The Pensacola journal., 1906-04-08
HOW UNCLE SAM
GATHERS HIS
JUST DUES
Every Vessel Carefully Searched
and DutiabIe Articles Sealed
Up by Customs Officers.

Three hundred and eighty seven
vessels inspected last year at Pensa-
cola-Total import duties reached
SELL 02-Smuggling amost un-
/ known.
There's a steamer coming up the
/ bay said genial Glib" Moreno, pilot
Of the revenue cutter Penrose the
other day, as he gazed thoughtfully
through telescope, the business
end OF which was directed towards
the entrance of the harbor, ana as
soon as a good stopping place was
reached in the everlasting game of
dominoes with which the inspectors
and occasional friends who drop in
az the Barge office from time to time
engage to while away the idle hours,
preparations were made to board the
vessel and see that Uncle Sam got all II
that was coming to him in the way of
Customs duties.
Lieutenant q! l. Bryan, Capt. No
reno and two Of the inspectors on
duty at the time went on board the II
revenue cutter Penrose, which for a
number OF years has been assigned Il
| to revenue service in the harbor of
liPensacola, the lines were cast Off
and the little vessel started down II
the bay, in a short time coming
alongside Of the steamer which haGlI
! just arrived and placing the two in
spectors on board for the purpose of HI
searching the vessel and examining
her papers
One Of the inspectors went into
the cabin where the captain pro
duced his sailing papers, clearance
and manifest of the cargo all of II
which were carefully gone over,
| while the other began a systematic
search Of the vessel, carefully inves-
! tigating every nook and corner Of the
ship, including cabins, forecastle and
hold with such thoroughness that II
nothing escaped, no matter how
small. Every article on board the
vessel not destined for the port of II
Pensacola which, II landed would be
dutiable, was sealed up, even the
wines, cigars and other articles for
the captains table being sealed in
such a manner that nothing could be
touched without the knowledge of
| the customs authorities. If the cap
! tain, at any time during his stay in
| PORT, wanted a bottle of wine from
his private stock the only way he
could get It without subjecting him
self to heavy penalty was by max
ing application to the customs in.
spectors, who would then dole it out
to him, making a record of the fact
that certain quantity had been de-
! livered. and after delivery sealing
| the balance up again. In addition
to this, every vessel having on board
either cargo or ballast is sealed up
at sundown, the seals being taken off
the next morning.
Beyond their routine duties the in
spectOTs and revenue cutter officers
have little to do. as smuggling is al
most unknown at this port. Several
years ago a little smuggling was in
dulged in, but the vigilance of the
customs inspectors has made it un
profitable. Occasionally a box or
cigars Is picked up, or a stray bottle
of foreign wine or whiskey found,
but such fines are the exception
rather than the rule. In order to
prevent possible smuggling at night
two inspectors are on duty from sun
set to sunrise whose duty it is to
patrol the docks and waterfront.
Dnring the year 1905, 263 vessels
arrived from foreign ports and 124
from American ports. all of which
were duly Inspected by the customs
officials on duty at Pensacola The
total receips from import duties for
the same period were S9,611,02, which
was derived principally from inn
ports of Sulphur Kainit, Mahogany,
Salt an6 Muriate Of Potash. Otherl
articles formed but a small proper
ton of the imports.
Uncle Sam, in addition to keeping
a sharp eye on the imports of the
pert keeps an eye open for expense
as well. and every pound of coal,
every drop of oil and each article of
supplies used by the revenue cutter
has to be accounted for. In addition
to this a record is made every time
the Penrose leaves her dock showing
where she went, why, how long she
was gone. distance steamed, coal
consumed on the trip, etc, etc. This
record is written up in the form of a
daily log which is transmitted to the
department at Washington. The in
spectors also make daily reports, the
latter being filed at the Pensacola
Custom House.
During the unpleasantness last
fall all vessels were inspected at
Quarantine and an inspector was
stationed there for that purpose
While he was out of the danger
zone" his assignment was not one to
be enyied and he was glad to get
back to the city again. after the
Trouble was over.
OF course, a larger part of the
vessels entering the port of Pensa-
cola come here for cargo, but all are
treated in the same manner by thel
customs nspectors-each one being
carefully searched whether she car
ries q cargo that is dutiable or
whether the cargo consists of rock