Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-16
cline" STORES ARE QUEER.
United States aud Canad dian Govern
ments Look with SUSPICIOUS Eyes on
Este blishments Built Exactly on
the Boundary between the
Two Countries.

What arc called Zine stores" which f.
many cases are so designated by large
sign boards, are a well-known institution
along the boundary between Canada and
Maine, says the Brooklyn Eagle rho gov
ernments of both Canada and the United
states look with suspicious eyes upon
! these stores, and there has been more or
less talk of joint action to prevent the
erection of any building upon the bound
airy line.
| Tho line stores on the Quebec border are
usually built exactly on the boundary line
and are double stores. The boundary line
Is marked by iron posts. and sometimes a
store is built over one of these posts
which protrudes from the middle of the
moor.
There Is a door on each side of the line,
| with which line the shelves and counters
run parallel and thus there is a Canadian
store and an American store. each with It's
own entrance On the Canadian side are
lEanadian goods, such as woocns hlanke is.
dress goods readymade clothing, fur
coats and robes, carpetinE, buttons. sugar
and some lines Of hardware. on the Am
erican side are cotton goods, prints, Yam
kee notions. tobacco. iewelry kerosene oil
etc, and on this side farm produce Is tax
on in exchange. The Canadian and the
American goods arc kept each on their
ov n side and no attempt is made to con-
| ceal the fact that both are there. The
! Canadian customer can go In at the Can
adam door, purchase Canadian goods on
the Canadian side and go out again with
out having crossed the boundary line at
all. and the American customer can do the
same on his side. but while the storeiccp-
ers keep the two classes Of goods sepa-
rate. they do not ask the customers any
| questions, and they can buy al either
counter and make their exit by either
door
Stores of this kind are chiefly found on
the line between the Province of Quebec
and the States of Vermont and New Hamp-
shire and the northwestern part Of Maine.
but they are not unknown on the line that
divides northeastern Maine from New
Brunswick. They are always mile gem
orally several miles. from customs house
station. It is related that one man who
built a line store took up boundary post
and did not replace It. He afterward sold
out and moved away, and the post was
set down at random by his successor.
| Sometimes a store is on one side OF the
line, with A warehouse exactly on the
lire. There a few manufa curing in
hustries located on the lire including. it
Is said. ono that makes patent medicines
and requires considerable alcohol
On the Maine and New Brunswick line
the stores are mostly devoted to the sale
of liquor. There was a rather notorious
resort near Houlton. known as the cline
House, where men gathered from ArOOS
took county towns on Sunday to drink
| "imported' LIQUORS. One night the place
took fire and was burned much to the re.
lief Of the customs officials and the re-
spectacle residents Of the locality.
In some places there are two stores.
separated by but few feet and connect.
ed by board walk. by which goods can
easily he transported from one building to
the other. 1t Is very convenient arrange
ment for people who don't mind lodging
the customs laws. A provincial man can
s'er across the floor to the Maine side and
buy some tobacco, and a Maine man can
move across to the New Brunswick sido
and get liquor, all under the same roof.
Farm produce can be changed from Cana
dian to United states produce in short or
der. A manufacturer can get raw mater
ia from both sides. Canadian produce
can be exchanged for Yankee jcwolry or
notions. Canadian woolens into Ameril an
Cottons, and SO on.
Of course. II is not admitted that the
line houses were built for smuggling pur.
poses-but they are there. right on the line
and IL would he a great relief to the TWO
governments If they were not there.