Year: 1875

seems to have always been q government which de-
sired to add TO its income by putting tax upon articles
imported into the dominons which it governed, and
this tendency to have been always accompanied
by strong desire the part OF somebody else to get
these articles into the domnons without any regard to
the feeling Of the government their imposition Of
the tax and despite the severity Of governments, de-
spite their precautions despite their penalties, SNUG
gers have always existed and been successful more
less as circumstances permitted


SMUGGLING NOT A SIN.


And a curious feeling has reigned in the human
mind regarding smuggling By the average man and
woman il has never been looked upon seriously as a
crime The most severe morallsts have wnked at
smuggling as being justiAable under circum-
stances Even to-day what friend cavils at passing
through something for another friend, though he
knows 1t is lawless and punishable and the best Of
us think that the cigar which we are informed by
friendly tobacconst has been smuggled always
sweetest, even though it may have been manufactured
in the Tenth ward of own good city. Almost
every one has read and enjoyed in youth the


sMuGGLIyG,


Of which Marryatt good raconteur the perls OF
the coast of Ireland, the watchful guard Of the
royal ships and the terrible chances taken by
those engaged in the traffic. These days arc of
past and the thing now done in more civilized





since the invention Of steam but on the other hand
steam is put to the of the smuggers and that it is
done effectively may be from the fact that New
York Custom House official lately estimated that during
last year $780, 900 900 worth of dutlable goods had
been introduced to the United States without adding TO
the of the government This, and several pub
lcatons the subject cause of the increased sur
vellancc lately exercised and the severity with which
seizures treated by the Custom House authorities
here 1t recognized as permissible indulgence up
to within two years past that every having few
dutiable articles in his her trunk after visit
Europe should not be moested. But the system grew
TO such proportions that the thing had to be
stopped by and system
originated and the officers had orders where anything
was possibly liable to duty to make pay 1t then
noticed that Custom House officers themselves
always angels Of purity and quite willing to collect
the customs dues themselves; so


DOUBLE SYSTEM


then put in force, set OF men being detailed on
the incoming vessels to take declarations while another
did the visiting. This is probably perfect plan
well be devised and yet the higher officials still
convinced that is not all might be- and they certain
ly will be at that rate In many respects the
Custom House regulations of New York equal to any
others in force, the French which are supposa-
bly, perfect The system of espionage exists here





those who did understand its workings-that is
every steamer and Havana packet there is
person in employ who is at the time the devoted
servant of the Custom House In cases there are
two and three who do not know each other. The
stewards usually the who undertake the work
aud do it BEST their opportunities much better
would be those of sailor, for instance. 1t has
been known that subordinate officer has not hesated
t. increase his pay by the same means IL is simply
the duty of these people to closely watch the
of passengers, to observe anything suspicious in
their movements to overhcar remarks meant FOR pri


BE TAKEN INTO THEIR CONFIDENCE


fpossibe. These wies may only be practsed on the
amateur smugger who likes TO tell the device by which
he will outwit the customs men TO every one The pro-
fessonal smuggler will never let anything of the
kind out; but then, on tho other hand, the
spy knows him, most probably, and he can be
spotted and will be searched until his hidden goods
found IL already, however he has not been too smart
for them. When the steamer approaches land and tho
customs officers board her communication with them
is easy and the smugger has his secret known. 1t often
surprises the rural mind how it that such singular
finds are made when usually passengers allowed to
90 after the meres cursory examination Of their bag
gage Some few weeks since, for instance large lot
of cigars were found by the customs officers in q
Havana steamer concealed beneath 500 tons Of coal
There was chance work about this Why do the
customs officers visit the shoes, the coat Innings the
pockets, &c, of some people, while others they leave
intact2 The has been sufficiently explained,
and when they do resort to these extremities
which they seek for About year since
como $780, 900 worth Of uncut diamonds
found the person of passenger from Europe, and
the seizure probably ruined him. And yet, doubt it
was ndiscreton that was the real cause OF his mis-
fortune Had he kept his own counsel he would have
been enabled to pass his diamonds unscathed.


INFoRMERS


in these paid onethird Of the value Of the
thus made and 1t may be well understood that
little haul like the one mentioned would set
steward up in pocket for some time.


ner T Of clothing are1 the articles most G commonly
smugged from Europe. Immense quantities of laces
are annually passed through without seizure. The
writer knew Of last year where two ladies'
q Dominican nun, succeeded in smuggling through
some $40 900 worth Of Irish laces They were to be
sold for the benefit of charitable institution down
South and this made the thing just1abe in their minds
the poor getting the benefit before the government One
Of the ladies had fully 600 worth of these laces in
The method Of smuggling from Havana has already
been described in these columns within the past few
weeks, but has been resored to now for many years
the throwing ndarubber sacks into the bay they being
picked up by small boats Nor is this plan by any
means broken up and the smuggers have actually taken
the risk lately of going out in surf boats from Long
Branch to secure few thousand cigars in these bags


A SINGULAR FRAUD,
where the bitter Bit has light of late In
necton with the administration Of the customs on the
steamship wharvcs II is well known that officers
on the watch from the time vessel comes in until che
goes again. But of late there have been number OF
swndlers who have personated Custom House officers
with much success. Their mods 'operandt IS to
an imitation inspectors badge beneath their
clothing which they only show convenient opportu
nifty They lounge around the DOCKS watch unsuspcct-
ing passengers, and when they see moment when no
danger they demand the surrender Of the par
eel or baggage tho person carries A rather amusing
instance occurred lately TO tho Captain of European
steamship He had bought two silks in Europe for
lady friends and couple Of days after his vessel
had arrived in port he put them under his arm and qu
etly walked Off the wharf When some four blocks
away he was accosed by man who demanded the sur
render OF the goods at the same time showing his
badge. Tho Captain did not hesitate moment to give
them up only hoping he was not personally known
the stranger saying II there anything wrong to call
at the Custom House and the goods would be surren
dercd Two days after the goods were applied for and
the Information was given that they knew OF no such
package. IL was bold stroke to try II on captain
but with passengers to the country may be easily
understood how successful II might be. The


SOUND HE'LL GATH


were always famous In ancient days. and In the 70.
mances OF Fenimore Cooper, for their stories Of SNUG
Cling and piracy IL Ia anticipated when the rocks OF
Hell Gate shall have been blasted and European
steamers may choose the inside passage being moro
convenient that smuggling will be facilitated and that
the Custom House officials will have enormous difficult
Ties In putting stop TO IT. the shores OF Long Island