Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1893-07-03
CANADIAN sMgGGLERs..
How Thsy oet Their Merchandise
Across Niagara River.

arn river, and nh Che watchfulness Of
government. agents sccas powcrlesS
| to prevent it," said q customs officer,
according tothe New York Sun. ''Tho
principal part of this border SNUG
Cling is from Canada to this side. Tho
only articles there is any profit in get
ting from this side into Canada FREQ
are kerosene and lager beer. Our
kerosene is SO much superior to tho
Oil made from Canadian petroleum in
every way, and il could be sold so
| much cheaper than tho native prod
uct, chat the Dominion government
levieS heavy duty ON it. Such Is the
case, also. with our beer. The BUSH
ness of smuggling these two articles
across the river is not so extensively
carried on rs it was four or five years
ago. as the Canadian authorities dis
covered the ingenious method by
which it was made an easy matter to
cheat the customs officers, and cstab-
lished regular river patrol with in
structions to keep an eye out entirely
for the detection of the oil and beer
free traders. But they still manage to
do q profitable business in this class of
smuggling.
Tho why the oil and beer nre taken
| across the river Is by wcighting the
barrels or kegs on one end SO that only
the head appears above water, and
that only for IN inch or two. A tow
of barrels thus sunk is attached to q
rowbont, which Il sllillful rivcrmnn
rows across ut night. If the river
patrol discovers the boat1nan, and the
latter is likely to be ovcrhaulcd, he
cuts the ropes that fasten the tow to-
his boat. The barrels arc thuscast
| adrift, and the smugglcr has nothing
| in his possession for which the officers
| may apprchcnd him when they como
up. These lows frequently escape de-
| lection by the government agents, as
the barrels float away in the darkness,
and neutrality-suspicious. of the boat
man, who has cut them adrift, hover
T ing about on the river, generally sue.
coed in recovering thcrn, and proceed
with them to their destination. In the
early days of this oil and beer smugEl-
| ing the points from which it was chiefly
| carried on were Lewiston and YounGs-
| town. The goods were taken to st.
GATHERINGS and other places on the
Canada side. Nowadays the smuygled
| goods can be landed only ct out-of tho
way localities where landings may be
| made secretly, and ell sorts of sub
terfugcs have to be adopted to dis.
tribute them successfully among the
| men who take the chances in dealing
| in them.
"Thcrc is no doubt but what there
| arc scores of Canadian merchants who
| regularly employ agents to snugglc
| goods purchnscc on that sidc of the
or 70 ,r.l1<~
American side. The number of people
who go to Canada and buy dress goods
and clothing, not to sell again, but for
| their own use, and arrange with the
merchants To deliver them duty free,
is surprising. Tho smugglcro who take
the chances OF delivering the goods ut
tho American points agreed upon work
on commission. which is division of
tho Sellers profits on tho articles.
| There arc miles of Wild and unmatched
river front, and the agents arc selected
for their knowledge of the country and
their skill in strategy and watcrcraft.
They work only on the darkest nigh is,
and use very small boats. If they foil
in landing goods in safety thcy get no
pay. So vigilant and expert aro they
that the percentage of their failure to
their success is very small. There ore
numerous citizens of tho Canadian
border conspicuous for their prosperity
who owe tho foundation Of their com
| petencies to the commissions they
gained in delivering safely Canadian
| goods free Of duty to Anne rican pur-
| chuscfs.
Eggs ind butter were formerly
hugely struggled from Canada to
American. markets, even before they
were made dutfablc. A small entry fec
was collcctabla On them, but the Can
adam traders objected to that, and
were In the habit of packing large
quantities of eggs and butter in loads
Of hay that were sent over TO this side.
The hay was subject I'd duty payment
| cff which could not we'll Be avoided,