Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1898-11-14
SMUGGLING BY INDIANS
Those of North Dakota Are Unable TO
Understand an international
boundary Line.

The Indians in the northwest can
not understand the matter of the in
ternational boundary line, and can
not see why it is that there is q duty
to pay when they carry goods across
it. But they have been caught so
many times by the customs officers
that they have grown wary and are
now among the most expert of Snug
glers. They carry on constant traffic
across the line and never pay duty
to Uncle Sam or TO Canada.
Indians up in the Canadian north
west, on the other side Of the line, are
great cattlemen. Settlers are few, and
grass land is plenty, with an album
dance Of water, and the cattle thrive.
The best market for the cattle is on
this side of the line, here or at points
on the Montana boundary. Cattlemen
on this side would rather buy these
fat cattle on the northern side at the
Canadian prices and drive them across
to the Great Northern road, paying
the duty. The Indians, though ig-
norant of many things, are surpris-
ingly well informed on prices of stock,
and are not willing to sell north OF
the line for less than they could get
half a mile south of it. a bunch Of
some 400 fine steers turned up the
other day couple of miles west of
here, and Just south of the line. 1t
was easy enough to see that they had
not been in this country long; in fact,
the tracks of the herd were fresh from
the north, and the buyer, TO whom
they had been brought under q con-
tract made the season before, after
long palaver, was Immediately spot
ted by the customs officers and was
In dread of arrest and the less of the
entire herd. He expostulated with
the Indians, and attempted to explain
TO them the nature of the customs
laws and the penalties for their in
fringement, but all to no purpose.
They knew the cattle were worth so
much on one side and so many dollars
more on the other and that was all
there was to it. Finally he did prevail
on them to send the herd back. The
next morning the cattle were, on this
side Of the line again, but few miles
away and In big bunch of timber
Another entire day was spent in pala'
yer, the townspeople and customs Off
GERS coming out to see the fun ano
make comments on the buyer. Final
ly the cattle were driven back to Can
ada and there bought before they
could be again Struggled over the line
Along the line there is every chance
for the smuggler. The Canadian Pa
cific, running parallel with the line
and within easy distance of it, fol
1000 miles on one side, and the Great
Northern, occupying n similar posi-
ton on the other, afford every facility
for the rapid and quiet distribution O
goods that ought to contribute to the
treasury of one nation or the other
/ but do not From opium and China
men, the most lucrative smuggleC
goods, to tobacco and Canadian
whisky, the traffic goes steadily OF
sometimes in one way and sometime
in another. When the inspectors ru
down the cattle that are driven acros
$ and paid for, but in whose nostrils ar
= tinfoil tubes filed with opium, som
= other method is taken for getting tn
q stuff across, aside from that always 4
4 use, the simple walk across the blea
! prairie with a load of contraban
goods. 1t is simply impossible that tn
entire border should be guarded, an
g there are, as matter of fact, hur
d dreds of miles without an Inspector
Chicago Inter Ocean.