The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-07-14
Our New York Letter.
DOgs-Smuggling-The Custom.
EAOuse-One VanderbiIt-I'hc
FOurth-The MemOnites, etc.
NEW YORK, July Z, 1877.

EDITOR CHIEF:
| The dogs have a hard time of it
here every summer. There are thou
sands ofhomeless and ownerless dogs,
besides the thousands that have a
local habitation and a name. The
city has an enormous pound, with
kennels and stalls; and all dogs not
muzzled and bearing q tag with the
word licensed on it, may be caught,
put into the pound, and if not claimed
within forty eight hours, drowned.
Once each year the Mayor divides the
city into twenty five DISTRICTS, and
appoints catcher for each, who gets
thirty cents for every dog not licensed
and muzzled that he secures. Every
body who misses valuable dog goes
at once to the pound, and in nine cases
ont of ten finds his pet. The annual
catching commenced July first and a
queer thing it was. The police found
men in partnership with the catchers,
who had collected from fifty to two
hundred dogs in the country, which
were to be turned over to them, aud
the profits of the speculation divided.
Boys of all sizes and degrees of dirt
ranged out into the neighboring viii
lagos, captured every dog possible
and dragged them into town, for the
fifteen cents per head that the catcher
would allow them if the property
could be delivered where no one could
see the transaction. The regular
catching is done after three o'clock in
the morning. The catcher has fe-
male dog trained, and dozen other
assistants. Immediately that he ap-
pears, dogs of every possible kind
issue from the alleys and courts, and
by skillful manipulation they are
caught and thrown into a wagon with
a wire net, until it is full, when they
are driven to tie pound and incarcer-
ated. There is season of c0nsterna-
| tion among the owners of dogs. The
catchers, who are as regardless of the
rights of owners as any other high
waymen, boldly demand of nervous
widows and ancient maiden ladies
who have pets, price for immunity,
and If the price is not forthcoming,
the pet somehow turns up missing.
1t is some consolation to know that
they get bitten in doing their work,
aud that there is chance of their
being taken with hydrophobia, though
it is doubtful whether tlle poison of
mad dogs bite would have any effect
npon New York office holder.
After the unclaimed dogs are drowned,
their bodies are melted up, and fine
soaps for the toilet" made of the
grease.
An immense smuggling ring has
been broken up by Capt. Bracket of
the custom house. The officers of the
National Line, eight years ago, went
into partnership with one Scott, in
the smuggling of silks and laces. The
method was very simple. The goods
were brought in the cabins of the
officers, and by collusion with people
in the custom house they were per-
mitted to he landed without exami-
nation, as personal property. Where
there was too much, these valuable
goods were packed in barrels of plaster
or salt, or something of similar ma
ture, that was presumed to have come
out as ballast, and convenient stores
in the city were in the trade-in fact,
there was great deal of money in it,
and the business was as regularly
carried on as any other. 1t is estima
ted that Scott and his partners have
smuggled goods worth two millions of
dollars within the eight years the
business has been running, which, as
the tariff on the goods smuggled was
very high, has made rather comfort
able thing of it. Ten culprits are
now in the hands of the police, and
other arrests will follow.
The work of clearing out the custom
house is progressing satisfactorily, to
every body but those who find them
selves short head. One hundred
and seventy five men were discharged
this week, and fifty more are being
prepared for sacrifice. The unlucky
r. g.