Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1906-03-02
THE AMATEUR SMUGGLERS.
MOST IRA VELERS FEEL .JUSTI-
FED IN OUTWITTING AND
BEATING GOVERNMENT.


ments in Results.
If the arrivals on one of the big
liners were drawn up in rows on the
pier and searched, it Is doubtful if
five per cent of them would escape the
charge Of smuggling. The women are
said to break the law in greater num-
bers than the men, although the latter
cheat the Government of larger
mounts. The majority of women don't
understand the customs laws.
Said a nervous little lady on the
promenade of the Deutschland as the
tugs were pushing the big steamer into
the dock: 1--WE got two china salt cell
lars under my hat. Do you suppose
they'll hear them click together? They
cost cents apiece at the Palais Royale,
but they're so cute" ''Why you dear
old goose" said a business-like person
near her, I guess you'd jump over
board If you had my trunks to wriggle
through the examination. Just listen.
You know you're allowed to replenish
your wardrobe if you're gone a year.
When decided to go over twelve
months ago, just took all the old
trunks in the house, had eleven in all,
and filled most Of them up with the
stuff you usually send to the Salvation
Army. Thought some of them would
go to pieces on the trip. got rid Of
more than half in London, and bought
beautiful English leather trunks to
take their places. And the things I've
brought back in my replenished ward.
robe!" "But the foreign names on so
many dresses?" gasped the nervous
one. give ripped them out and sewed
in the names that were in my Old
dresses"
She was even cleverer than the white.
haired gentleman who confided to his
neighbor at table that he had brought
back some lace gowns worth at least
10000 francs ($6OO0) a piece that
were entered in a sworn invoice al
5000 francs each. But" said the
little maid at his elbow, won't the ap
praisers know the real value?" The ven
cradle sinner stroked his white beard
complacently: "Why should they sus
pect the invoices approved by the Am
erican Consul at. .......? All, they
are my very good friends at the con
sulate," he purred.
Real Syrian Rugs.
Even the steerage has its smugglers
There was commotion on the immi
grant deck of a French liner one morn
ing. Several hundred Syrians were
westward bound. One of them had
stolen roll of bedding from another
The officer to whom complaint was
made was not deeply interested
Hadn't the immigrant a good berth in
the Storage? Why so much fracas for O
bundle Of dirty rags that should have
been slowed in the hold? The com
plainant waxed desperate: Mother Of
the Prophet, his bed-of dirty rags! II
was of Syrian rugs, the best, q dozer
sent by a merchant of Damascus to hi
brother merchant in New York" Tht
duty on Syrian rugs is heavy-but who
would think to find them in the dirty
bedding of an immigrant!
A glove buyer for one of the big Am
erican houses used to bring back OF
each semi-annual trip, for his own pur
poses, twelve dozen pairs of gloves care
fully hidden in many pockets Of hi
coat and overcoat. Almost every touris
who can afford it buys diamond rim,
while abroad. A feather boa is al
most the first purchase of the American
woman arriving in London, and wha
customs official can prove that she di
not carry 1t out Of her own countr
with her.
How seldom do those first purchase
in London and Paris outlast the evar
lescent charm Of novelty. Flimsily bull
Iof fragile material, they drop to piece
before the owner has had time to wear
lof them. If they do last for any lengt
lof time, it is only to become sourc
Of anger and disgust. The silk petit
coat bought at the Bon Marche, Pari
for which you paid $S-what bargai
it was until one day you felt mystic
lious prickings at your ankles an
lstooped to find that the half inch wild
Isteel ribbon which gave such a CHI
set to the bottom, had broken loos
from the dust ruffle and slashed til
silk to bits, and your stockings to ia
tiers. To comfort, you, every depar
ment store in New York and Chicas
is showing you identically the san
l skirt, without the steel stiffening, fl
2 SIS. Sometimes, remembering thes
things, the high prices that assaile
! you in London and Paris, you may wo
: der how the French women OF modera
) means manage to dress so we'll.
Fl Americans Charged Double.
The answer is that Americans al
, abominably over-charged. A raw cler
, in the Louvre once told an America
, customer that the house would NAL
| her up a pongee suit for $50 francs. f
, was sharply contradicted by an oldt
} employe who explained that the su
! would cost 300 francs. As the lac
t moved away without ordering tt
: gown, she heard the novice reno
strate. "You told me 100 ffancs
> For Frenchwomen, yes," growled Il
i old hand, ''but that was an American
? The biggest lace house in vienr
. (and Vienna is the cheapest place
the world to buy lace) purposely pu
! up the prices to allow a good margi
D for bargaining. Experienced Anne
= lean buyers for fashionable New Yor
D tailors who go yearly to Paris fl
models, take with them on their sho
I ping excursions, a French friend wit
whose assistance they secure materia
4 and models for about half the quote
r price.
| French workmanship is inferior. tt