The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-07-12

Or New York Letter. f7n
Dogs smagolino- 7Xe Custom I1ou.e
The f5uyth -1ne Menonxcs-- B,ssi-
ness.
Nrw YosK. July =. 1871.
The doSs,havs q hard time. Of il
here every q Summer There are
thousands, and sometimes q night,
BY the howling. I think millions u
homeless and ownsrlest dogs, be-
sides the thousands that have . To-
cal hasitation and aa pane. The
|'city has an enormous' bound, with
kennels and stalls; and all dsss not
muszled and bearing a tag with the
word licensed" on it, may be
caught, put in the pound and, if
n { claimed within n forty.cight
hours, drowned. Once each year
tho mayor divides the city into
twenty-five districts, and appoints
| a catcher for each, who gets thirty
cents for every dog mot licensed and
muzzlsd that he secures. Every
body who misses q valuable dog
goes at once to the pound, and in
nine cases out of ten finds his pet.
The ANNUAL catching commenced
July first, and a queer thingit was.
The police found men, in partner
ship with the catchsrs, who had col.
lccted from fifty to two hundred
dogs, in the country, which were to
be turned over to them, and. the
profits of the speculation divided.
Boys Of all sizes and degrees Of dirt
ranged cut in tho neighboring vii
lagos, captured every deg possible
and dragged them into town, for
the fifteen cents per head that the
catcher would allow them if tho
property could be delivered where
no one could SEQ the transaction.
The regular catching is done after
three o'clock in the morning. The
catcher has female dog trained,
and a dozen other assistants. I'm
mediately that he appears, dogs of
every possible kind issue from the
alleys and courts, and by skillful
manipulation they are caught and
thrown into n wagon with wire
net, until it is full, when they are
driven to the pound and incarcer-
ated. There is a season of coaster
nation among the owners, of dogs.
The catchcrs, who are as regardless
of the rightsof owners as any other
highwaymcn, boldly demand of ncr-
vous widows and ancient maiden
ladies who have pots, 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 do
ing their work, and that there is a
chance of their being taken with
hydrophobia, though IL is doubtful
whether the poison Of a mad dog.
bite would have any effect upon a
New York ofiicc.holder. The un-
claimed after twenty-four hours, are
drowned, and their, bodies are melt
ed up, and fine soaps "for the toilet
arc made Of the grease.
i An immense smuggling ring has
been broken up, by Capt, Bracket,
of the Custom House. The officers
of tho National line, eight years
ago, went into partnership with one
Scott, in the smuggling OF silks and
laces. The method was very sim
! pie. Tho goods wore brought in
the cabins Of the officers, and by
collision with people in the Custom
House they were permitted to be
landed without examination, as per-
sonal property. Where there was
too much, these valuable goods were
packed in barrels Of plaster OF salt,
or something of a similar nature,
| that was presumed to have come
out as ballast, and convenient store,
in the city were provided for its re-
ception. Several heavy merchants
iii the city were in the trade; in
fact, there was a great deal Of mon
! ey in it, and the business was as
regularly carried ON as any other,
Il is estimated that Sect and his
] partncrshavc Struggled 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 comfortable thing OF
! it. Ten culprits arc now in the
hands Of the police, and other ar.
rests will follow.
The work of clearing out the Gus
tom-House is progressing satisfac-
torily, to everybody but those who
find themselves short head. Ono
4 hundred and seventy five men were
discharged this week, and fifty more
are being prepared for sacrifice
/ The unlucky ones are making Q
fearful cutlery over it, and are try.
ing very hard to make war upon
i tho President. A movement is be-
ing madc on Collector Arthur, or
1.-The score that he must have known
\ of the corruptioN: aud, his plea tina,
it was only following precedent vii
not answer. 1t is probable that liz
will 60. The professional polite
i ians Of New York arc.an astcnishct
The glorious Fourth passed Of
in the city without any formal OBJ
jervance., business was suspended
and vast number of picnics ane