his cargo and is
met b. one Of the agents. who has arranged in
advance for its immediate distribution. The
landing takes place at night. USUALLY but even
larrols are rar,ed away to the whiskey deal.
ers. who hide them tor while, but many are
the money 1t is the business Of the agents.
also. to keepgn eye on TIL Government OIL
GERS and get the local politicians. to intercede
clans. some of more than local standing. ars
sleeping partners in, the business. and so. it
Is ,aid. arc some Of the oiicinie.
When tho market is oyerstockrd tho agents
o"caI ipnaily inform on themselves. Under the
Mh III the s'" t T" sdls I' RE 5 dS1 ty x 9
ihe smuyelod Article ,'e 20 over proof. the
iniormer gets share IT tho proceeds Of tho
hu-tncss Il dI!!. rhonuthortir. at ottawa have
altered the rcgulatiHns lately with the view of
putting s;"p 70 the practice. II lhe stuff
brought IN i WHISKY Proper. the duty l. u
good deal less NJ. thapI"au. the Munster Of
Customs. has left nothin. nndone o check the
renee is full OF islands aud "oyes. amid Which
the SmnGsl"r nns nothing 10 fear especially
him. he Island OF UIleans four miles below
this city, has the name q t,eins healrnar-
tors for the smuGGlcre. He Madame. lie mix
leauN. ste: Marguerite, Coan" Island. Goose
Island; and many other places also afford
the trade" while Their. is simply no end TO tho
opportunities for landing cargo ON tho north
and south shores all the way 20 Taduusac
The officials pl France AZ ST. Pierre view the
matter philosorhically Under their laws any
one Is ut liberty to store whiskry or alcohol
destined for export. provided ne rays the
warehouse charges and does not yiolat. tie
local r-gu ations governing import and sale.
The population Of the French islands. which
is about 5000. nakrS money out 0f the bust
nes-. The lanism:n handle the "arGo.s. The
gdipp~,nS. or small! sailing boats. can carry
twenty or thirty barrels each to the south
shore 81 Newfoundland. Tie ja'o'n,1is
s"hDOucrG Of ilttp tons which ply between ST.
Pierre and carr, ''rrt"n in MAYA Scotia, like
wise get somrthingto do, The profits n!nlo
bY'ihe CanWtians and Americans lave al.
tra'tcd the attention Of tln ny1." rms. or out.
Filters. who control the larg" fleet 81 fishing
vessels ihat come from rance "y"ry spring H.
'it'' at TIE Banks II hnwtPurdIAnd, an! II is
these vessels aud by tho suppiy 1hips which
Miuuelhn and French ports. and sent M the