Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-27
PETTY SMUGGLERS.
Customs inspectors Keep Close Watch,
but Traffic Is Hard to Stop.
CBangor Commercially

(Bangor Commercially
The recent arraignment before Unit
ed States Comr Reid of a prisoner
who pleaded guilty to the charge of
smuggling liquor over the Canadian
border from st. Leonards to Van Bur
en-, Is encouraging to the United States
customs authorities in the northern
part Of the State who are wagiug a
relentless war against the scores of
men who are engaged in the illicit
traffic. But few things are more diff
cult to stamp out and the customs
inspectors have had some men under
surveillance for months-certain that
they were constantly smuggling liquor
and yet unable to secure enough evil
dence against them to warrant an ar
rest.
All along the Aroostook and Wash
ington county borders petty smugglers
of whiskey do a thriving business.
Most of them sell the contents of their
bottles by the drink. taking their Gus
toner behind some building or into
some alleyway out of sight of the
passersby on the street This class
of smugglers rarely bring more than
a couple of pint bottles across the bor-
der at a time. They feel safer to make
more trips than to attempt to carry
any considerable amount of the con-
traband.
Scattered along the several hundred
miles of boundary between Maine and
Canada are innumerable line" houses,
whose principal trade is in liquor.
Some of them are built with the
boundary line running through the
building. If the Canadian officials
descend upon them the liquor is SIM
pl :, moved across TO the American side
while the same proceeding is reversed
in the event OF descent by the Amer
lean authorities. In some cases SIM
uitaneouS, raids. are made by parties
from both sides, When an event of
this sort is pulled off it usually means
trouble for the proprietor.
Practically all of the line houses buy
4 part oil their stock from Canadian
wholesalers and a portion from whole
sale liquor dealers who come down
from boston to supply them. Recently,
however. the bulk of their trade has
beei1 across the border. Scotch whis-
key brandy aud other liquors are
cheaper in Canada than on this side
of the line and "a quarter of 4 dollar
OF so on q quart forms an incentive to
many thirsty souls on the American
side of the line to patronage these bor-
der establishments. rather than the
dealers in Boston and nearer home.
\ close watch is kept on the roads
leading to and from these establish
mcnts by the customs oeioess during
nuch of the time. but it is. q difficult
task TT. catch any of the '"regulars"
bringing contraband goods in. They
many % their journeys are made I'M
der cover OF the darkness. They know
all of the officers. by sight at least, and
up the slightest sign of danger they
viii TAX" to cover like so many foxes.
Some ingenious devices are used for
smuggling in small amounts of liquor.
One man at Calais Il year or to ago.
bad g wlisley broom, the handle OF
which unscrewed like the top of any
flask. The glass was concealed by an
outer covering of broom. A favorite
trick is 10 take some fairly large book.
cut out the center. leaving the edges
OF the pages intact and place a pint
bottle inside. This expedient lacks
aeWness, however, and the appearance
of suspicious character with book
under his arm, usually leads to an in
veetigation.