The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-16

former stables? Or who is to know 1t IL
live stock is driven along nttle-frequented
goods are delivered TO willing and uascru-
pulous co-operators on the American side?
But your real up-to-date smuggler is, /
sm $ sIgf ofrend Say' II she Mei1 We're 0d Described HSsd as
a criminal. In fact, she is not a criminal
at all except in the opinion of officers who
observation. Of course 1 don't mean to say
that men do not also smuggle goods by
means of their personal baggage when re-
turning from abroad, but really the most
cheerful, matter-of-fact, yet ingenious
%smuggler is a woman. and the medium or
evasion of the law is not a schooner or A
trunk. so much the better. The owner Of
the trunk or trunks may be the most con-
scientious person In the United States, and
she may be .punctilious in all the matters
of ethical observance which go to make
up everyday living in the city of New York
and other respectable communities, but
she doesn't mind bringing a customs in
spector with IS for the purpose Of having
her new Paris gowns passed duty free. Re
spectacle women have been arrested for
that sort OF thing before now, although
that is not a common occurrence. and they
have invariably been shocked and even in
dignant that the law should call such
Il have no doubt that the government
still loses many thousands of dollars a
year on account of dishonest entries of
goods in passengers baggage. The matter
has recently been revived by the preferring
of charges against a number of inspectors
at the port of New York by Collector Bid
well. A man who was collector at the port
of New York not many administrations ago
told me that the public. even the Treasury
Department. does not realize the difficulties
TO be commended with In regard to passen-
gers baggage at that port. He said TO me:
Not Ions, ago a most respectable and
well-to-do lady of my acquaintance in New
York came to my office and said that she
had just returned from abroad. Then she
stated the business that called her to my Of
flee. She had purchased while in Europe a
number of expensive gowns and some
gloves and lace. The total value of the
goods was perhaps 1880. Then she re-
she supposed the dresses and things could
be brought in without any charges" and
asked me II / would not do her the favor
OF. looking personally after her baggage.
since. and / was thunderstruck. AS soon as
L got over the state of rattles into which
she had thrown me l managed to say that
l was bound very. strictly by the law and
In a huff. though her good breeding caused
her to show IT simply by a rather cool good
morning and an air of having been dis.
Obliged by someone who ought to oblige her
view, as / judge by her manner when / oc.
c~asionally meet her now, and neither have
/, but our points of view in the matter are
apparently as far apart as ever
customs inspector IS or SO IL she hadn't
happened 10 know the collector as a person.
al acquaintance. and the act wouldn't have
troubled her conscience a bit more. The
spectors Is now on in earnest, but the
abuses are a hard matter TO deal with. The
inspectors get only 81 n day, and there Is a
lot of temptation for them, and. besides
some of these inspectors. together with
many other citizens. believe ii is all RICH,
TO cheat the government"