, 1888-09-07

A heavy wheeled hand cart, with a thick
set little guiding wheel in front and pushed
by two men from behind, clattered down the
steps of the William street entrance to the
custom house at 3:45 the other afternoon.
1t was instantly followed by four broad
shouldered laboring men, a smooth faced old
man of clerical appearance and a stern
looking man with a heavy brownish mus
tache, who quickly grouped themselves on
both sides of it and in front of it and be-
hind The little group, with the cart rum
bling in the center, pushed rapidly to Wall
street to the north side and then went at
a quick pace up the street to Nassau,
then around to Pine street and was
swallowed up in the rear entrance to the sub
treasury building. All along the journey
from the custom house to the sub-treasury
people stopped and gazed curiously at the
group as it hurried along and tried to get a
glimpse of the cart 1t was not a very hand
some vehicle. The box was literally a box
iron bound and tightly locked with a heavy
brass paddock, but those who understood the
matter knew that it might contain anywhere
from 100000 to 81 ,000,0 600 or more. and that
this money represented Uncle Sans daily
tolls on merchandise imported from abroad,
and that it was on its way to be poured into
the treasury, another contribution TO swell
the great surplus which now lies idle there.
THE M OF THIEVES.
For over twenty years, at about the same
hour on six days in every week, the cart has
made the same journey surrounded by its
escort. How many thieves have cast en-
vious eyes at it, how many spectators on
the verge Of ruin, how many dishonest bank
employees with the impending crisis of dis
covery hanging close over them, have
thought that to only have for but a few
weeks or a few days the contents of that
.,r1v -, Ia,,-l - ,-.-II
ruin, flight or suicide, anybody can imagine.
Doubtless many a gang of knaves have
wasted many q long hour trying to devise
some daring scheme to waylay its guardians,
smash the heavy box and make off with its
contents. But from all this nothing has
ever come. For nearly a quarter of a cen
tury the old cart has trundled over its route
and not an unlawful hand has been raised
against it Collector Hedden in his time
did receive, it is true, a written warning that
a plot had been Matched to attack the treas
ure cart. 1t was the work of some practical
joker, most likely. A little extra precautiou
was exercised for a time, but the plot never.
developed. The most daring robber could
not fail TO see the madness of such an at
tempt. The cart has carried its millions
with never the loss of so much as a cent.
Familiar as is the sight of the little vehicle
and its guard its appearance never fails to
partially stop the hurrying Wall street
throng for a moment. Those who know
what it means cast n reverent eve on it as il
passes. Strangers who understand nothing
of it catch sight of the big letters "U. S.
painted on each end of the cart, and the hur-
ried seriousness of those who surround it and
know that it is no light matter that is in
hand.
The system by which the money is thus
Transformed 10 pnrfppt1u Sip,y1a IL
cashiers office at the custom house are kept
four boxes, iron bound and made of thick
oak board They are two feet in length by
one foot in breadth, and about a foot in
depth. At each end is a massive iron handle
that in itself weighs nearly two of the fifteen
pounds at which each box tips the beam,
When the days work is completed the money
is counted and placed in these boxes. 1t il
then delivered to the custody of United
States Detective T. ]. Murtha- -Four labor
ers then come, and each one shoulders a box
and carries it to the ground floor. Here the
boxes are placed In the strong box on the
cart, which Murtha locks. At the sub-treas-
ury the money is again counted, and if it
agrees with the custom house count a recent
is given.
DAILY OF CASH.
1.-THE daily average of cash we carry" said
the good natured detective, 'is about $500
900, though of course there are many days
when we carry over a million. When we
have a good deal of coin the load is n very
heavy one, and this, with the weight of the
cart and the boxes, makes it no easy thing TO
push. We always have two men pushing
and four around it, besides myself and the
messenger, l am the only one who is armed
We go up the north side of Wall street be-
cause there are more people there and ALWAYS
some of Inspector Byrne's detectives abont
l have only been here about two wears. Init
L suppose we have carried not far from sS5O
100000 in that time. What wealth that old
cart has had in its bowelsl 1t makes a man
dizzy TO think Of il. The surplus in the
treasury would be as a little chicken feed In
your pocket compared to it. l never feel
the least fear of an attack. How could
they get away with anythingl The
street is filled with people. They would
have TO disable me first. There would be
pistol shots before that. Then they would
haze to smash in the box on the cart, and
then they would have to lug away the dead
weight of one or more of those inner boxes
There would be 500 people and a dozen DO
hcemen and detectives about before they got
That lar. The system is absolutely safe so
lar as that is concerned, unless a small army
of desperate men sweep down upon us"
Notwithstanding the system inaugurated
of paying customs dues through the medium
Of bank deposits in the sub-treasury and
certified bank checks drawn thereon, the old
cart still goes over its regular route. But the
days Of its glory are numbered. Already
fully half the dues are paid by the check sys-
tenn, and as its advantages become better
understood by banks and importers it will
supersede the old system. Sc the historical
cart, like many another Wall street celeb
rity, will drift penniless into some obscure
corner and its past glories will be forgotten.
New York World.