Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-08-07
BILLIONS IN A CART.
HOW CUSTOMS RECEIPTS ARE TAKEN
TO THE sUB-TREAsURY.

Modest Old Hand Cart-A Simple sys-
tem-DaiIy cash-A New Plan of Pay
ing Customs.
A heavy wheeled hand cart, with thick
set little guiding wheel in front and pushed
by two men from behind. clattered down the
steps of the William street entrance 70 the
custom house at 3:45 the other afternoon.
It 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 tho 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 box
iron bound and tightly locked with heavy
brass paddock, but those who understood the
matter knew that IL might contain anywhere
from 5000 TO 81 900 or more, and that
this money represented Uncle Sans daily
tolls on merchandise imported from abroad,
and that il 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 tho same journey surrounded by its
FL
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
ugly iron bound box would be rescue from
rum, flight or suicide, anybody can imagine.
Doubtless manya gang of lnaves have
wasted many long hour trying to devise
some daring scheme to waylay its guardians,
smash the heavy box and make of with its
contents. But from all this nothing has
ever come. For nearly a quarter of CEN
fury 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, written warning that
plot had been Matched to attack the treas
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 millions
with never the loss Of so much as a cent
Familiar as is the sight of tho 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 a reverent eve on it as it
passes. Strangers who understand nothing
Of it catch sight Of the big letters ~. 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
transferred is perfectly simple. In the
cashiers office at the custom house are kept
four boxes, iron bound and made Of chick
oak board. They are two feet in length by
one foot in breadth, and about 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 It is
then delivered to the custody of United
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 Nurtha locks At the sub-treas.
ury the money is again counted, and il II
agrees with the custom house count receipt
is given
DAILY AVERAGE OF CASH.
1.-THE daily average Of cash we carry said
the good natured detective, sis about $780,.
600, though Of course there are many DAYS
when we carry over a million. When va
have good deal of coin the load is q very
heavy one, and this, with the weight Of the
! cart and the boxes, makes it no easy thing &c
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 60 up the north side Of Wall street be
cause there are more people there and always
some of Inspector Byrnes detectives about
have only been here about two years. but
/ suppose we have carried not far from $3.50.
000,000 in that time. What wealth that Ole
cart has had in its bowelsl It makes mar
dizzy 10 think Of it. The surplus in tn,
treasury would be as a little chicken feed il
your pocket compared to it. / never fee
the least feer Of an attack How coulC
they get away with anythngl Thu
street is filled with people. They would
have to disable me first There would b,
pistol shots before that. sThen they woule
have to smash in tho box on the cart, and
then they would have to lug away the deas
weight Of one or more Of those inner boxes
There would be 500 people and dozen DO
lcemen and detectives about before they 60
that far The system is absolutely safe 81
far as that is concerned, unless small ARM
Of desperate men sweep down upon us"
Notwithstanding the system inaugurate,
of paying customs dues through the medium
Of bank deposits in the sub-treasury EN-
certified bank checks drawn thereon the oil
cart still goes over its regular route. But tn
days Of its glory are numbered. Alread
fully half the dues are paid by the check sys
tenn, and as its advantages become bette
understood by banks and importers it VII
supersede the old system. SO the histories
cart, like many another Wall street celel
rity, viii drift penniless into some obscur
corner and its past glories Will be forgotten
New York World.