Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-25
WHISKEY,

New York Sun AS the Aroostook river
hides under the bushes and drops deem
in its hanne to escape from the blind
ing sunlight, the smugglers, who are al
ways on the lookout to earn a dishonest
dollar, find new fords along the pebblv
waterway, and by a little risky DRIVING
are able to dodge the revenue officers
and raise the price of Canadian whisky
from $1.75 a gallon on the New Bruns-
wick side to $3.50 in Maine, and do it
all without going more han a mile or
two out of their way. Nearly all Of the
smuggling is Ion late in the fall or in
the winter on the ice. Big carts are
laden with potatoes, which pay a duty
OF 70 cents a bushel. Inside of the load
are from six to u cases Of whisky, hold
ing II quarts each. The duty is paid on
the potatoes, and the whisky, concealed
in the middle of the load. is admitted
free. Liquor put up in stout arthe
Jugs that can Withstand a heavy pres
sure is pressen inside of baled hay. and
let across the line for 50 a ton. Small
SPECTATORS, who are too poor to own
or too shrewd to risk a horse and WACO
IN the business. conceal case of whisky
IN pushes along the New Brunswick
shore and wait until the inspectors go
away and then carry the contraband
goods over in boats. Some families do
nothing but travel to and fro between
the provinces and Maine. bearing bot
tied goods inside their clothing. These
IuI SIiitt FISK, ana are content with
small profits.
Two weeks ago a jigger with four
horses attached crossed at a ford a few
rods below the village and drove up the
street to the office of the deputy coll
lector. There We're two large heavy
driver said We're full of whisky. He told
the officer that he had sold the liquor
to a discharged railroad foreman, who
was selling it to the lumbermen and la
borers in Frenchville. AS the river was
very low he had taken advantage Of the
ford to save paying ferriage. which
would amount to 81, a considerable sum
for a poor teamster.
"Ahm bin want leave one barr'l here
for you make sure re pay" said the
driver. You keep re beeg bar'l heem
hol' so gallons; you an Aim bin go
long an sell re 65 gallons. Bimeby. wen
Aim come back. Aim pay you ale, an
take ze barl way me. Comprehenez
vous?' .
It is a custom for poor men who carry
no money to leave a portion Of their
goods as hostage for the payment Of
duty; 50 the officer made no objection,
taking note of the contents Of the bar
rels. and keeping the larger one until
the teamster should come and call for it.
The driver had promised to be back in
week. When he began to ask questions
he learned that the team had returned
to New Brunswick two days before, and
was then on it's way for the woods,
where it was engaged for the winter.
Il have got the whisky, anyhow"
said the collector, and that win sell for
at least 81 a gallon at auction, which viii,
more than pay the duty on both casks
That evening he invited a few friends
down to the warehouse to help him sam
pie the large cask. They bored a hole
in the head and pumped out about two
from mouth to mouth every man said
it contained some of the best water that
had ever been taken from the Aroos-
took river. The innocent driver had
sWlndled the United States out of $3.50
and escaned back to his home in New
Brunswick, taking his cart and horses,
theh only things that could be attached,
along with him. The officer has asked
to be transferred to some more healthy
from malaria.