The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-26
SMUGGLER'S LAST TRIP
THE TURNING POINT FOR \ YOUNG
MAN on FHE BORDER.

From the. New York Sun.
In the smoking compartment of a Mon
treal sleeper bound. for New York one
night last week were half dozen men
discussing politics, the service of the road
and the possible annexation of Canada
As the train ran across The line into the
United States one of the men looked out
of the window With the interest of a man
seeking familiar scenes. There was just
light enough for him 10 see that the long
ditci1-mar1ed farms of Canada, with their
stone houses, had been left behind and
that the less picturesque farms of the
states stretched out from the track. Set
Ting himself back in his seat and includ-
ing the other smokers in his audience he
said:
rms country hasn't changed in twenty
five years, except for the Introduction Of
this rdilfoad. I was born in this neigh
borPool, and although it sounds like a
queer admission, UP to the time I was %
years Old l spent much of my time in
smuggling wihskys brandy and alcohol
across the lines. For various reasons there
isn't much of this, sort of thing done now.
Probably the chief,reason is that it doesn't
pay, and then again, ii is moi looked upon
as respectable. My father was engaged
in theasame business before me, and sew
eral Of our neighbars, good churchmeh,
were in II lfp 10 their eyes, and ii is not
strange that my conscience didn't begin TO
work on this subject until one of the re-
spected citizens of a nearby town was
convicted and sent to prison for smus-
Cling. The government made an example
of him, and although all of his acquaint-
ances regretted it at the time, it has
proved a good thing.
Didn't the customs officers interfere?
Well some Of them did conscientiously
when they got "a chance, land there were
p-enty of them ali along this line who
only made a bluff of Interfering that de-
ceived no one except the government
knew one officer who was in the business
himself. AS a young man I thought that
smuggling was. all right e and it never oc-
Cured TO me that 1 was a thief l haven't
done any OF 1t since Coming through this
region has brought back some sof the old
experiences. There was then, and / have
heard that there are now, many stores
putt along the line, so that one-half
should. be in Canada and the other in New
York state. This made it easy to SNUG
gle in small artieies, 4outaat the same time
the customs officers mad to watch these
stores closely or lose theiE jobs.
Il worked a better scheme than that.
When | was 16 years old my father. whose
farm was in the neighborhood, gave me
fast mare She was very fast for those
days though she wouldn't be Worth talk
ing about now. I. buiitea light two-wheel-
ed sig for her, and 1 defied any officer
| along the line to catch me. They all
knew that was smuggling, but none 2.
| them could get the proof. Ny method W.
simple. l would ,leave home about dusk
in my gig and drive leisurely across the
line to a little stone hotel. where received
my liquor. The pace was known to be a
depot for smugglers. and suspicion was
/ always directed toward any man who fire.
! quented Il. The proprietor was a French
Canadian and as shifty as an Indian. On
| the ground floor of his house was dingy
| dining room and opening into it a very
/ respectable bar ro5rff for Lower Canada.
! The bar itself was of mahogany, and back
/ of it stood an Imposing array of ale kegs.
1 The proprietor's name was Dumas, and
/ his imagination was as fertile as that of
/ his illustrious name-sake. It pleased him
! to fool the customs officers and he did it
] in many different ways. Dumas kept his
/ liquors in long, oval-shaped kegs in his
I cellar. There was no reason why he
shouldn't have as big stock on hand as
! he chose and whenever inquisitive Gus
] toms officers cafde over the line on spying
/ expeditions Dumas was ready to take them
into his cellar and exhibit his stock. Not
until five years after had left the Snug
! Cling business did The officers discover that
| one big. cask in Dumas cellar was simply
| a blind that concealed the entrance to a
tunnel that ran to The Barn thirty or forty
feet back of the house
THAT was the keynote of the smuggling
! scheme Time and again / have sat IN
Dumas barroom drinking ale with fell
lows whom l knew to be spoilers sent to
keep tabs on me, while Dumas man, Ma,
/ hoe my lxae Of fO11
| through the tunnel and into the barn. My
gig was fitted tip WITH hree heavy straps.
| SO arranged that d key could be held by
them closeup under the seat BY slip
! ping the straps clear to one side l could
easily drop the keg If were closely press
ed When everything had been arranged
Madore would come into the barToem
whistling. Thst was my cue TO order
| my horse htched up. When that was
done / would, saunter out to the bar, get
into my gig and drive out by a back road.
| once / started / knew that no customs
officer could catch me. The customs spot
ters who knew that Dumas kept his luiq-
uors in his cellar. and who had watched
| me all the time and had seen nothing TAX
en- from the CELLAR concluded that ! had
| been bluffed out Time and again l work.
ed that game and many a long dark ride
have taken to land my stuff safely. II
the officers decided to guard a certain road
had good friends who would tip me off
X and sometimes I have been forced TO drive
ten or fifteen miles out of my way t.
| evade them one night when two of them
got after me and my horse was tired out
] saw that / was bound 10 be overhaulea
I / drove into the ditch slipped my straps
and dropped the Reg, and then l logged
along waiting to be overtalen. On came
the two officers with their horse blowing
heavily.
Halt, now, shouted one of them, 'or
we win shoot We've got you this time
=" What do YOU mean? ] answered
stopping my horse.
''The officers drew un alongside exam
ined my gig and pockets and then the
| spokesman said:
" That's all right. You can so ahead
| We were just fooing.
II told them that they could go ahead
| and l would follow when l got good and
| ready. Off they drove swearing at them
selves and at me- and as soon as they
were out of hearing I drove back, picked
no my keg and landed IL safely.
'"The government knew well enough tina,
there was smuggling going on up here
and they sent along a special agent 10 spy
It out. He was a smooth one, and he