Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-07-13
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
-SmuggIIng-Th Custom House
One VanderbiIt-The FOurth-The
Observation-Disclosures
DOCS.


The dogs have hard time of it here ev7
cry summer. There are thousands, and
sometimes at night, by the bowling,
think millions Of homeless and ownerless
dogs, besides the thousands that have To-
cal habitation and name. The city has
an enormous pound, with kennels and
stalls, and all dogs not muzzled, and bear
ing a tag with the word licensed" on it,
may be caught, put into the pound, and, if
not claimed within forty-eight hours, are
drowned, Once each year the mayor. di-
Yides the city into twenty-five districts,
and appoints a catcher for. each, who gets
thirty cents for every dog not licensed and
muzzled that he secures. Everybody who
misses a valuable dog goes at once to the
pound, and in nine cases out of ten finds
his pet. The annual catching commenced
July 1st. and queer thing it was: the po-
lice found men in partnership with the
catchers, who had collected from fifty to
two hundred dogs, in thenceuntry, which
were to be turned over to them, and the
profits Of the speculation divided. Boys
Of all sizes and degrees Of dirt ranged out
into the neighboring villages, captured ev7
cry dog possible and dragged them into
town, for the fifteen cents per head that
the catcher would allow them if the prop
erty 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 female dog trained, and
a dozen other assistants. Immediately
that he appears, dogs or every possible
kind issue from the alleys and courts. and
by skillful manipulation they are caught
and thrown into a wagon with wire net,
until it is full, when they are driven to the
pound and incarcerated. There is a season
Of CONSERVATION among the owners of dogs.
The eatchers, who are as regardless of the
rights Of owners as any other highwaymen
boldly demand of nervous widows and an
eient maiden ladies who have pets, price
Tor immunity, and if the price is not forth
coming, the pet somehow turns up missing.
IL Is some consolation to know that they
get bitten in doing their work. and that
there Is chance Of their being taken with I
ny drophobia, though it is doubtful wbetb-
er the poison of mad dogs bite would
have any effect upon New York Office
holder. The unclaimed, after fortv-oi,b.
hours are drowned, and their bodies 5~o
melted up, and fine soaps 'for the toilet,
are made of the grease.
sMUGGLING.
An immense smuggling ring has been
broken up. by Capt. Bracket Of the Gus.
tom-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 permitted
to be landed without examination. as per-
sonal property. Where there were too
much, these valuable goods we're packed in /
barrels Of plaster or salt, or something Of |
a similar nature, that was presumed to |
have come out as ballast, and convenient |
stores IN the city were provided for its re-
eeption. Several heavy merchants in the
city were IN the trade; in fact, there was a
great deal of money in it, and the business
was as regularly carried on as any other.
It is estimated that Scott and his partner,
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 a rather comfortable thing Of it; ten