Schoenemann v. United States

GRAY, Circuit Judge.

The appellant, William C. Schoenemann, imported’into the port of Philadelphia, in September, 1897, merchandise consisting of shells. The marine animal had been taken from the shells and the shells themselves cleansed, by being put into a tub with chloride of lime and then washed with clean water, in order to remove all animal matter, dirt, and offensive smell. The importer claimed that these shells were free from duty, under paragraph 635, part of the free list of the tariff act of 1897 [U. S. Comp. St. 1901, p. 1686], which reads as follows:

“Pearl, mother of, and shells,…