St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-07-20
Our New York Letter.

Our new Ork Letter.
PROSECUTED CUSTOM HOUSE RIG
sMUGGLING-AsP SPRING STREET SILVER
MINE-$1 100 ALREADY TAKEN OUT
OIL PIPE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ANGEMEN'S DAY-THE CODE DUELo.
NEW YORK, June I3, 1877.
10 the Editor of the Caledoniam
The New York Custom House has
been centre of attraction for couple
of months past. First it was ''severelyn
Investigated then it was weeded out
by the adjustment of lot of sinecure
positions and the giving of strong
hint to the remainder that they would
be expected to earn their pay. Then
came the presidential order to Federal
officials warning them to keep their
fingers out of the political sugar
bowl, and causing considerable emotion
among the heads of this establishment,
who are also much addicted to s'run-
ming with the masheen," and now the
Custom House, goaded into something
almost like activity by these unprece-
denied onslaughts upon its time-hon-
Ored corruption, has bestirred itself in
the person OF one of its special agents
and unearthed the biggest mares nest,
in the way of smuggling conspiracy,
that has swindled Uncle Sam and both
cred the few honest importers of New
York in good many years. Already
some fifteen of the conspirators have
been arrested who acknowledge the
smuggling during the past two years of
nearly million dollars of silks and
laces. Of course frauds of such mag
nitude could be practiced only with
the cOnnivance of steamboat and dock
officers, dozen of whom, belonging to
the National Line, are found to he
among the guilty parties. The methed
so long and so successfully pursued was
to bring over the silks in barrels which
the pursers and stOrekeepers of the
boats involved would secretly land with
the aid of the shore hands who were in
the ring. The goods would then be
auctiOned Off at figures so far below
the prices at which honest merchants
could import them that the suspicious
of the latter were aroused aud finally
led to the present discoveries.
The latter have pretty serious bear
ing upon the steamship line in connec-
ton with which they were made. By
United States law if the value of goods
struggled on any vessel is over 800
the vessel itself is liable to confsca-
ton as we'll as the goods. In the pres
ent case five tirst-class ocean steam
ships, worth nearly as many millions of
dollars, come under the provisions of
this law; and while it is improbable
that the latter will be rigidly enforced.
the company running them will doubt
less have to pay u fine which will cause
them i'll future to exercise IL stricter ST.
pervision over their employees.
L have several times mentioned in
my letters attempts that are frequently
made by individuals and corporations
to recover lost treasure which the cred
ulous believe to have been buried in
large quantities at various localities on
Our sea coast and up the banks of the
Hudson. Perhaps these crack-brained
adventures may get some consolation
and encouragement to carry on their
gOose-chases by the piece of luck which
this week unexpectedly befell a party
of laborers excavating a cellar on Spring
street IN busy pOrtiOa of the town.
The laborers employed on this work
found long ridge of earth running
across the cellar, and digging it up,
commenced wheeling it out into the
Street. One of them noticed round
bit of metal which he picked up, but it
was so blackened and cOroded that
he thought it was only a piece of
copper or iron and threw it away.
Some one with more curiosity then
gave it further examination and
pronounced it to be silver. A lot more
of the same kind turning up at the mo-
ment, lively times followed. The pile
of dirt already out was in the twink
ling of an eye scattered for blocks
about, each treasure-seekeI grabbing a
handful and then running off to a safe
place to inspect it. As the laborer con-
tinued his work of bringing up the eel
lar diggings he was set upon for the
possession of his load, and it was with
difficulty that he could hold on to his
basket. In handfuls, hatfuls and apron
fuls the men, boys and women carried
off the treasure-laden rubbish. 1t is |
calculated that about 81 100 in all was
taken out. Most of it was in Spanish
quarters, such as used to be current in
this country there was also a liberal
sprinkling of American alf-dollars, the
dates so far as noticed ranging from
1902 to 1912, the latter date on the
American pieces. Nor was the yield of
silver only; few pieces of gold Jew
elry were found cross of peculiar
workmanship, and apparently of con-
siderable value, being among one bows
''tind;" pipe bowls, Il piece of chain
and carved fork were also discovered.
1t since transpires that $40 in gold
was excavated in this same cellar few
years ago. All the treasure is supposed
to have been hidden by some timid cit
izen during the war of 1912 or by
thieves at some later date.
The New York Central Railroad
which has been working so hard and.
luckily for the city, so unsuccessfully
to get permission to run their cars by
steam along our western water front. |
have had better fortune in another
scheme which has just got the sanction
of the city government. In pursuance
of this scheme they will at once pro-
coed to run an enormous underground
pipe or main from their uptown depot
to the East River, and along the bottom
of that stream to the point on Long
Island where large proportion of the
refined petroleum used in the world is
made. This important work will save