Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-17
THE sMUeeLERs OF eIsRALrgR.
They Get Help From Dogs Trained
For the Work.

Each stage of the process of get
ting tobacco into Spain has its own
adopts, who have their special rates
OF pay and have to run their special
risks. Half the profits and the chance
of being shot at is what the gangs of
men who run tobacco up-eountry get
out of it, The employer of course only
risks his tobacco. One or two men go
ahead TO see that the way is clear.
Some of the smugglers go armed with
reVolYerS in case of an attack by rob-
bers. This is one of the reasons they
often go in such large bands. Another
is that If they come across the cara
bineros the latter can only take two or
three of them.
Smugglers when getting their to-
bacco up-country are constantly
mucted by the carabineros. writes IL.
Shiers- Mason in the London Evening
Standard, 50 the further from the coast
the higher becomes the price of tobacco
One often sees men stopped who are
obviously packed with tobacco and who
are allowed to proceed on their way
after giving the carabineros a douceur
Those on donleys or mules often hand
cigar to each carabnero they pass so
that their pack shall not be searched.
On the field paths one sees women
coming hack from market being
searched, in fact being mildly prodded
into generosity by earabinero.
Boatmen are hired to take out dogs
with tobacco, at about peseta a dog,
and throw them into the water at a
dark hour of the night. Dogs can take
up to fifty pounds of tobacco. This
kind of work is only for a few hours
and suits the temperament of the
Andalusian youth and so afterward they
find it hard to stick To regular work.
hence a common saying: lei vale NADIA
mas que para tirar perros" (He's of
no good for anything but throwing
dogs over. If the boatman is in a boat
near shingly beach there is the risk
of the bullet missing the dog and hit
ting the man by ricochettng off the
stones. SO on quiet nights one some
times hears him exclaim: "Maldito!
Maldito! Hay piedras!" (Confound you
There are stonesD
The dogs are, as always. having a
bad time. There is a very clever ca
nine smuggler on the beach just now
who when he is passing close to a
carabinero and is in danger of being
shot always makes great bounds into
the air, and so the carabineros invari-
ably miss him. Long may they do so.
He must be as disconcerting as snipe
Some of the carabineros, however, are
SO tender hearted that they give up the
service because they cannot bear TO
take tobacco from the smugglers, the
welfare of whose wives and children
l,air g.r.,
through Others cannot bear to shoot
the dogs and hear their cries of an
guish when wounded, But fortunately
for the tobacco company. there are
plenty whose hearts are harder
The exciting runs II dogs on the
neutral ground have been stopped by
close wire netting and wire entangle-
ments. which do not add to the beauty
OF the landscape. So more tobacco is
struggled by sea. for trying TO stop an
Andalusian from smuggling is like
trying to stop domestic servants of
the same race from taking ones par
ATTN oil. Whatever the precautions
they will have it. Smugglers, how
ever. do not touch anything when
passing through ones garden, other
wise the country would be against
| them, whereas at present it is for
them.
Some of the smugglers are very
desperate men, and much prefer to
| use knife to wasting their money in
| brides, and between these and the
carabineros there is of course a dead
| ~ feud. A year or two ago one such
desperate character, called Cowface,
who had previously killed two cara
bineros was seized by "a carabnero not
| far from our house
He was struggling desperately with
| his eaptor when another carabinero
came running up, and recognizing
| him and seeing he was resisting law
| full authority at once determined to
pay off old scores SO when within
| about five yards from the struggling
pair he raised his rifle and aimed point
blank at the smuggler Unfortunately
| at that moment the two men spun
| round and the carabinero received the
bullet intended for the smnggler and
| fell dead at his comrades feet. In the
confusion Cowfaee made good his
| escape.
| We once went over to Algeciras on
| a boat in which were many smugglers
of both sexes, who spent the time
taken in crossing packing themselves
| with tobacco The thin men and wo-
| men gradua.y became rat! But ono
or two had packed themselves 10 over
aowing and SO TUNED TO my husband