The New York herald., 1869-05-23
QUARANTINE.

l
There are few Institutions OF which the public
know 30 little as that Of Quarantine. 1t Is one OF
these out OF the way places c0nded to the charge OF
| man bearing the title OF Health Onicer a title by
the way. that prcsupp0ses benignty, benev0lence,
strict integrity and solemn consciousness OF re-
! sponsibtity. People viii gratultOusIy make many
allowances In favor OF . man whom they suppose
stands forever at his post seepess guardian OF the
public health and running the daily rsk OF catching
some fatal epidemic in the discharge OF his duties
all from pure love OF his species and trining
salary OF several thousand dollars year ana
| any known perquisltes thrown in. One could
| be Health Odcer OF New YORK for many
| years and never provoke public comment, because
he is believed by all to be looking after the public
health ana staving on the approaches OF contagious
disease. Looking after the peoples health sounds
WELL and therefore 1t is that many are slow to be-
eve that he VINO is thus engaged can be otherwise
than pure and selfsacricing. Let us see what sort
OF institution calling itself Quarantine we have In
our harb0r.
SHIP NEWS REPORTERS.
Dr. Swtnburnes flagship Is tug. called the Cover
Fent0n. and certainly useful vessel sails
tho waters OF New York narbor-useful in the sense
OF doing all kinds OF work that brings profit to the
Health Onlcer. Her deck has oftentimes been laden
with more varied and interesting cargo than ever
tugboat held before Yams from Utaheite, coffee
from Java, bananas from the Friendly
Islands, cigars from Cuba, sherry from xeres
aud brandy from Bordeaux These consti-
tute the so-caled perquisites OF the Health
0nicer-smal presents which every captain OF
vessel Is supposed IN the fulness of his grateful
heart, to tender the Health Ocer OF the port. The
Se hco mas IL @ saa 6n
comes on board tnat model tugbOat where is she
from and what might her cargo be- West Indian
Y n Pnm mn nlQaa
and cigars are supposed to constitute her freight,
and any one Of these commodities is IN favor al
Quarantine Away steams the FentOn, Oslenslbly to
capture and confine raging epidemic before can
reach the city but really to find out II there is any
ship from the West Indies brought to port The
Fenton Ia supposed to bring back, aside from the
o. oT M Ps
| on tnat virtuous tugboat: The columns sof
what a mockery Of ship news DIR. Swinburne and
! the Associated Press get up between them. This
| combination has done Its utmost to destroy the
| efficiency Of the HERALD yachts. Swinburne, with
| his five policemen, has time and again endeavOred
| TO prevent the HERALD reporters from exercising
| right, which every bOatnan and lighterman that
chooses may use Of boarding vessels coming in the
harbor The reporters OF tins paper board vessel
the latest news and dates from the captain. Swim
burne's officials, when they reach the deck OF
shlp proceed to search out the nature OF her cargo
and then proceed 60 break II open to get at the
Health Onicer's perquistes This is about the man
tine generally act their part The Doctor. after
getting aboard, advances to the captain and in
Quires as follOws:--
mo sickness, OF course; but what kind OF cargo
do you carryT'
Captain, seeing in his minds eye half dozen
days OF detention before him II he fails to be agreea-
bly, accommodating, replies 'Sugar, chiefly, and a
small. but darned splendid consignment of rum
SAY, ay," chuckles the Doctor, "rum. did you
sayy Good, Old rum, too, | supposer Jamaica.
cOtI-
pie thousand OF my own, real Partagas; dropped
into Matanzas and got twenty or thirty boxes.
Smoked few and found them bully"
SAY, ay" again chuckles the Doctor. 'Partagas,
think, you said, mild, presume; rather Ike Par
em to my man here on the Fenton. Don't forget the
rum. I'd like to take q look at your sugar. The
stuff got OF the John Brown from Barbados was
Captain and Doctor go down to see cargo. Doctor
Observes es sna m ps. sx tae m khd @ I'VE been want
my purpose. For medicinal preparations II seems
very wen adapted Just see my man on the Fenlon
about getting small consignment overheard.
Nothing else you think off oh, by the way, saw a
goat up on deck. Suppose it gives milk. Coats
milk Is strong HYGIENE mud. IL would be of Ines
timable value at the Quarantine station. can't be
much consequences n s to you; Suppose you see my
"Al right" says the captain; "tlat shall he done.
Now. Doctor when can this 81 lip OF mine go up to
the cityr'
'Oh. right away II you like. Just see about these
things, and tell my man on the Fenton 10 dispose
Albright" again exclaims the captain, and the
Doctor, looking ike man after partakng OF q good
dinner DEPARTS Tor other fields and pastures new.
news and attends 10 the importation OF foreign
levers.
rESTOS AS HUMoRIsT
Swinburne's deputies performed tremendous
feat few days ago. I'm the capture Of a HERALD
reporter on board the Westphaa ut three O'Clock or
thereabouts in the morning. This was enterprise;
1t was a waking mp OF the Quarantine news gather
time to come IN contact WITH the ever wake Yacht u
men OF the HERALD. Swinburne did his utmost to
make this case appear Migrant outrage OF the law,
overlooking the fact that all kinds or characters,
provided they are In the pay OF Quarantine, can
board any vessel no matter how infectious the dis.
ease she may have on board and come afterwards
up to this city without let or hIndrance.
But let us tell Swnburne's latest joke. After the
capture already mentioned and the dismissal OF the
case the Tombs court, when brought before Judge
Dowing, Swinburne set 10 work TO get exploit
intended to impress the public with the idea that
the waters or the narbor were overrun with repOr-
tiers boarding vessels they made their appearance
| inside OF sandy Hook. For this purpose, 1t IL
alleged, he hired whole rabble OF men at Staten
Island ana started them out In boats under the mock
preience OF being reporters In quest OF news. They
became mos, intolerable nuisance to
the The captain. who was unable IN most
and who were the authorized representatives OF the
press. This move was also intended to swamp the
regular reporters and make them appear portion
rather an original style OF Joke on Swnburne,s
part but it has utterly failed to accomplish It's pur.
pose.
| swISBURNE AND THE PIG.
The story about Swinburne aud the pig cannot be
TOO often told That about the goat IN literally true.
| The pig story, however Is more interesting. The
| Doctors eyes lighted one day on the plump proper
| tons OF young porker running about the deck of
| West India vessel and having already secured hIs
rum m0lasses, sugar and cigars. he thought the list
OF perquistes would be nicely completed By the ad-
dton OF that promising compliment of ham and lard.
| The only difnculty In the way was the manner OF
| getting piggy from the deck, where he roamed at
| large, TO the narrow confines OF the Doctors long
boat. The Doctors mouth watered most profuseIy
| az he Razed ON the sleek outline OF the youthful
porker. and determined TO have him at any risk. he
descended to the long boat aud gave orders TO lower
piggy down, resolving himself To catch the descend
ing prize he chanced to slip through the rude belt
| OF ropes around hlm. Piggy sqicaled ut a terrific
| rate, and struggled to unhitch himself which he
| did before reaching the outstretched arms of the
| Doctor, who stood with watcry mouth aud ious
| eyes 10 clasp his living bacon. Away went
| piggy into the water, and the Doctor, losing all
| self possession nopped over after him. to the
| intense delight OF the captain and sailors ON
the deck above who had been for months entertain-
Ing sayory visions OF pork and beans when their pet