Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1843-09-02
Total members, 223=last Cbtg's. J
THE BARNEGAT WHECkERs.

A correspondent Of the Pbiladel pliiH Anne.
|tiean Sentinel, writing from Barnegat, ". j.
The fair following illustrations Of The
|"faif business transactions OF That renow ned
|nelghbootfieed'
|apy norton If her cargo Hoated ashore, 1t was
instantly seized upon by persons who were
constantly on the watch for plumber, and Car
|ried into the interior Or buried ~ the sand.
|So expert in their cursed trade did these lei
lows betnfue at last, that five minutes after q
box or bale would land, no traces Of 1t could
be found. Sometimes when legs Of butter OF
lard were east upon or carried TO the shores a
barcsl Of met, world surround onss and while
pretending 10 be earnestly engaged IN eenver-
satior, a confederate would creep In, and ei-
|ther bury the keg in the sand or knock ot the
head, seraps out the contents 10 the depth OF
hree or four inches, and fill up the vacancy
with sand. This done, the party would quietly
dispense, and Mt night the hrg " sana would
be removed.
A vessel came ashore one day, heavily Ia
den with an assorted cargo. A deputatien Of
wreekers Immediately boarded the unfortu.
nate craft, and having fret politely informed
the captain that his ship would go TO pieces
before the next morning, stated that for the
lthree.eiphths Of the cargo, and no less, they
remove all the goods 10 the shore in safety.
This looked extremely d aead.shave, but the
master seeing no alternative, was obliged tt
embrace the otfer.~~Instanter every boat in
The neiehborhood was put into requisition, and
before night the whole Of the cargo was land.
aed on the beach, and divided into two lots
hree. eiehths, the wrechers' share Of the spoil
being placed into one spot, and tho captains
horton close by. After all this had been done,
9word was sent to the master, that the wreck.
Aers had put a watch upon their portion OF the
Rproperty, and recommending him TO- do The
Ssalne with his. This suggestion was acted up
lon: the mate Of the vessel, a prudeDt, sensible
Imam, and withal a signer Of the temperance
pledge, though not a tee-totalery being depn.
tied TO perform that duty. Now among The
! csrpo wore several barrels of prime ale, AMI
these the wreckers determined should serve
them in their purpose. Accordingly a barre
was tapped and is contents freely partaken o
by all hands, but, beforethe mug containing
xthe beverage was handed to the mate, it's wal
\ deeply drugged with laudanum. The resul
NAV be anticipated The second officer fel
4 asleep at his post, and when the morning
i broke, no part Of the captains portion, wa
hardly visible, while the wreckers portion
atwepiy feet diAant from where the other ha,
Alain, was untouched. .s
4 NewYork vessel outward bound, ant
4 with a valuable cargo on board, was a few
ayears ago, by an unfortunate accident
4 stra ndhd on the Barnegat Shoals. TIL,
Awreekers boarded her, apd speedily cen
4 veyed her cargo to shore, where at the re
Sauest of tho wreckers, a watch was pIa
4 ced upon it by the master. Upon this ar
arrangement being made, the captain wa
4 waited upon by one of the most Of thos.
Z who aided in removing the cargo, VIII
Fstated that there were many persons i,
l this part Of the country, who'led loose ant
lawless lives, and were addicted TO steal
ing any and every thing that that the,
Keould lay their hands upon, and that n,
xdoubt, among those then on the beach
4were many, who, as night came on, woul,
laval themselves of its aid, and perloil
&considerabIe from the merchandise pile,
up on the shore This communication
was accompanied with an offer to loa,
"for a consideration " a fine fowIing piec,
which he held in his hands stake it,
said he, " and if any Of the o.
s~csundrels come near shoot them dowp i,k'
dogs. II is time a stop was put to it, an
laa few Of the fingIeaders were only shot,
we'd hear no moro of this aascaAy bust
ness" This had the desired effect, the cap
4 tain agreeing to pay 80, and if it got los
4 to pay 80 dollars. During that night tn
wreckers mustered in great numbers wit
the owner Of the gun as ledder.) rushed i
upon, ovsrpowered, and beat down til
e uard, and carried of and secreted befor