Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-02-24
Roboson's Riches.

A special dispatch from Washington
tells how Secretary Robson made hi.
money, a. follows
George NJ. Robssoa's sudden rise from
poverty 10 ailiaeuoe siuce he became nom
inzl secretary OF the navy, 10 accounted
for BY the Sun. The rsceut transfer by
J.. g.. CalIell. Of Philadelphia, Of S36, 600
worth Of Washington City property 10
Robson, vNs the suns frss olue. Going
behind u the Sun hads that CAuen Is o.
Philadslphia ship.ohAndler, Aud brother
o. eX senator Cattsll Of New Jersey.
himself big contractor, aud that r.. G.
Ca.iell, Of Philadelphia, supplies ,be navy
yards Of Phiadelphia, Brooklyn, and Mare
Island with every thing consumed there,
uRder contracts awarded him without
competition aud without proposals Robe
son would have give him the Washington
navy yard on the same terms, but Sam.
brown vas IN incumbent that he could not
dlspossess. Nov, however, he has been
bought of BY sWindling live oak contrac,
Of $4,000 in LouiJiaua, sud probably
otter this month the Cattsll sway will |
iuulade that yard. Some Of the contracts
made by Cattsil on behalf of tue nav
department., shows how hs BEGAN
transfer Washington CITY
son. The Tsnnss 80 able TO
memory, l-i' ,.op-rty TO Robe
he see, OF San Domingo
..u 10 as worthless since that
nr,. service, was built in 1864 in th'
BROOKLYN yard, and cost 81 500 600 there
Then Porter e pended smother quarter OF I
million on her, and her bull was con
demand as unseaworthy. Six months sg'
Roheson and Caitell secretly, and wiEhou
proposal, contracted with John Roach 4
Sons, Of this city, to build an entire ne'
set Of engines aud machinery for tn
rotten steamer Tennessee, Robson an'
CAltell agreeing to pay 100000 for Oh
lob. No board OF survey ever condsmn
cd her present machinery, and not a
engine builder in the country, save RoscI
h Sons, knew that the navy department
even oontsmpl plated such repairs, and 'er
CINE builders are unanimous in the opir
that there is q profit Of at least thre
hundred aud Fifty thousand dollars In 'h
Job.
List winter, congress appropriated hA
a million dollars for the building OF ~
torpsdo boats. The contract for supplyir
the iron plates for those boats has bee
given By Cauell TO q Grant striker, OF III
ladslphiA, uAmed Psnnock The price
be paid IL 1924 per ton and any honest ire
dealer would gladly furnish tho plates
ALSO At ton. II will take fifteen hundr
tons for each boat, and Pennook will ma
three thousand times the difference bstve'
S224 and also, less his divy with Gate
Robson 4 Co., who are known TO be
partners Another soft thing is found
The shipping TO California from PHILADELPHIA
Of Mr.. Bowen, Of FIVE million eight hundr
thousand bricks for q store house IN q
Island navy yard. The appropriation
100000. The brick were sent TO M
York by oAnalboat, and thence by Sd
around Cape Horn. With frsightage equal
the original coat. When the vessel arriv
at her destination, she had q cargo Of bri
dust, not more than n thousand bricks
manning whole. The bricks could hA
been bought in California At an advance
the invoice cost 10 PhiladelpbiA Of not me
than ten per cent, but if they had be
bought IN California, Catiell d Co. cot
not have raked in their divy The Lost i
put up By the CAttell Robson ring tai
shape Ia the bill introduced in the house
Mr.. Townsend for the building Of tive
iron clad aloopa of.war on the breads
principle. In this job Robson, Cattsl
Co. expeo. 10 realize fortune for each
the firm Of Roach a Sons, uominAlly j
Roach, Of New York; E. g. Oattell,
PhilAdslphia; A. q. Cattsll, eH soma
George NJ. Robson, secretary OF the M
Tom. Florence and Sam Archibald, lat
the old 6rm This sntsrprising firm
chased the Chester iron and steel W
Just previous TO the introduction of To
sends bill for twenty irOn-clsds to
$4,000 900.
Robson, who was poor men when pr
Using law In New Jersey, is likely to
very rich mau before he quits bis lucrs
Office in Washington.