Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-06
EVERYBODY. HUSTLED
Lively Times at the New York Gus
toms House During
THE LAST HOURS OF THE OLD LAW.
Receipts Double the Usual Amount for the
Entire Week,
AVERAGING A MILLION EVERY DAY

| NEW 1oRk, OclODer O.-heepihS 'he
Custom House open until midnight last
night. it is estimated by careful authorities,
saves the merchants and others $3.50, 600 and
costs Uncle Sam that much. So great was
the interest to have goods entered not later
than yesterday that entire invoices in all
their details were cabIed from Europe
This was done because captains of steam
ships can enter them at the Custom House
much quicker than merchants can receive
their involces, which usually arrive on the
same steamship as the goods.
Great was the joy of the importers and of
the Inman people when the City of Chicago
came racing into quarantine at 3 5o'cloek.
| The agents of the line had tug ready.
Captain Redford slid over the side of the
steamship, and the tug, with full steam up,
ploughed the waters of the lower bay, and
made about the fastest record OF any tug to
the Barge Office. A cab was there for Cap
tain Redford, and he was driven lickity-
split to the Custom House. He was in his
uniform. and he grasped the vessels entry
papers as he strobe into the rotunda. He
was quickly
SURROUNDED BY THE MOB
of bowling brokers and merchants and i'm
porters who had goods on the City of Chi
eago. In response to their cheers he lifted
his cap, and in another moment he pumped
the papers down ON to the desk OF Deputy
Collector Gunner, who. with Chief Clerk
Dunn, was awaiting his arrival They
were quickly signed, and the brokers' after
giving another cheer for the captain, flocked
to Deputy Collector Stanwood's desk and
deluged him with their entries for goods on
the steamship.
In the height of the hubbub another
rolling cheer went up as Captain Grund-
tiech, of tide ST. Regulus. came in with his
papers of entry for his steamship. He had
been taken off in a tug at quarantine. The
papers were signed, and recorded second
piece Of luck of the Inman people. The st.
Regulus is d regular Red Star boat, but for
this trip she has been chartered by the In
man Company. The brokers and mer-
chants and importers having goods on her
poured in their entries on Deputy Stan
wood, and he, with mis- chief clerk, Judge
Quackenbusn, made things hum in passing
them.
All this time the brokers and importers
having goods on the Etruria were in terri.
BILE suspense. She had not been sighted,
and the delay in her arrival would cost
these merchants many thousands Of dollars.
They did not despair, even though they
knew that it was fve-hour trip from Fire
Island to quarantine. and it was then after
o'clock. and the Custom House would
surely be closed at midnight. The same
anxiety was felt about the Zaandam, but
nothing had been heard of this ship, either.
NO TIME TO SEE THE coMTE.
Collector Erhardt sent his excuses to Gen
DIT EaII Aac4 4
Paris, for the dinner at the Union Club, and
went out and got what he says was the cold
est duck he ever tasted. SIT tasted like tai
low" he remarked. His special deputy, Mr..
Couch, went to his home in Brooklyn, but
both were back at their desks by s o'clock.
Deputy Phelps was on hand, and he
probably had the most peculiar ex-
perience of the day. Many of
the importers, in order to make
sure of their position, wanted to pay in cash
the duties on the goods which were entered
after 3 o'clock yesterday, the hour from
which the Collectors new departure was
made. Mr.. Phelps says he has never been
noted for his wealth, and he never so much
appreciated the fact as last yesterday after
noon and all last evening. The importers
begged him to accept in cash the duties on
the goods entered after the closing of the
cashiers Office.
The importers had big rolls of 81 900 bills
with them, and they thrust them into the
face of Mr.. Phelps. begging him to accept
them and give them receipts. All told they
fired at him S300,000. Indeed, the import
ers were almost frantic when the deputy re-
fused to accept their money and informed
them that inasmuch as their entries were
all right il was not necessary TO tender him
the money, but to hand it to the cashier to-
day. But many of them were so urgent as
to insist upon the deputy giving them writ
ten notices to the effect that they had ten
dered the duties and that they had been re-
fused. This would secure them in cases of
legal complications.
RECEIPTS, S1,OOO,OO A. DAY.
Cashier Bostwick received for customs
duties during the week up to P. NJ yester-
day: