The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-10
ROBERTSON AND CHOOSES.
A Contract Through which the Government
Loses Many Thousand Of Dollars.


THE Sun has shown that the motive
that operated in tho promotion of Capt. shu-
fcldt to the rank Of Commodore over the heads
Of really deserving officers OF the Navy, was
that he testified In favor Of Secor Robson be-
fore the Congressional investigating Commit
tee, while those who outianked him by the
rules OF the service refused to do similar ser
vice In order to save tho knavlsh politician
whom Grant keeps at the head Of the De-
partment For several years Shufeldt has been
the Chief Of the Bureau OF Equipment and Re
cruiting. 1t was doubtless In this capacity that
he first made himself useful to Secor Robe ION
In the kind Of business for which the present
administration Of the Navy Department has
been distinguished.
About year ago, without inviting public
competition, shufeldt gave a contract to oval
ton Brothers, of New York city," for the fur
nishing Of cabooses to the navy. Such dealers
az Halet Van Avery, Stratton, and Packard,
the men best known in the caboose business,
putting all their heads together. were no, wise
enough to know who Walton Brothers, Of New
York city," were, or why they should be selling
canooses to the Navy Department.
walton Brothers - are set down In the CITY
Directory dealers In railroad supplies, on
Liberty street Their stock OF goods seems TO
be In the usual line OF railroad Supplies, and
docs not seem 10 include ship cabooses. he
announcement on the door says that they have
N X. j
! The Newark factory bv no means corresponds
with the store, for its waIerooms are crowded
with cabooses, and show few railroad supplies.
The boss was absent when the reporter Of THE
| Sun called. The foreman, when asked what
| those big stoves " were for, said they were Tor
ships, and were called caboosos. lie said they
wefo worth probably about $3.50 apiece. A
| Newark man In the stove business Gays that
| stoves made there except one kind OF n very
small pattern. He knows the Mcssrr. Walton.
| however, and that they get castings made In
Mi mol matt WuIf
the elder has told him that he gets $1,000 apiece
| from the Navy Department for cabOusea, but
| there IL due them between $4,000 and $4,000
| Secor Robeson must indeed be pinching hard to
make good old deficiencies. when favored con-
tractors ne well as metitorious officers are kept
| on the waiting list.
The Newark stove dealer does not know about
Walton's political Influence. The only New
| Jersey politician with whom he knows them TO
be associated is Nehemiah Perry. with whom
| one Of them Is connected nv marriage. Mr.
Perry MAS the Democr tic yor Of Newark two
| years ago; but the Democrats declined to give
him further prefcrmcn', anu be mas conn'ved
with the Republicans since. He is now svId to
| be Va favor ~ Hayes aud Wheeler. lie may nave
sought aud got share ~ i'e influence that the
| Csitells ami othcr JeTseym'H exercise over
| kOheson.
| me Newark stove deacr further says that the
| ~ Ncwtk. ana his brother aud young
Sshufeidt" are in the ONCE IN Liberty street, ia
| New lUrk.
"Wro Is Young snufedtf"
~ ell believe la. Ather Is a CAPTAIN In the
navy. lsev ~ that's where the caooose con-
| tract comes in"
O,her infsrn ttion Il zorro 1oraiivr that
Young rhufeldt' IN the Liberty street Office OF
Walton lirotners l. son of Capt. shuf lot Chief
! OF the Bureau OF Eiuininent ana R,craftinr,
| Who h.s recently been made . Commodore by
seeor kpneson. and that this explains the
cab1osc contract.
BY inqulrIns mong the Newark iron founders
1t was learned that Walton ifOthers have their
castings ina outside OF their factory and do
nothing In II but forge the bolts. &c.. of these
caoooses aud nut them together. Now. the
cAooosc approved by former Secretaries OF the
Navy Is required To be made Of wrought iron
Ihis very oaooose now beng made by Walton
Brothers was offered to the department, nut IN
the Brooklvn Navy Yard to be tested, ana re-
1ected Nv the Officers who examined IL. ON the
ground that east iron would not answer the
purpose; aud yet THIS contract was made Shortly
ait"rward BY CAPT. shufeldt. with the approval
OF secor hobesOn. In the Washington Navy
Yard Is complete machinery OF this most expen-
siye KIND for the manufacture Of the caboo.e
approved by tue department: and that is the
only place where the correct pattern can be
obtained. That machinery has been idle for the
last wear, while Walton brothers ana young
shufeidt." their clerk, nave been actively en-
gagged Ia getting out cast-iron csbooses at g. 100
apiece Tor secor hobesons navy. ihe
i navy c'es S.s q gors tue s class aco0ra
be very carefully and substantially made, and
is so made at the Washington Navy Yard. Com
partmeDts ere required according To the differ
ent messes on board Of man-o war. where the
Captain and his lieutenants, the midshipmen,
the warrant oucers, ANA tue seamen, have their
meals cooked and served separately ami ut dIf-
tcrent hours. Tue furnace must he 50 arranged
that the fire can be put out Instantly In case ~
the vessel gong INTO action or IN ~ we're storm.
Inc Ordinary ship's caboose sells for from $1j to
$40 VITA all the attachments. In the OPINION
OF experts, those OF the nTst class, made all, or
nearly all, OF wrought iron, could be sold for
about tlOOO. Thus an extra SlOVO apiece is re-
ceived by Walton Brothers on Il contract IN de
bN Walton Brothers with the father Of young
snuieldt," their clerk, witN the approval VI Sc
cor Rubesos.
shufeldVs promotion to the grade OF a Com
moo ore was not the FIRST that came TO him un-
earned. While hc was a young lieutenant in tho
navy, ho resigned and went into the merchant
service, whore he became a Captain. lie re-
turned Ia the navy while the war was goilg on,
was restored To his old rank without any loss OF
ratirg, aud soon afterward was promoted TO be
Captain over the heads Of senior OH GERS VINO
nad never de serted their posts. This fayoritism,
50 unjust, aud so suDversIye Of discipline, was
procured, IL Is said, through the influence OF
truman smith Of Hartford, Conn, formerly
United states senator, who has since held a
sinecure place III the Custom House.