Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-28

Alleged Operations of Private News
mongers in Washington.


mongers in Washington.
CorresBoadeaee ortbe Bos.an Tr5sellsr.
WASHINGTON. Nov. l0.-There is one
class OF workers in Washington who are
present everywhere and yet whose calling
while sometimes suspected, is never
known for an absolute certainty. such
people 90 through the departments from
Gay o. day and gather Information OF va
ri1us kinds and sell IL to = hoover VIII put-
/ chase IL. This class does not lnclude the
men who earn a precarlous llYlng. by
I collecting outside Information for the
purpose OF disposing % IL TO the news
/ paper correspondents for pecunlaTy
Confederation. but Is a distinct set. whose
interests are antagonIstic 10 the CORE
spondents. Their Information is tor the
I priNafe aud not for the public ear. Nearly
I every DAY man with heavy gray heaFd,
uauaiiy dressed with extreme neatness,
/ even approaching to elegance. comes
+ down Fifteenth street and enters the
/ Treasury. He is a short thlck-set man,
{ universally FnOwn. but there is probably
I not one man in a hundred In washington
/ who knows his business.
I He is suave. polite, and genial, but be
permits no one outside Of a certain sacred
circle to gain bis confidence. Some peO-
pie look upon him with suspicion. but
personally be is every incn a gentleman.
His business is the gathering OF informa-
ton in relation TO customs decisions for
the benefit 0f clique 81 importers, prln-
cipaliy in New York. He is maintained
mere in coed style. fact which SLOWS
that his services are valuable to his en-
plOyers. and it is said that he has become
quite wealthy. At any rate, he was
poor man when he came 10 Washington,
and now there are none OF the comforts
and but few OF the luXuTies OF life which
he does not enjoy. His predecessor died,
leaving quite a sum OF money behind him,
which by no means represented the extent
OF bis income. as he was I'm the habit OF
living at the rate Of $4,000 year AT the
least calculation. The present incumbent
is said TO be very successful in gaining in
side Information sufficiently in advance
to enable the importer to profit immense
ly.
II has been alleged that this was accom-
plished by means Of something more pO-
tent and convincing than the agents
suave and polite presence. and It has
been mentioned in support Of this theory
that some Of the treasury officials who are
driving horses that can hold their own
with the fastest trOtters on the road,
never bought them, but received them az
presents "from their friends IN other
cities" There are several men who look
after the liquor, beer and tobacco inter-
ests in the internal revenue bureau.
Some OF them are regularly employed by
the attorneys Of the so-called whisky
Ring" and report the results Of their
observations as often as the i'm
portauce Of the subject demands
Others look out for the tobacco men. and
a few combine all three. Upon either Of
these topics a good round sum can always
be obtained for reliable information. The
Interior Department is also kept under
sharp surveillance by these people. Any
thing affecting the railroad interests is
matter from which they Invariably reap
rich harvests. The greater part of this
class are men who have been here for
years. Their entire stock in trade is their
acquaintance, and they work it for all il
Is worth. No new man could come here
and avoid making blunders which would
be disastrous to his employers. There is
a market for this kind OF talent, and it
evidently pays well, as there are more
men engaged In 1t at the present time than
ever before.
An incident was related to the Traveller
correspondent a few DAYS ago which
shows that one Of these agents has his
eye teeth cut, to say the least. BY some
means or other he became informed that
a certain decision had been agreed upon
by the United States Supreme Court.
TINS decision would affect the stock Of
one of the Pacific railroads. which was
then booming skyward under the influence
OF a strong bull market. He wasn't sure
when the decision would be promulgated,
and he didn't care TO risk any OF his own
money upon 1t. The first thing he
did was 10 20 to a broker and tell
him about the decision. He said
that he wouldn't ask a cent for tho
Information, but would call 1t square If
the broker would sell short $500 ahares Of
the railroad stock and divide the profits
with him The broker accepted the terms
Then the agent went 10 broker NO. . and
told him the same story, with the add
ton that he knew that the decision would
not be made public for two weeks, and
that il was a good chance 10 jump in and
out on both sides Of the market. He con-
vinced broker No. ?, and he also bought
$500 shares, the profits Of which he
agreed to divide with the enterprising
agent. In the meantime the stock
doomed and doomed, and when IL had
reached its highest notch broker No. 2dis-
posed OF his stock, and sold the same
amount short.
While this was going on broker No.
was in fearful state OF mind. The agent
had his confidence and from day to day
gave him such cOnfirmatOry information
that he decided TO hold on. He had TO re-
margin. but that didn't lessen his grip.
In day or two aiterward the decision
was made and the crash came. The stock
got black eve and tumbed down and
down, until the people who held It thought
II never would stop. Then both brokers
closed their accounts and divided with the
agent. In two weeks he had cleared over
$4,000. Toe beauty Of his position was
that he couldn't lose. No matter what
turn the stock took he was bound 10 win,
but owing 20 his shrewduess and fore
sight he profited by both turns. There
have been instances OF "A similar nature
here, but this is the only one up 10 date
where the agent pulled both parties out
at profit TO himself and to them.
A NEW WAY TO LIVE.