The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-02-14

FcI-OIeNeTly r1lOuen ank III tnc
3oof OF a Cart.
.lcohol without a doubt is the ar
| . most often smuggled through the
f. os of Paris, and this is due to the
..t that the tax upon it has steadily
u-leased during the past few years.
Naturally, increased taxation means
higher profits on contraband goods
and therefore quicke..s the ingenuity
OF smuggling.
Under our very eyes, writes an Of
fcer of the Paris custom house in the
Scientific American, these men an
nually pass thousands of gallons of
valuable spirits into the city, where 1t
is readily disposed Of at nigh prices
to makers of perfumes or to liquor
dealers, who use it for adulterating
their goods. Yet we keep a sharp
watch on all who pass through the
gates of the capital. None can enter
until he satisfies us that contraband
articles are not hidden on his person,
no vehicle is admitted until it has
been thoroughly searched and every
ca0k of liquor must be declared before
the owner is authorized to pass on.
Nor can any one question the Sc
verify and conscientiousneSs of the
inspection as the men under my or
ders have share in the proceeds OF
the sale of any alcohol seized at the
barriers. AT given periods this is
sold by the municipal authorities, one
half Of the receipts going to the city
funds and the other half to the octroi
employees. These men are not over
we'll paid, so they look forward to
increasing their incomes by extreme
vigilance in capturing smugglers.
can assure my readers that it is
well worth while to smuggle alcohol
into Paris. The dues on each liter or
quart amount to four francs 10 CEN
times say sc cents. Imagine the
profit to be derived by any one who
succeeds in smuggling several thous-
and gallons of alcohol year. Among
tlC IllCuSLlhh anu pIlO ihNAiiOAS
ployed by smugglers some very curl
Gus ones have come under my obser-
Nition during the twenty odd years
vat | nave been connected with the
'rNice. In the warehouses OF the
Jtel de Vile are stored all sorts of
senious smuggling apparatus. They
so numerous that quite museum
uld be formed, were it not for the
ls@r of teaching dishonest men how to
defraud the government.
For several months smugglers dis
guised as as stone masons carried
wooden beams through the gates with
out our suspecting for a moment that
they were hollow and contained large
quantities Of alcohol. But the fraud
was eventually discovered by pure ac-
cident. as nearly always happens. One
day, Just as the last man OF a squad
passed the barrier with CHEEKY Bon
jour comrades" he stumbled over a
stone and fell headlong Fearing that
the man was hurt, darted forward to
help him to his feet, and had no
sooner done 50 than to my utter as
constituent he arose with astounding
rapidity and made off, leaving the
beam behind him; moreover, his COM
panions also took to their heels. The
reason for their flight was soon appar-
ent. From one end of the beam there
oozed thin stream of liquid, which l
instinctively detected as alcohol.
During period of more than six
months the customs employees at the
various barriers at Paris saw two
men regularly pass before their Offices
carrying a very fine funeral wreath.
Naturally they never asked them to
pay dues on such an article as that
and never suspected for moment that
1t contained 40 litres of pure alcohol.
The smugglers took every precaution
against discovery, avoiding for in
instance passing through the same
barrier twice running. However, the
trick was eventually discovered by an
officer who insisted on examining the
wreath and found that it contained q
tia interior, filled, of course, with the
valuable spirits.
Among the many smugglers whom
have caught red handed there was one
man who disarmed suspicion for
months by his pleasant manner. He
would come up most the friendly way
imaginable, shake me by the hand,
wish me bon jour, ask after my health
and talk for half an hour at a time
about the news of the day. All this
time his vehicle was standing at the
gates, a vehicle which we little sus-
pected contained no end of untaxed
alcohol. Apparently his cart was
filled with bee and cider, for which he
always paid, One day, however, he
was caught. A young employe who
had never seen him before was alone
on duty and insisted on ransacking
his vehicle.
Nothing save the casks of beer and
cider was to be seen and he was about
to let the man pass when a drop fell
ON "ls hand from the roof of the COW