Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-19
BILLIONS IN A CART.
HOW CUSTOMS RECEIPTS ARE TAKEN
THE SUB-TREASuRY.


From $500, 900 to 81, 900, 900 Carried in n
Modest Old Hand Cart-A Simple sys-
tem-Daily oash-A New Plan of Pay
ing Customs
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 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 alb-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 very 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 it might contain anywhere
from $500 600 to 81, 600 600 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 ENVY 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 few
| weeks or few days the contents of that
| ugly iron bound box would be rescue from
ruin, flight or suicide, anybody can imagine
| Doubtless many a gang of knaves have
wasted many a 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 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
plot had been Matched to 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 at.
tempt The cart has carried its million.
with never the loss of so much as a cent
Familiar as is the sight of the little vehicl,
and its guard its appearance never fails Il
partially stop the hurrying Wall stree
throng for a moment. Those who know
what it means cast a reverent eye on it as i
passes. Strangers who understand nothing
of it catch sight of the big letters ~. S
painted on each end of the cart, aud the hur
ried seriousness of those who surround it ant
know that it is no light matter that is il
hand.
The system by which the money is thu
transferred is perfectly simple. In tn
cashiers office at the custom house are KEEP
four boxes, iron bound and made of thic
oak board They are two feet in length b,
one foot in breadth, and about foot il
depth. At each end is a massive iron handl
that in itself weighs nearly two of the fiftee
pounds at which each box tips the beam
When the days work is completed the none
is counted and placed in these boxes 1t
then delivered to the custody of Unite
States Detective T. J. Murtha. Four iahol
, ers then come, and each one shoulders a DO
and carries it 10 the ground floor Here th
, boxes are placed In the strong box on tl
. cart, which Murtha locks. At the sub-trea
urv the money is again counted. and if
agrees with the custom house count a receir
is given.
DAILY AVERAGE OF CASH
''The daily average of cash we carry sal
the good natured detective, rs about $500
;, 600, though of course there are many day
when we carry over a million When "
e have good deal of coin the load is yer
. heavy one, and this, with the weight of tt
e cart and the boxes, makes-it no easy thing
push We always have two men pushir
Il and four around it, besides myself and Il
: messenger, am the only one who is arme
u We go up the north side of Wall street b
II cause there are more people there and alwa
e some of Inspector Byrne's detectives abou
| have only been here about two years. b
| suppose we have carried not far from S.:ss5l
900 900 in that time. What wealth that o
lie cart has had in its bowels. 1t makes a mt
E dizzy TO think OF it. The surplus in Il
% treasury would be as a little chicken feed
T. your pocket compared to it. | never fe
the least fear of an attack. How cou
'1 they get away with anythingl T
r. street is filled with people. They won
u have TO disable me first There would
pistol shots before that. Then they won
have TO smash in the box on the cart, al
then they would have to lug away the de
u weight of one or more of those inner box
There would be 500 people and a dozen I
TX licemen and detectives about before they 9
that far The system is absolutely safe
TX far as that is concerned unless a small arr
ly of desperate men sweep down upon us"
Notwithstanding the system inaugural
of paying customs dues through the medir
of bank deposits in the sub-treasury a
certified bank checks drawn thereon, the
cart still goes over its regular route. But
} days of its glory are numbered. Area
no fully half the dues are paid by the check s.
TEN, and as its advantages become bet
w. understood by banks and importers it "
Ne supersede the old system. So the historic
er cart, like many another Wall street cell
rity, will drift penniless into some ObscI
corner and its past glories will be forgott
New York World.
yh "
Height of Meteorological Stations.
d. OF the present very limited number of hi
We stations for making meteorological obser