Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-07-11

S, New York Letter.
" NEW YORK, July 7, 1877.
DoGs-SMUGGLING-THE CUsToM-HOUsE-
ONE VANDERBILT-THE MENNoNITEs-
l. BUSINESS.
" DOGS.
- The dogs have n hard time of it her
- every summer. There are thousands, an
sometimes at night, by the bowling,
g think millions of homeless and ownerles
g dogs, besides the thousands that have
n local habltation and name. The cit,
:. has an enormous pound, with kennels AM
g stalls; and all dogs not muzzled and bear
u ing tag with the word " licensed on it
may be caught, put into the pound and, i
l.. not claimed within forty-eight hours
Is drowned. Once each year the mayor di
q vides the city into twenty-five districts anC
( appoints n catcher for each, who gets thir
! ty cents for every dog not licensed ant
a 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 first, and queer thing it was. The
police found men in partnership with the
catchers, who had collected from fifty tc
= two hundred dogs, in the country, which
were to be turned over 10 them, and the
e profits of the speculation divided. Boys
of all sizes and degrees of dirt ranged out
into the neighboring villages, captured
every dog possible and dragged them into
town, for the fifteen cents per head that
the catchers would allow them if the pro-
perty could be delivered where no one
E could see the transaction. The catcher
has female dog trained and dozen 9TH
er assistants. Immediately that he APP
pears, dogs of every possible kind issue
from the alleys and courts, and by skilful
manipulation they are caught and thrown
into wagon with u wire net, until it is
full, when they are driven to the pound
and incarcerated There is n season of
CONSERVATION among the owners of dogs.
The catchers, who are as regardless of the
rights OF owners as any other highway
men, 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 I'D
missing. 1t is some consolation to know
that they get bitten in doing their work.
and that there is u chance of their BEING
taken with hydrophobia, though it is doubt,
full whether the poison of mad dogs bite
would have any effect upon u New York
o1iicc-holder. The unclaimed after TWEEN
ty-four hours, are drowned, and their
bodies are 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 partner
ship with one Scott, in the smuggling of
silks and laccs. The method was very
simple. The goods were brought in the
cabins of the officers, and by collision
with people in the custom house they were
permitted to be landed without examina-
ton, as personal property. Where there
was too much, these valuable goods were
packed in barrels of plaster or salt, or
something of similar nature, that was
presumed to have come out us a ballast.
and convenient stores in the city were pro-
vided for its reception. Several heavy
merchants in the city were in the trade;
in fact, there was II great deal of money
in it, and the business was as regularly
carried on us any other. 1t is estimated
that Scott and his partners have smuggled
goods worth two millions of dollars with
in the eight years the business has been
which, us the tariff on the goods
was very high, has made Il rath-
er comfortable thing of it. Ten culprits
are now in the hands of the police, and
other arrests will follow.
TIE CUSTOM HOUSE.
The work of clearing out the custom
house is progressing satisfactorily, TO
everybody but those who find themselves !
short Lead. One hundred and seventy
live men were discharged this week, and
Iilty more are being prepared for sacrifice.
The unlucky ones arc making fearful =
)utcry over it, and are trying very hard to
make war upon the president. Of course c
hey tell all sorts of stories, but thew all n
need to be taken with many grains of al
owance. The greatest care has been TAX "
IN in making this reduction of the force. v
A committee of experts made careful
and dismissed all who could b
)e spared, retaining the best in every in III
tance. When you hear u howl about
'ne-armed soldiers being dismissed, Won A
must remember that one-armed soldiers 81
10 sometimes drink, and some of them
AVE been known to stain their remaining h,
lands with brides. AT least this was the q,
ase with two who were dismissed and
Who are now making an effort to get SYM -,
'alhy on that account. There win be 90
reat deal of dirty linen washed in this W
natter, which would justify the president /.
ven if justification were necessary. The I h,
outs are peaching on their associates a.
Tho are retained, to show that if they
,ere dismissed for cause there were Others
qually guilty; and the clews thus obtain an a,
d will be followed till the entire estab- Az M
shment is renovated and filled with It"
ecent men. A movement is being u
lade on Collector Arthur, on the score
lat he must have known of the cor ~
option; and his plea that it was only fol- W
wing precedent will not answer. 1t is ~
robablc that he will 20. The profession "t
politicians Of New York are an aston 10
he'd lot of men. D'
low THE GREAT FAMILIES DEPRECGATE
Oakley S. Barker, grandson of Cor =
9lius Vanderbilt, was up in the courts on &c
larges of stealing and general swindling. FIR
Or years the degenerate scion of II rich if da
ot noble house. has been doing the most Ae
'larious things, doubly bad because they
ere not only dishonest but sneakingly so; the
I'd for years his unclcs and aunts have fou
pt him out of the pententiary, to save VIII
e family name. But this time they have die
cded to let him 90, for they feel that
~ attempt at reform is hopeless. lie Ger
stained goods under false pretenses; he thu
Die jewelry, clothing and everything he ma
uId lay his hands upon; he borrow ed gro