The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-06

, ~ 'NN' s"'"s"s "heci III 'front.' and pushed
, by TWO men from behind, clattered down Ia
, steps of the William street entrance n M,
custom house at 3;35 the other afteruoo,
IL was instantly followed by four broad
, shouldercd laboring men. "A smooth faced Ola
man OF clerical appearance and a stern
iookihg man with heavy brownsh mus.
tacpe' VINO quickly grouped themselves on
ootn sides OF 1t and in front OF it and he.
hlnd The little group. with the cart rum
ollng IN the center, pushed rapidly b. Wall
street to the north side and then went no
quick pace up the street to Nassau.
then around to Pine street and was
swallowed up in the rear entrance 10 the sub.
treasury building. All along the journey
from the custom house to the subtreasury
| people stopped and gazed curiously at tho
| group as 1t hurried along and tried 10 get a
| glimpse of the cart. It was not yery hand.
some vehicle. The box was literally box
| iron bound and tightly locked with heavy
| brass paddock, but those who understood the
matter knew that 1t might contain anywhere
| from 500 900 10 81 900 900 or more, and that
this money represented Uncle Sans daily
tolls on merchandise imported from abroad
and that II was on its way 10 be poured INTO
the treasury another contribution TO swell
the great surplus which now lies idle there
THE ENVY or THIEVES.
For over twenty years, at about the same
hour on six DAYS In every week, the cart IA,
made the same journey surrounded by 10
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 II dis.
covery hanging close over them. hag,
thought that to only have for but few
weeks or few days tho contents Of th,t
ugly iron bound box would be rescue from
ruin. fight or suicide, any body can imagine
Doubtless many gang Of knaycs have
wasted many long hour trying u devise
some daring scheme to waylay its guardians.
smash the heavy box and make of with IL,
contents. But from all this nothing ha.
ever come. For nearly quarter OF cen.
fury the old cart has truudled over its rout,
and not an unlawful hand has been raised
against IT, Collector Hedien in his tim,
did receive, It Is true, n written warning that
a plot had been Matched 10 attack the treas
ure cart IL was the work Of some practical
joker most likely. A little extra precaution
was exercised for a time. but the plot never
developed The most daring robber could
not fail to see the madness OF such an ut
tempt The cart has carried its millions
with never the loss OF So much as "A cent.
Familiar "a Is the sight OF the little vehicle
and It's guard its appearance never fails 10
partially stop the hurrying Wall street
throng for u moment Those who know
what IL means cast "A rcverent eye on it As It
passes Strangers who understand nothing
OF it catch sight OF the big letters ~ 5
painted on each end OF the cart, and the hur.
ried seriousness of those who surround il and
know that it is no light matter that i, IN
hand
The system by which the money is thus
transferred is perfectly simple In tho
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 foot Ia
depth At each end is 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 Il Is
then delivered TO the custody Of United
States Detective T. J. Murtha. Four labor.
ers then come, and each one shoulders box
and carries it to the ground floor Here the
boxes are placed in the strong box on tho
,art, which Murtha locks. At the sub-treas-
Try the money is again counted, and II i,
agrees with tue custom house count a receip,
; given.
DAILY AVERAGE OF CASH
The daily average OF cash we carry said
he good natured detective, sis about 500.
10, though OF course there are many DAYS
ghen we carry over million. When We
ave good deal OF coin the load is very
eayy one, and this, with the weight OF the
art and the boxes. makes IL no easy thing 10
ush. We always have two men pushing
nd four around IL, besides myself and the
Messenger. am the only one who is armed
We 20 up the north side Of Wall street los.
ause there are more people there and always
'me Of Inspector Byrnes detectives about
have only been here about two years. bu.
suppose we have carried not far from $3.50.
)O,OOO in that time. What wealth that old
art has had in its bowels! 1t makes a man
icy to think Of it. The surplus In the
'easury would be as little chicken feed in
our pocket compared to It. | never feel
ie least fear Of an attack How could
ley get away with anythiDgf Tho
rect is filled with people They would
ave to disable me first There would DO
istol shots before that Then they would
ave 10 smash In the box on the cart, and
len they would have 10 lug away the dead
eight Of one or more Of those inner boxes.
here would be 800 people and dozen po-
cemen and detectives about before they got
lat far The system Is absolutely safe 81
r as that is concerned, unless a small army
desperate men sweep down upon u.s.
Notwithstanding the system inaugurated
paying customs dues through the medium
bank deposits in the sub-treasury and
rtitied bank checks drawn thereon, the old
rt still goes over its regular route But ths
lys Of its glory are numbered Already
lly half the dues are paid by the check sys
m, and as its advantages Jecome betaJ
BY banks and importers il vii
persede the old system SO the historical
TT, like many another Wall street celeb
~, will drift penniless into some obscure
rner and its past giories will be forgotten
New York World.