The New York herald., 1878-09-17
THE SENECA.

| HISTORY OF POLITICAL PLEASURE BOAT
POLICE CoMMIssIoSERs AMusE THEMSELVES.
There are hundreds OF people In this city who pay
taxes and have an intelligent acquaintance with muni
cipal matters who. until yesterday, regarded the
police boat Seneca q q vessel utterly unworthy Of
popular attention. rhey had caught glimpses OF IL
on the river without being struck By its
beauty symmetry, 1t is true, but they
would forgive the lack OF either in what tnoy be-
lieved a necessity homeIy, serviceable ana cheap.
When, however. they came to fnd from the herald
yesterday morning that this grotesque hulk OF boat
and It's crew required quito respectable to
maintain them they awoke 10 their importance.
More, too, they learned that there were other
Tor police boat than tho pa,rolhng
oil tho water iront-that u saloon was needed
on It wherein the woaried Commissioner could
roposc that cninaware and plated cutlery
handy in view OF the official appetite becoming
wLeted and that 1t would be grossly ndecorous to
allow politician 10 leave the city without It's being
In attendance This was news TO The ordinary citizen,
who has TO put his baud IN his pocket when appro-
priations needed, and The public funds wax low.
II was not entirely novel To the common patrolman
before, but IL made him pluck up spirit
and ponder Oh transfer to the squad
| when they were done wiped their myers on 81 90
| napkins. Pub ic attention being drawn In this way
ana starts in tho past Sue did emerge rom her Oh
scurity, and It must be said In no very respectable
| connections.
| THE SENECA AS SHE WAS
Most generally she was heard OF as the bearer or
political picnicxers 10 bd farewell or welcome to
| going or coming associate. but there were times
! when some OF Gotham's officials used 10 take her of
| OIL errands even less praiseworthy. "Hank" Smith
and Judge Dowag greatly affected the Seneca and 10
tho mention of tho old hulk is still invested
| with u iosive flavor account Of their doings
her. In those days, as in others more recent, the
'sectious'' OF the squad detailed aboard had joca
tons By fits and themselves, and Interesting
little narrative, which pupcrs oil the
tine, is part oil tradition. An efficient member of the
force who high positioa IN It and has since
passed awny, was In charge OF the Seneca for period
1t in the good Old days alluded to, and
when a political party iu her work ior all
the "sections" OF men done tor that day. So it
came 10 pass that when the police boat was fastened
TO the pier ana las, merry local statesman mad
gone OH us bes. he could, the atmosphere somehow
became soporinc. and every SOU from the captain
could stretch himself AT this interesting moment,
who should come aboard for visiting purposes only,
put gang oil river thieves Thcy contemplated the
preservers oi the peace, who had such terrors
them, and then set to work 10 clean out the whole
CONCERN They carried the brass cannon away.
and then, having SET the Seneca adrlil,
they departed She had % bumped into
ship before her drowsy guardians TO roalzc that
they being washed down the stream ana had
time ago, but those Commissioners passed away,
and a new set came In who liked joli'y too,
OF the boat demurrsd and from that day Mr. Matsei
him aside Tho present Board came In, but their
|
Captain Irving charge then, and to him, II is
alleged, 1t seemed only proper 10 do what he pleased
bay IN her. Il Is assorted, tue Jersey
auenIly touched at, and she was f,milia at the
was called 10 account last. There quito an ex-
cilcmont, somo curious developments, and they
WHAT Is DONE WITH HER Sow.
Since that time the force have been disciplined re-
formed reorganizsd and otherwise perfected, but the
Seneca's character rs not much improved. She still
accompanies tho neettng politician 10 his steamer,
and still carries Official plcnickers wherever
| they choose. But that not all. II Is alleged,
on authority which appears autbentic, that the
boat has become an appurtenance OF an official
family. According TO this account gentleman Of
very high rank IN tho department has found II very
convenient to bring his family aud from his
try residence in Long Island and even to send them
their supplies BY it. Once too, tho rumor has , he
went to Portland Me-, 10 stop a while. When he
Wncs the Substance was ona the Seneca to Nor
wich, Conn.,, for sell and family" There Is strong
reason TO believe !. went there sishSusa many milo 10
leave except in case Of mutiuy or some such emer.
gcncy
boat OF ample proportions Sho was sombrs. for.
cassa is with the Island the Black Maria and oths.
equally distasteiul objects. On gaia days
more me-. 'AsT gallant u%'ns but aas Sss % sne was 's
sorry looking vessel aud by means
out doubt The men had mcAgro accomm odatons
and there was general flavor Of decay perv.dng the
boat But th0ught oil saloon or S37 00 table
cloths, or furniture from Stewards. Tue scheme 10
enlarge the boat was broacned and found favor In
some eyes u would cost over over $1,000 almost
brought before the Board nevertheless. There was
some demur among the Commissioners, but their
President said to have sagely observed that would
be good, cosey place to hold meetings In during the
hot weather. Ihat was an overpowerng argument.
No one gansaid 1t, SO the appropriation was voted
an extension built astcrn the paddle box aud the
Seneca was painted IN gay Iln.s aud thoroughly roiur
bishsd. Her appearances was not improved though,
and speed clearly lessened.
1.-THE HoMKLIEsr VESSEL oUT.n
SO In spite OF the 5000 she "wnlks the waters
either rivcr. VI old II was customary TO patrol the
front with her, They use her but nt,le Tor that
purpose now. "Shc Is only good for floating station
house her captain said when he moorei her at tho
foot OF East Third street aud conaoctcd
tho Commissioners may have thought 1t was
only enarsng her sphere OF usefulness to devote hci
In enIargns tho boat, however, tho need Of sa-
looa overlooked. 1t doubtless was To DO tho
In hs mind's ior them TO deliberate In. For 1t,
Captain Schultz admits, the largest and costies
tablecotb was intended, ana doubtcss the hnest o
tho Iiuen and tho most cle1ant OF the Ginncr sets
went there too Now that the purchase OF these
have made The grounds OF Mr. Erhardt's charge
against the newly made captain, Tho pouonsfa o
tho whole transaction Will doubtless DO reached
! CAPTAIN Schultz claims to be saving man, but
there are ugly stories ufoat about him that 40 Do
1 well accord with economy. Tue marine supplies o
. the boat he himself is said to order nj ia
voritc ship chaudiery, and 1t noted peculiar
short time since, that he became quite distressed
about tho boats nawsers and ordered a couple o
hundred feet OF new ones, though those on boar,
seemed likely to do good service for many day
Th,s Is one OF the siorios-easily app ieabe per
stirring up the Soneca's gfftIrs, and another II
circulation IN police circles refers TO steam iaunc
, now at FIRE Island which is said TO have somehos
become xed the Com niissIoDcrs' estimates o
the Sencca's expenses. AS attention Is turned 10 th
boat and its squad II is lkely tnat II will havo III
good effect OF reforming abuses, II thcy cxist, o
clearing away shadows OF suspicion which may nav
rested ~ the wrong place.