The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1910-08-25
WOMAN SMUGGLERS.
Some Feminine Tricks Played
on the Customs ...

Women have been declared to be
horn neutrality-suspicious. of a turp-
,tude that recognizes no wrong in de-
frauding government. Armed with
arguments in defence of my kind.
prepared to discuss the question
with the Collector Of the Port of New
york, but at my first suggestion OF
our reputed delinquencies Mr.. Loeb
Interrupted me.
eThat is an idea to which I will not
assent" he said emphatically. "Wo-
men by nature are not smugglers.
Moreover, the average traveller is hon
est"
Men are my authority for the
statement" l urged. Husbands. at
any rate, are always telling stories
OF the cleverness and delight of their
wives IN outwitting officials"
Il have heard them Joke" the Col
iector replied, putting their wives
under the ban of an idious stigma.
For such men have only contempt"
Although, with his vindication, my
own carefully prepared line OF argu-
ment was rendered unavailable, leav-
ing me in midair, as it were, without
tAe support OF leading question, it
served to call out the following story:
Not long ago a second-class passen-
ger came in who was known to have
been the purchaser in Europe of valu-
able optical instruments, but he de-
olared nothing and nothing was found
in his baggage. In his party, how
ever, we're two women, his wife and
her friend. Suspicious were excited
and the women were examined. The
optical instruments were found con-
cealed about the waist of each
heavy loads indeed to carry on con-
sciences as well as on Wristbands.
The officials were in dilemma. The
man could not be arrested, for he had
not Struggled. The women had, but
could they be imprisoned? One car
rled a nursing baby, the other was
bgrdened with sick child. Consid-
efadoAs of pure humanity set them
free, ~
b Had ! not been, bent on defending
women I might havestoldSthe Collec-.
tor. of a story in which the0bssiRs|
were more adroitly turned on N I'M
suspecting husband. He was re-
tired general, martinez in discipline,
and prescriptions regarding even
the shadow of laxity in the perform
ance of his own obligations. "No
smuggling was to be permitted" he
told his wife, and before leaving Paris
he insisted on making full hist of
every dutlable article in his posses
sion. Unknown TO him, she bought
several yards OF Venetian lace. How
TO hide It was a problem until she
Thought of ripping the lirlpg of his
overcoat and hiding the Lace inside.
She regarded her cunning as b tre-
Ifpendous Joke, and to this day he does
mot know how she laughed n Herself
when, wearing that very game coat
on the dock, he drew himself up to
his full military height And with free
conscience pointed TO A tray contain
ing "all his purchssesF' No idea of
ANYTHING Nv zsrious'ds defrauding the
Govsrn1 had eyer entered her
frolicsonit mind. WA
In Ffance distinctions are made be-
tween the honest and the dishonest
traveller and during the autumn OF
1909 thetforeign papers published a
long series of Instructions from the
chief OF the bureau in Paris to his
subordinates. admonishing them to
greater consideration and courtesy,
more discretion and the exercise OF
finer intelligence in the discharge oil
their dufias