The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-10-25
! PASSING of CROQUET on +.
! THE MEXICAN FRONTIER :
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IN THE early SOS, at one of the Mex
lean ports of entry on the Rio
Grande, there lived number of Amer
leans largely interested in pushing for
ward American railroad enterprises
that were intended ultimately to con-
meet the capital of the Mexican repub-
lie with the cities of the United States.
For the first time in its history the
Mexican custom house located there
for the purpose of levying and collect
ing tariff for revenue only found it
self with something important to do.
Not only was the business created by
railroad construction considerable but
all these Americans were purchasing
on che American side of the river the
commodities requisite for their exist
ence, and, unless evadng the vigilance
of the custom house officials altogeth-
er, providing an occasional opportuni-
ty to Increase the receipts of the col
lector OF the port to an extent out of
all proportion to the original cost of
the articles in question. Whether the
amounts thus paid into the custom
house ever reached the city of Mexico
and served to defray any of the ex-
penses of running the government was
question on which the Americans
held opinions which they thought it
discreet not to express too vocifer-
ously.
The social conditions of the Ameri-
can colony developed to the point of
including married men with their
wives and families. This necessita{ed
the addition of articles of domestic
economy to the list of importations.
1t was under these circumstances that
one of the American families decided
10 send for croquet set.
AS in every case of the kind. prece-
dent necessity was to compute the cost
and see if it came within the limit of
allowable household expense. Croquet
was even then on the wane in America,
and the cost of a set in a mid-western
city was not likely to be great. To
the original cost, when finally deter
mined was added an approximate es-
innate of freight over 200 miles of
railroad. The result of this addition
was an amount equal to the cost of
croquet set in the palmiest days of that
game, and it was deemed wise to post
pone final action until some estimate
could be made of the cost of importa-
ton.
The collector of the port at that
time may for convenience, and more
particularly for the sake of brevitv.
be called Ell Senior Don Narcisso Nom
bre de Dios Noriega de Pacheco V
Biasquez. He was well advanced in
years. When approached on the sub
Ject of the probable duties upon a GRO
quet set he promptly declared his ig-
norance. What was croquet set?
"A game"
WAS it a gambling OUTFIT"
oh, no! 1t was very innocent
game. Ladies and children PLAY it.
IT is played with balls and maIIets"
WAS it like baseball. then?"
No, the balls are of wood and are
knocked around on the ground"
But he did not know anything about
1t, and the best way would be to get
the set, bring it to the custom house
and let the question be decided then.
The duties would probably not be
much.
1t was not very businesslike to order
the croquet set on such indefinite in
formation, it must be admitted; but
upon the inSstence of the Younger
members of the family. who had be-
gun to suffer from ennui in the stag
nant life of the frontier town. an order
was sent accompanied by a remit
lance; and upon the arrival of the box
freight was duly paid thereon. Then
the postponed negotiations a the Gus
tom house were resumed.
Ell Senior Don Narcisso Nombre de
Dios Noriega de Pacheco Blasquez
was sitting out in the patio of the old
adobe custom house, completely en-
veloped in great coat. Despite the
dry warmth of the midday air his coat
collar was turned up and thick cloth
cap was crushed down over his ears.
Under his visor could be seen his sharp
black eyes. his sharper white nose and
his pinched lips. Around him was gath
cred the entire clerical force of the
custom house, all deeply interested in
an Importation of unusual Importance
something to be classified and APP
praised with great care in order that
no wrong precedent be esta blished
The croquet box was brought in with
much state. as though it were gift
for formal presentation to the presi-
dent of the republic.
''Let the box be opened" said the
collector, and only those who knew
him well might have detected the
CLEAN in his eye betokening his humor-
GUS appreciation of the mock solemni-
ty of the occasion.
The box was opened at his feet. and
the attaches of the custom house gazed
at mallets, balls. stakes and wickets.
carrying on a whispered conversation
the while on the various things then
first brought to their attention. Now
and then they addressed question or
made a suggestion to the collector a ;
though to aid him in determining pre-
cisely how it should be classified and
appraised. As, for example. one sug-
gested that perhaps il was played like
billiards, and in such case might il not
come under the same classified tim DC