Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-04
SORTING THE RECORDS.
QUEER Old PAPERS IN THE
CUSTOM HOUSE ATTIC.

/ Bushels of Dust Covered Documents
Piled Up in the Record ROOm-rhe Ac-
emulation of Century-The First
Paper Filed in the Savannah Custom
House.
Away up in the attic Of the custom
house Deputy Collector Porter and half a
dozen assistants were found yesterday
overhauing masses Of old papers. The
officials were examining, asserting and
indeXing the dust-coYered records that
have been accumulatlng for century.
Bushels and bushels Of the papers have
laid undisturbed in the pigeon holes for
thirteen years. Although tied up in small
packages, everything was chaos go tar as
system was concerned. Vessel mani
tests covering half or three quarters
of a century were often found in
a single bundle. 1t is frequently
necessary to look up some of
these old papers, but it has heretofore
been almost impossible to find anything
desired. There has been number of in
quiries of the officials here in regard to
vessels captured by the French in 1899
and 1900, and it was partly TO answer the
correspondence that this work was begun
five weeks ago. 1t will take three weeks
more to flush. In even numbers 100, 600
separate papers and documents will nave
been assorted and indexed.
The record room is small, dusty and
hot, and even the most enthusiastic anti
Quarian would cut his visit there short on
such day as yesterday. The floor was
strewn with bundles, and in every corner
was pile that would fill a wheelbarrOw.
Standing on chair, Mr.. Porter reached
high up and drew out of pigeon hole let
tered "a" in Cease ], :" a package about
the size of a small life-preserver. 1t was
wrapped in strong brown paper and
tied with a piece of stout Irvine.
Untying the bundle he pulled from out
the musty papers a small sheet five or six
inches wide and half as long. 1t is be-
lieved to be the first paper filed in the
custom house of Savannah. 1t is in an
excellent state of preservation. The
writing is as legible as the day on which
it was written, though it has faded little
and the paper is yellow from age,
1t reads; manifest Of the cargo on
board the schooner Hector Richard
Benson, Master, from the Avana. burthen
SO tons; ballast, q barrels beef, l6 casks
Of water. George Mcintosh. Nov. 10th,
1872
1t was written nearly ninety-eight
years ago. Mr.. Mcintosh is supposed to
have been the Collector. Savannah mad
in those days quite an extensive trade
with Havana, Jamaica and Martin
ique, the importations consisting chiefly
OF sugar and molasses. Another mani
lest, dated April ,, 1900, reads: "Brig
Ann, Richards, Master, 1866 tons bur-
then, from Martinique tor savannah, 70
hogsheads of molasses, 6 puncheons of
rum, % hOgsheads of sugar, l tierce of
sugar, boxes of sweetmeats, hogs
heads of sugar. Shipped by l.. Coppens
to VIM. Hunter Il Co."
Among other consignees Of that period
were Cunningham & Wallace, May Il
Hill and James Habersham. Occasion
ally manifest list contains a specified
number of "new slaves" These, il is
said, were admitted free of duty, perhaps
being considered raw material. The i'm
pOrtatiOn of negroes from Africa was dis
continued after 1908, in which year 1t was
terminated by the constitution of the
United States. In 1921 fire in the old
custom house destroyed some of the
papers. The greater number are we'll
preserved. They include articles OF
agreement between masters and crews,
crew lists, crew certificates, financial &C
counts, different kinds of bonds, inspec-
tors returns, COnsuls certificates, hos
pital returns, official oatns, and many
miscellaneous papers.
An entry was kept of the movement of
all slaves from one port To another. A
transcript of the dOIngs of the revenue
vessels is also preserved. A fire in Wash
ingtOn destroyed these records prior to
1884, and the Revenue Marine service
about year ago requested a copy of the
transcripts up TO 1894. These Will soon
be prepared and forwarded.
A box filed with the private cores
pondence and letters of r. r.
Henry was found stored away
in one Of the corners. Mr..
Henry had son, Charles s., who was
clerk in the custom house before the war.
The father was from Pennsylvania or
New York. Atone time he held position
under the Governor Of New York. His
correspondence run back many years,
and was kept up with the prominent men
of the country, among them Presidents j.
q. Adams and Monroe. At the outbreak
Of the war the papers were probably
placed for sufe keeping in
the custom house, aud they
have ever since remained among the
custom house records. Among other
letters were two asking for two Of the old
gentleman's daughters. 1t is presumed
they We're both answered aliirmatively,
as the writer's, Messrs. John n. Lewis
and George MacAlllster atterward be-
came his sOns-in-law. There were also
found some private manuscripts Of
Thomas +. Lloyd, Esq, including copies
OF speeches made in the campaign of lS43.
Cop es of the Charleston NeiCS of 1927,
Augusta Chronicle and STATE Rights
! Sentinel, and Daily Nation ID IRtetigeHcer,
] ..f ~ az