West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-08-16
BILLIONS In AN OLD CART.
HOW CUSTOMS RECEIPTS ARE
TAKEN TO THE SUB-TREASUKY.

n Modest Hand. Cart, Surrounded
by Determined Guard. is Trun
died Through Wall Street Daily
A heavy-wheeled hand-cart, with q
thickset 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 al
3:45 yesterday afternoon. 1t was in
stantly followed by four broad shout
dered laboring men, smooth faced old
man OF clerical appearance and stern.
looking man with heavy brownish
mustache, who quickly grouped them
selves on both sides of IL and in front OF
1t and behind. The little group, with
the cart rumbling in the centre, pushed
rapidly to Wall street to the moth side and
then went at quick pace up the street to
Nassau, then around to Pine street, ar d
was swallowed up in the rear entl ance tc
the Sub-Treasury Building. All along
the journey from the Custom House 10
the Sub Treasury people stopped and
gazed curiously at the group, as it hur.
rIed along and tried to get a glimpse of
the cart 1t was not very handsome
vehicle. The box was literally a box
iron-bound and tightly locked with a
heavy brass paddock, but those who un-
derstood the matter knew that it might
contain anywhere from $500, 900 to
81, 600, 600 or more, and that this money
represented Uncle SANS daily tolls on
merchandise imported from abroad. and
that 1t was on its way to be poured into
the Treasury, another contribution TO
swell the great surplus which now lies
idle there.
= For over twenty years, at about the
same hour on six days in every week, the
cart has made the same journey sur
rounded by its escort. How many thieves
have cast envious eyes at it, how many
spectators on the verge OF ruin, how
many dishonest bank employees with the
impending crisis of disc lvery hanging
close over them, have thought that to
only have for but few weeks o. n few
days the contents of that ugly iron bound
box would be rescue from ruin, flight OF
suicide anybody can imagine. Doubtless
many gang of knayes have wasted
many 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
century the old cart has trunded over
its route and not an unlawful hand has
been raised against it. Collector He'd.
den in his time did receive, it is true, a
written warning that plot had been
Matched to. attack the treasure cart. Ii
was the work of some practical Joker
most likely. A little extra precaution
was exercised for time, but the plot
never Developed. The most daring rob
Der could not fail to see the madness of
such an attempt The cart has carried
its millions with never the loss of so
much as a cent.
The system 10y 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 thick 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. Ii
is then delivered to the custody OF
United States Detective Il. j. Murtha.
-Four laborers 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 Treasury the
money is again counted, and if it agrees
with the Custom House count a receipt
is given.
1.-THE daily average of cash we carry, :"
said the good-natured detective yester.
day, sis about $500, 600, though, Of
course, there are many days when we
carry over a million. When we have O
good deal of coin the load is very heavy
one, and this, with the great 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. / am the
only one who is armed. We 90 up the
north side of Wall street because there
are more people there and always some
of Inspector Byrne's detectives about.
j have only been here about two years,
but ] suppose we have carried not fai
from $3.50, 600, GOO in that time. What
wealth that old cart has had in its bowels /
IL makes a man dizzy to think of it.
The surplus in the Treasury would be as
a little chicken feed in your pocket
compared 70 it. / 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 have 10
sma.h in the box on the cart, and then
they would have 70 lug away the dead
weight Of one or more Of those inner
boxes. There would be 500 people and
a dozen policemen aud detectives about
before they got that far. The system is
absolutely safe so far as that is con-
cerned, unless a small army Of desperate
men swept down upon US.
''The place where have feared steal
ing the most is right in the public room
of the cashiers Office. It Is often so
crowded that there is barely standing
room. Zach importer fills out the blanks
there at a shelf running along the wall.
lie then counts his cash there. Not in
frequently as high as $40, 600 is counted
out in one pile. have feared a quick,
skilful sneak thief might snatch q bundle
Of bills, dash down the stairs there by
the door, and out into Hanover Square
There would be a few chances Of his
"-NeD York Porld
The Diamond wouldn't Polish.
A remarkable diamond was exhibited
at recent meeting OF the New York