Freaks Of Smuggling

Women are especially susceptible to Che enticements of smuggling. It has been said that no woman can resist the temptation to make an efïort to carry goods subject to duty past a custoin house officer, and it is a statement made by certain officials in the customs service that if every passenger on board incoming ocean steamers were thoroughly and completely scarched as he might be, it is probable that not one out of fifty would be fonnd to have resisted the alluremeñts of just a trifling bit of smuggling to add romance to the home coming. Oftentimes such carrying in of dutiable goods is merely inadvertence, lack of knowledge or oversight. Presente bought for the "dear ones at home" have been overlooked when an estímate was made of the dutiable goods and were only recalled to memory when found by the customs officer. Many a name high in society and well known in religious, financial or professional circles has been upon the books of the special treasury agent's office, but it is a fact worthy of note, and which reflects much credit upon the department, that such matters are kept as secret as any portion of the work. "There is no necessity," said a man who had made smuggling the study of his Ufe, and who is employed by the custom house, "for dragging these legal and governmental skeletons-in-the-closet into the light of day. Oftentimes it is a sad fact that they have occurred, and for our own satisfaction (for we are, withaJ, at times, men of some sensibüities) we prefer to let them drop and remain unmentioned. Then, again, there may be certain argumenta used of a more or less persuasive value which would naturally induce the inspector to give as little publicity as possible to the details of thecase. A CÜBIOSTTY IN BOOKS. "I do not mean by this to imply that the practice of bribery is in vogue to any extent. This fact may not be due to original lack of sin, but it is true, nevertheless, although honesty is enforced to a certain degree by the remembrance of the previous good record of the special treasury agent's department." Perhaps the most novel and popular form of amusement for the smuggler nowadays is to use Únele Sam's post bags for his exciting trade. A number of books have lately been entered at the postoffice, sent from foreign countries, which were not altogether intended for reading purposes. Several months ago there was received at the New York postoffice a handsomely bound volume of ItaBan poetry. The book was printed on a high grade of paper and bore the date "Padua, 1733." lts title was "Le Tregedie Di Giovanni Delfino." It was probably snpposed that the postoffice authorities would "pass" the book on lookiug at its title on its examination. Unfortunately in this, as in all cases where books are in the mail, the volume was opened and carefully examined. A section of the center of 200 leaves was cut out, through the book, and in the cavity thns formed was placed a green table 6pread, with cotton embroidery, upon which an extreme valuation of three dollars conld barely be placed. Buyers of antiqne books who have examined the volume, which is now in the customs seizure room, say that had it not been mutilated it would have readüy been worth $100. It was addressed to Jndge William Allen, of Southampton, Mass. , but Jndge Allen has never read it. OTHER VOLUMES. Lately this volnme has been followed by a volume of the "Beport of the British National Fisheries Exposition," which was not all a report, for quite a collection of jewelry was placed in a neatly scooped out orifice in the center of its leaves. Extremes met when a Latin dictionary was put in use as a cartón for transporting a pipe, and the "Odd Fellows' Quarterly Magazine" dd duty as a packiug case for two razors. A novel called "The Great Tontine" held two diminutive and very prettily decoratel Chinese vases, but the height of incongruities was reached when the "Sennons of Bishop Rrookfiöld, of London," drifted into the New York postofflce artfully surrounding several sets of false teeth. It is not generally known that no merchandise other than books can be shipped through the mails from foreign countries. Cigars, cutlery and chinaware, jewelry and fabrics of cotton and sük are often strted on their long journey, with notaticas accompanying them stating that they are samples or gifts, bnt these casual remarks never save the goods. They find their way to the United States cus torn house seizure room, and there remain until the yearly auction. Steerage passengers of the kind who seek the services of philanthropical people on landing are no freer from the taint of smuggling than their more aristocratie brethren above deck. One of the customs inspectors saw an Itaüan of mean dress and poor appearance wVo wore on the little finger of his left hand a diamond ring which glittered in the rays of the sun shining over Miss L:V erty's left shoulder as the vessel was coming up the bay. He thought the occurrence unrsual and investigated. Two thousand dollars' worth of jewelry was taken from the immigrant's person. He had fallen a victim to his own vanity. He was unable to resist the delights of making a display bef ore his fellow passengers. - New York World. "One word more," said a speaker, "and I am done." And the reporters found when that word was written down that it contained 1,500 syllables. The famous word of Aristophanes was outdone. The same fellow is the speaker who often says, "A single remark," and Uren talks for ñí teen minutes.