Tombstone epitaph. (Tombstone, Ariz.) 1887-current, 1918-03-31
Traders Run Goods From Finland
Into Sweden, Bringing
Enormous Returns.
AIDED. BY FRONTIER LAxITY
Haparanda 10 the Dawson Of Sweden's
New kiondike Where Gold and
Wine Flow FreeIy-Typieai
Might Scene.

TOrnea, Russia.-The Tornea river
II frozen over again and business Is
good in smugglers' haven. From far
up In the Arctic tundra of Lapland
down to ice-filled Tornea bay, 30
miles south Of the circle. siedges
drawn by reindeer. dogs and ponies
are crunching across the river by
night, laden TO the runners with tea.
coffee. rubber and sugar, all bound for
Sweden. where they are worth almost
their weight in gold.
Their sources are Russia aud Fin
land, and their immediate destination
Haparanda. on the Swedish side Of the
Tornea river. where ex-sailOrs, hotel
walters and q typical collection OF
frontier town types are making money
hand over fist and drinking champagne
for breakfast.
Haparanda Is Swedish. as different
from war distracted and revolution
ridden Russian Tornea as II II were
hundreds Of miles away. instead Of
being separated only by a ten-mtnute
sleigh ride in winter and ten-minute
ferry trip In summer. across the mile
wide, salmOn-fiIled river. Haparanda
Is the Dawson Of the new Klondike,
and its gold comes from sledges that
slip by the Russian frontier guards,
full Of the commodities Sweden needs.
II is nearly Arctic. and In the heart
Of winter. there is daylight only five
hours.
Frontier Customs Post.
Before the war Haparanda was
tiny village, a frontier customs post.
The Russian frontier gendarmes were
from Finland with struggled goods
were very few and far between, and
there was less incentive to smuggle.
for Sweden imported freely from
across the seas. The war made Tor
nea the rival Of Archangel and
vladivostok as port Of entry into
Russia. Haparapda shared the gain.
Business buildings Of wood and large
hotel that looks like a typical Amer
lean small town hall sprang up almost
overnight. II Is still growing.
The goose that lays the golden egg
that bugs wine and keeps the poker
games going lives over In Finland.
which. although short Of food itself.
permits millions Of kroner worth to
slip through every month.
A year ago q Swedish preacher. on
an innocent mission, was shot by q
Russian frontier guard. The trouble
that resulted led to almost complete
laxity mt the frontier. and now on
any dark night scores Of sleighs slip
across the river, unmolested, and de-
pos1t their cargoes on the Swedish
side. Some of the goods go through
the Swedish customs houses. and the
duty is paid. Even with the Swedish
duty there Is tremendous profit on the
shipments.
Coffee that the Finnish agents &C.
cure for ten kroner . kilO (2.20
pounds) brings 20 across the frontier.
Small boys. muf1ed In great overcoats,
waddle across the river on skis with
rubber tires for automobiles wrapped
around their waists-and rubber Is the
most difiicuIt Of all commercial prod.
ucts 10 obtain In Sweden. Its export
from Russia Is forbidden.
-cay White Way" Always Filled.
The smusgiers are the richest. but
HaparaDda's Gay White way"-the
hotels filled always with Other
spenders.
Here Is . typical picture Of any
night In Haparanda when business ID
good on the ToFnea- The coffee room
10 crowded early. A Serbian 'kappei
melster" tunes up his violin. A youna
Austrian with bass viol and threl
plump. smiling German Girls. with
mandoiiBa. the rest CT the orchestra
play American rngfime. Swedish bar
maids hurry about with champagne
snd other wiBes. Just as expensive.
A young Swede. with o bIanb hook
~ 80 ~to has jLst made l0O0(