Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-02-08
TRICKY SMUGGLERS.
SOME OF THE MANY SCHEMES
EMPLOYED BY THE.I.
How They Pass tho Customs OIL
GERS With Contraband Goods
Dry Goods Struggled OF
Sleeps Backs.
FEW years ngo the French
Government tried to utilize


Spanish frontier, but tho experiment
anI soon to be abandoned as worse
;han useless.
eff wo wnnt to train our recruits in
tho hardships of mountain cam
oaign," gaid Deputy from Oleron,
''3ho plan may answer tho purpose !;
out do not let us deceive ourselves by
tho idea that our conscripts from the
Seine and Loire could cope with tho
veteran smugglers from these high
lands. We might MS well expect sheep
10 catch swarm Of foxes" Tho re-
cults of the campaign. seom, indeed,
10 have justified that conclusion. The
activity OF tho blockade runners had
increased till tho border towns were
glutted with contrabnnl goods. In
broad daylight tho troops OF High
lnndcrs crossed the frontier with their
puck mules, while tho uniformed
guard were hurrying off on wrong
trail or guarding passes which tho
natives contriycd to circumvcnt.
Every mountain mist suspended the
operation of the soldiers. and in
mooulcss nights the bold contraband-
lists had things all their own way. On
ono occasion sentry i'll lonely
mountain gap was crcss-cxnmined by
horscman, who introduced himself
rs scout of IL mounted patrol, and bull
lied the pour recruit with questions
md specinl Instructions, while II bnnl
of montcros trotted by uuchallengel
md gained start which mado pursuit
useless when tho mystilicd soldier re-
ported his experience next morning.
Manuel Perez, noted leader of the
outlaws, boosted that he had repent
cdly interviewed the French officers
in their own tents, mud onco obtained
their permission to have his mules
shod mt the camp smithy.
There is hardly auy bulky article of
merchandise that has not been made u
vehicle of smuggling lighter but more
valuable articles. Rum and spices havo
been shipped in logs of dyewood /;
laccs i'll bundles of flax and shapeless
Jumps of resin. Chinese opium has
been Struggled through in such in
gcnious hiding plnccs that tho Cali
forninns have to probe every chunk of
dried meat and every tea chest with n
protubcrancc suggesting tho possibil-
| ity of IL double bottom. Ono pigtail
man in British Columbia shipped tho
precious drug i'll tho pcctoral cavity
of salt fish for months before his trick
was discovered, but was yet outdono
by Belgian sharper who made drove
of sheep smuggle n cargo of expensive
dry goods. About II dozen lean weth-
ers had been shorn to the skin about
mitlwnys between headquarters and
neck, then wrapped round and round
with silk and laces, we'll protected
under stratum of dust proof linen
anil covered with IL strip of woody pclt
that had been clcvcrly fitted to the re-
mains of the animals natural fleece.
In troop OF stout rams these silk
bound contrabands looked entirely I'M
suspicious. and would have fooled the
most vigilant officials for years if the
trick had not been revealed by the as
snult of II vicious dog, who caught IN
extra fat sheep i'll the flank and sent it
flying down the road unrolling yard
after yard of glittering satin.
Tho douanier, who had passed the
| liNc olOClAF VI biiub iilti, WIS bO oCNClClJ
rcprimanded TINT he not only lost his
faith in the living generation, but
stopped funeral procession the very
next week: "Hold on therel Not a
step further till [ SEQ if that corpse
isn't mummy with stuffing of point
| lnce i''
Swamp iungles form an all but in
cxpugnablo base of operations for
smuggling enterprises. The opium
pcdtllers and pirates of the Chinese
Sea land their cargoes in small BAN
boo RATS that float like corks and can
be run across shadows that would STOP
IN ordinary boat. Once in tho midst
of their coast thicl1ets they can defy
pursuit. Tho mixture of Jungle
shrub and canobreaks cannot be
set on fro. even in the driesl
season, and is so impervious
that those not familiar with tho deer
trails might spend days in trimming
out path of half milo and withal
expose themselves to the fire of am
pushed foes.
Tho Mexican revenue officials ex-
perienco similar difficulty on the
const of Tamaulipns, between Mata-
moras and Tampico. Their raiders arc
cxcellentIy armed, and go in boats
with bullet proof glInwales, and fur
nished with canned provisions and
portable camping outfit, but the SUI
perior Typographical knowledge of the
smugglers outweighs NIL those advnn-
tages, and tho best the raiders can dc
is to scare the contrabandists from the
neighborhood of the larger ports, and
obligo them to transport their plum
der through coast lagoons with count
less "portages. Some of tho mcr.
chandise imported in that way is said
to come from jamaica, and net the
smugglers an advance of 100 per cent.
on the British market prices.
A still more profitable traffic is car.
ried on via FL Paso, from Guaymas OF
the west coast of our sister Republic.
With all the restrictions of her com
mercial policy, Mexico beats us hollow
in the liberality of her immigration
Laws. She welcomes Mormons and Mo