The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-22
WOMEN EXCEL
N BUSINESS
They are Experts When 1t
Comes to Smuggling.
THE RICH ARE GUILTY
Queer Cases of FacinatiOn at
the Port.
THE RICH ARE GUILTY

| Has midday of the -Four Hundred
done any smuggling during the last year?
Does midday of the Five Hundred and
Fifty" expect to do any smuggling during
the coming year?
Uncle Sam will catch YOU IL Won don't
watch out He has already taken steps
TO put stop 10 your little receptions
and the custom house officials are fully
Informed on the subject of your artful
| endeavors.
Collector Stranahan has his agents To-
Gated in every corner and nook of the
world where milady does her buying and
| it is hardly probable that THE courtesy
| OF the port will do you much good
| The fact that you are rich in those
| possessions which make for social dis
| tinctions and entitle you to occupy a
place in the social register will not miti-
gate in your favor. if in the language
| o. a still living politician. you are
caught with the goods on
1t is best that you have a care
In this connection the Sunday World
has gathered many facts concerning pet
ty smuggling" as it is practiced by the
-Four Hundred" and as it is being prop
erly watched by the collector of the port
The array of information contained on
this subject has passed under the eye OF
| Collector Strannahan, who gives it his
Endorsement.
Picking a pocket by trick, an art that
may be acquired by any one possessing
alacrity and application. A pauper may
practice it in his own alley and become
past master in a village.
Beating the customs is science which
the touring rich have developed to the
highest state of perfection. This does
not imply that all of the rich who voy-
age indulge in the dangerous pastime;
neither does it diminish the Importance
OF the fact that the most artful of the
individual smugglers are well-to-do. 1t
is an occupation that requires close at
tention to details-details which frequent
transatlantic trips bring out in all their
relative Importance to the main achieve
ment-that triumphant moment when the
offender leaves the dock on the New York
side of the Atlantic with the impudent
air of one who has successfully evaded
the customs officials.
There are more ways than one to kill
a cat, and on the same basis of reckoning
more ways than one to Beat Uncle Sam.
Yet it develops that the cat is never en-
tirely undone more than Is the watchful
Government. Nevertheless. considerable
damage is accomplished, and the Urea
suTy department suffers.
These offenses, for some comparative
reason. come under the head of petty
smuggling" and yet they aggregate an
enormous sum of money every year. Only
d short time ago the crime-for It Is
crime-was INDUCED in to a degree that
was beyond reckoning but of late the
vigilarI eye of the government has been
turned searchingly on the matter. with
the result that the divers and sundry de-
ceptions are being laid bare and the cul-
prits are being dealt with in a fitting
manner.
While man is generally conceded-by
men-to be the superior of the two sexes.
he is infinitely the inferior of woman in
the art of getting past the custom house
with an assortment of worldly goods
which should pay substantial duty into
the Golfers of the treasury department.
What a man should shrink from in the
line of petty smuggling is a simple.
even delightful. undertaking for some
women. 1t can he classed under certain
conditions. a pastime.
Perhaps the ccmmonest method is that
practiced by those who resort TO the use
of the false bottom trunk. This con-
sists of a hidden department in one or
more OF the trays of a trunk or hamper.
so constructed that. while the superficial
area of the space represents the width
and breadth OF the trunk. it's depth is
seldom more than an inch. and frequently
less
1t is possible. however. to store in this
space many valuable laces. priceless dress
materials and diaphanous silks-enough
in fact. to supply the owner with from
one TO three dresses casual lnspec-
tiOe of the tray will not disclose the
deception. and unless an official reckons
on the cupidity OF womankind II will
frequently go unnoticed.
These artful devices are also common
10 grips jevel-boxes and pogder-b0xes.
and have even been known 20 exis. in
the bottom of the jars and crooks which
contain many a lady's creams and To-
lions. II Is a simple matter TO hide vaiu-
able gems in these toilet articles. and
inspectors often find it difficult to locate
the dutiable materials.
When a womsa-thst Is 10 say. one bent
on deceit-rnakes her declaration she in
dlcates a most amazing lack Of knovI |
edge as 20 what Is and what is not sub
ject to duty. adding the little 10 tina;
'rs7oet everything IN her possession which !
comes under the dutiable schedule be- !
longed TO her before she left America
]; is no; infrequent that abou; half the |
dresses that Ill the trunks would have 4
to be made over from collar to skirt 4
binding before they would come arv-
v here near fitting the osteasibie Ownerr
An investigation would prove that lars
percentage OF the garments were intsD1e
for friends relatives and countryu'e-
The bold courage q these women zhe1
such matters are under discussion Is cal
oUIated 40 stupefy the average inspector.
J. justlhes one IN the belief that Nun
chaGsen mus, have been q woman
Il Ia exceedingly uncomfortable. hut
nevertheless X Is effective a. means Of
deceit one under the Other. IL is not
unusual for a fran. sparely bE:ilt perEon
20 assume amazing Froportiens shortly
fefore the hour before ieavtnE the boat;
She may have On q High; xiIk garment
over thai a delicate null eTeslrg dress.
two or three fragile shi-r--ats,s. ard
for outward AID visible s3o-rreni.
handsome cashmere walking dress
The fact that f5e ensemble = 5ot par
tscslzriy dashinz = s1lrnporfaut under tn
circumstance. fke main object b@sSg 70
escape TIE cis,r~s<snr ceremony g: pay
lEx duty
Le>s thar SIX r7onfhs ago tao yc1ar
women wrapped the.r lirrbs IN vzIDsoAs
sDrz azS saocse5eS IN Arranging tee1r ]