The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1869-06-19
VOLUMlsi.lE[l,@.s3||,,' Nj b. s
Expefisae6ssf . Waailerer through
the Sswerss OK Nov York e s.ls, I,s


Idtha.NineiaAhtl. Ward, bordering on
she s5 River, Gan De seen very heas'
little two-atofy fratne house, eoYeripg al
n'ost IN ontire squares surrounded by
beautiful garden, the occupant and own
or diaahiohSthonghy a, ,German, is what
we eait one of tho self.made men ftNew
fofks ssand' ranks among the wealthicst.l
Thoagh man Of little OF NO cducatiou,,
it would make ones mes blood '-un -un Z, 'c,old to
listen, 70 bis, daring exploits, and the
aaanE lssdEautpFess chat he; has ,passed,
through saudere The sfrestssofaour sst5s
Some sseea, years l ! ago, & AZ landed il this
cousitrS perfect tis,rangsf, aud with but.
little money This he had the pleasing
satisfaction, ,ifrsucl, we may call it, OF
being robbed of on his very first night in
theteitys at q German boarding house in
Greenwich street. His vocation at home
uasncthat of as~uight-scayenger, aud he.
was not long in procuring situation in
the same, business in this city. For Eve.
years. hefollowed tlie e'same as an employ
ee, which enabled him 20 save ccusiaera-
ble money. During the time, he had
frequently found many yaldables aud SO
pcrsistently Iwere applications made to
search for lost property, that hercoh!
ceisea tl.s idea of working hesewers of
oursatfcnts sini its search. He had also
bee0p6e quite accustomed to sewers, 'as he
had Frequently been oompelled TO clean
sheAi 'outs and was us much ut huiuo in
1hese, naTrpT and filthy rpssaseways DIS
upontheassreets. The leading contrac-
tess in the above business found hun SO
valuable aud SO daring an explorer that
si,sy were continually calling his services
iaso requisition. There is hardly n
se&ef oil the Island ia which he has not
s,sen y aud ne seemed 10 take great, in-
scfesti in watching the building OF new
sewers aud drains lie knows their
size, length, every turn aud crook, their
inlets and outlets, ln,l claims to have
'snauy haunts ibplow dha ground y,uhnre,
by the iurcc of water, valuables that arc
Host are sure To settle ere they can be
carried out into the river. 1t will be
remembered it WIS few weeks ago that
u mun was arrested iu HobnEeu with
quite number of valuable articles in Il
basket, aud IL Was discovered that
he had got them out of the sewers Of
New York. Now many presumed that
tiis was. a new business, the like ncver
haying been heard Of before, yet this is
not so. There arc quite number, most
ly Germans, who follow this same bust
nrss but they are very careful not to
dirulge the same, as it is said they are
making an independent fortune. 1t is IA
regularly established business in Franco
and Germany, and in many places they
pay SO much for the proceeds of the
sewers. 1t is said that there have been
those who have tried to accustom them
selves to the business, but who were un-
able, in many instances, to endure the
unhealthy odor and poisonous gases.
The first trip ever taken by our in
former along the sewe ers of the city was on
Courtlandt street, in search of pocket
book that had been lost in the sink of
one Of the prominent hotels on that
street, aud which containd 81 $50 in
money. and drafts and notes to tho
amount of 1900. The sink had been
searched, but all efforts to recover the
lost property were fruitless; it was evil
dent that it had been washed out into
che main sewer, and the owner offered
the whole amount Of money in cash,
S1,350, should it be recovered. Her
mann, for as such he was known among
his associates, concluded to work the
street sewer that night and sec if it was
possible TO End the same. That night,
accompanied by two others, he equipped
himself in a full rubber suit, revolver,
hook, dark lantern, and sieve shov-
el. descending, at the first opening,
~hich was about block below the hotel,
he set out on his journey ON his hands
and knees through the dismal passage
way. He had no sooner got well under
waysthe powerful light from tho dark
iautcrnafIording him plenty of light, when
he neface to face with one of the larg-
est dock rats that he had ever scon. The
power Of the light seemed to stagger the
rat for q moment, when Hermann drew