Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-11-10
CHEATING CUSTOMS.
VARIOUS WAYS OF DEALING WITH
THE INSPECTORS.

Near"-At tue forts OF some Foreign
Countries-costis Tobacco In France.
On the promenade deck Of an Atlantic
steamer, westward bound, one often secs
groups Of passengers engaged In converse
tlon Of apparently more than ordinary gray
ity. The same Is noticeable in the smoking
saloon and tween decks. Certain charac-
teristics Of such conferences unmistakably
betray their subjects. Old ocean travellers
say they can tell 1t at glance. They would
much sooner take chances on guessing
Alright In such a case than the pools on the
ships run, for there IL certain wistful
peering into the future about II. a mixture
Of nervous apprehension and brayado that
Is always present Once correctly ding
nosed tho symptoms seldom fnil. In such
a conversational group It's 10 to 1 its mem
bers are anticipating their experiences in
the cuHtomhouse
On the eastward trip the subject Is OF lit
tie Importance People carry little 10 the
other side, and the search Mt English ports.
at least, is not very rigorous. Bound for
an American port, however, the case is
vastly different. The trunks below are
filled with bric-a-brac and treasures from
fascinating aggregatious Of pretty things
in European stores, and IL becomes the try
toms officers shall be- passed.
1t is inevitable that some such advice as
this will be heard "Put 60 bill In an en-
velope and lay 1t on the top OF the trunk
which you intend to have first opened. See
that that particular trunk Is the first one
TO be examined. Then when the officer lifts
the cover he will see tho envelope, and with
the remark, Pm glad to see you know the
usages Of this port will pocket 1t aud put
his hierOglyphics on your baggage without
my further trouble"
A very sensible little pamphlet distrlb-
uted on most OF the north Atlantic steam
ers gives this advicei Don't attempt TO
NEEDLE with the customs inspectors. 1t
don't pay"
Nevertheless It is one OF the commouest
things aboard ship to hear reservations OF
such things being done, and that II ~ ex-
pected by customs inspectors, Peculiar
difficulty Is encountered in pinning such
n statement down to credible basis OF
fact, however, and it Is undoubtedly truoof
most persons coming 10 United States
ports that they neither bride uor attempt
10 do so.
A fairly crcditablo story OF n New Hamp-
shire man Is told, 0prOpu4 OF the bride the
DRY. In the popular parlancu Of his native
who habitualy are 'little near''-that is,
penurious. lie was rich and had become
30 by saving Shrewdness on the side Of
economy was his financial system It was
told OF him that, having bought q street
car tickets for 81, he would sit at the head
of the car and when the cent fares were
passed up from hand TO hand he would
pocket the money and put tickets in the
| cashboX. Thus he would make 3 cents on
every dollars worth OF tickets The story
| has been told Of good many besides the
| New Hampshire mau, but IL serves Just us
well to illustrate this individuals oharnc-
ter.
lie was bound In to New York from
| Cuba, When he went on shore he followed
| In the wake Of a mnn who, as alleged,
slipped bank bill into the hand Of tue
inspector, saying, i've got quite guam
tity Of cigars here, and am anxious get
an early train home to"--
IAN right" the inspector Is alleged to
have replied, and, chalking the mans bag
gage, he went on his way rejoicing.
The New Hampshire man had observed
the affair, and, approaching the same in.
Hpector, he said, 1--WE got about the same
quantity of cigars that man had, Pm in
| Just about as much hurry as he, but
haven't any money! The story goes that
his luggage was passed quite a. perfume
torlly ~ that OF his predecessor aud that
he took the train for the Granite State, con
graduating himself that New Hampshire
Yankee is as good as New York customs
inspector my day,
Whatever the facts may be, there Is an
impression quite generally prevalent on tho
other side that u gratuity ludiciCusly pre-
sented obyiates annoyance at the custom
houses on this side very materially, Such
opinions, however, have usually come to
the speaker second hand, lie has not
learned the fact Of personal experience. A
careful observation OF the operations, es.
peoially At New York, where by far the
larger portion OF passengers from Europe
are landed, strengthens an impression to
the contrary Of the above opinion. There
is certainly no port on the other side where
disngrceable duty Is performed with
greater courtesy or with more apparent
honesty than In Now York There is moth
ing in the looks or behavior Of the men to
suggest corruption. Theirwork is certain
~ performed more thoroughly than at any
frontier in Europe, save possibly that OF
Russia The search is made quietly, intel
ligently and with much patience and tact.
Across tho water the customs regulations
do not greatly bother the average traveller.
Al British port he Is asked II he has any.
thing to declare, and his luggage is exam.
med In n most perfunetory manner. Lilo.
nor and reprints Of English books arc
mostly sought At French and Italian from,
tiers, les douaniersh ask for "tabac" The
temptation To take tobacco into these coun.
tries is very strong, In both countries the
government holds a monopoly OF the man.
ufacturo and sale OF tobacco Havana ci-
gars are obtainablo In Paris at enormous
prices, but pipe tobacco, the good old Viz.
ginia leaf that Americans like, Is unobtain.
able for love or money.
The French government permits half a
pound 20 be brought in II declared. But II
oneis caught smuggling a duty of Il francs
per pound Is levied. aud fine OF several
times the value Of the goods may be inGict.
ed. a bright American, who should have
known better, recently undertook 10 Snug.
gle quantity Of his favorito brand OF pipe
tobacco by hiding Il In his shoes IN his
trunk. He was detected and detained. HIS
tobacco was conhscated. aud he paid NJ the
rate Of $50 pound ON the small quantity
he had with him for the experience, Still
so great is the demand in Paris for Ameri.
can tobacco that much is sent in in little
packages marked samples Of no value, "
In newspapers, and In the pockets of accom-.
modating friends.-Boston Herald.