Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-11-28

civile have made rural life in Spain
fairly safe now and the bandit no
longer roams upon these roads. Never
theless, the passer-by sometimes car
ries a rifle in the crook of his arm, and
the knife is said to be still ready
solvent Of difficulties.
At SEQ d. Urgel one leaves behind
such modern devices as motorbusses
and must enter Andorra by mule drawn
cart. Not so long ago a mere mule
track connected SEQ with the little re-
public, but now fairly good road fol-
lows the winding VaIira But one
must be prepared on occasion to walk
toilfully UP hills that the mules cannot
negotiate.
Smuggling Tobacco Into France,
Andorra itself could not be distin-
guished by it's physical appearance and
its people from the Spanish lands
about it, But its smuggling makes it
thing apart. In these Pyrenean hills a
tobacco is raised by comparison with
which the rankest Connecticut second
frightful stuff is labeled in accordance
with the tastes of the prospective VIC
tim. One may have Havana cigar, or
one ticketed from the Canary islands,
or marked Carolina or Virginia or Gil
braltar. Even the revenue stamps are
counterfeited, so that, sc far as ex-
ternals are concerned, the elect would
surely be deceived But an outraged
palate would discover the deception.
In the tobacco factory of Andorra
these cigars and cigarettes are put up
in packages, and packed in haversacks
which are just load for one man. If
the smugglers run a haversack through
to France they are paid so pesetas. If
they are forced to abandon the load en-
route they are still paid 20 pesetas.
buys for 20 confines in Andorra sell,
according to the stamp upon the pack
age, for so confines outside; so that
the smuggling profit is not to be de-
spised. But the most profitable trade
is in mules.
During the World war Spain was
fairly robbed of her mules by the
needs of the allied armies, so that fur
ther expectation was frowned upon by
the government. Likewise, although
these mules were bought for the
French army, France maintained an
import duty upon live stock. The An
dorrans procured mules by hook and
crook from Spain, and led them over
the hills at night by unfrequented
paths into France. The share Of the
gendarmes in this traffic was ten dol
lars a mule There is no record that
an Andorran smuggler was injured in
the practice of his vocation.
1t is possible for a visitor to get
into the old council hall in the town
Of Andorra, in which the horses Of
the councillors are stabbed on the
ground floor, while the council hall
and their sleeping quarters are on
the floor above There is a fine old
fireplace there, in which the admin
istrative meat is roasted, and a cup
board with six locks, in which archives
are kept that date from the days of
Charlemagne.
But each canton has key, and
the keepers of the keys are usually
ON the hills, smuggling or watching
the cattle that furnish the most perma-
nent source of income; so ones in
quiry into Andorra's past is likely to
bring scanty results.
The total population Of the republic
is about 5000, and those men that
have arms serve in the army. There
are no uniforms in the army, but this
shortage is made up by the surplus
age of officers.
Artemus Wards regiment of briga-
der generals might well have had it's
inspiration here. The man who once
gets an Office never relinquishes the
title, and as offices seem to go some
what by rotation, the untitled man in
Andorra must be a poor stick indeed.