New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-22
reflected in his men.

His Headquarters are four rooms in the Gus
.om House. which are entered from the corridor
in the basement and which open into each
other. The two smaller compartments look out
into wall-st, and Mr. Wilbur makes one of these
his office As the visitor enters the outer room
ike" Wilson, small and spry man, darts out
from behind big desk, pounceS on your card
and whsks into the inner Office, where Chief
Wilbur is at work. There you find tall. hand
some back-cyed clcan-limbed young man thirty
two years old, of whom a good picture is given
here He is good type Of the American whom
Matthew Arnold described one who sees clear
and thinks straight" He speaks 10 the point,
bnt cordially and with diplomacy twinkling in bis
eyes IL might be remarked incidentally that
Mr.. Wilbur would have made good newspaper
man if he had not taken to the law after being
graduated from the University of Rochester,
where he was the senior prize essayist OF his class
and the room mate of State Senator j. Sloat
Fassett
SOMETHING ABOUT MR. WILBUR.
He read law with Martin l. Townsend. and after
being admitted TO practice became the private
secretary of Warner Miller when Mr.. Miller was
in the Senate. Under Senator Miller's able tut
ton Mr.. Wilbur gained a comprehensive knowl-
edge OF the tariff. He also became acquainted
with nearly all the leading Republicans of the
country. During this time he had charge of the
confidential work of either the Republican candi
date for Governor in this State the chairman
of the Republican State Committee Mr.. Wilbur
was appointed special agent In September In
charge of this district. which includes this port
Alba.y, Bridgeport New Haven and Hartford,
Conn; Newark and Perth Amboy, ". }. Sag
Harbor, Greenport and PatchOgue, l.. J. There
are twenty seven Special Agents in the
country, under the charge Of Supervlsing Special
scattered throughout the Union. having about
forty special inspectors under them But this Is
the most important district OF all for mere is re.
ceived most of the information sent 10 the country
by special employees distributed throughout other
lands.
A noted diamond smuggler may make purchase
from an upright Paris concern. Tho tip is sent
20 the Special Agent at this port, whittier the Snug
gler sails and on his arrival he meets officials on
the steamer who manifest strong interest In the
contents Of his trunks and clothing. The snug
glcrs Of English clothing who carried on their
business on transatlantic steamship lines, were
caught in the same way, and that kind OF SNUG
Cling which had long been carried on and which
had deprived the Government of from 81 1000
to 100000 customs duties in the last SIX or
eight years, was broken up.
HOW INFORMATION is RECEIVED.
"tipn has come to Mr.. Wilbur. No one ex-
cept he and the correspondent knows where it
came from, for obviously the Special Agent cannot
disclose the source of his information. OF course
il can be gathered in general way that there
ere plenty of people in the world willing, and even
anxious, TO punish wrongdoers, whatever their
motives may be in furnishing clews that may
lead to the detection of rascality. Rivals in trade
do not love each other, and importers in a large
city who suspect their competitors of under
valuing their goods would not sickle at placing
tho Special Agent on the track of their business
aoqnaintances. There are, too, honest people in
this world who would never hesitate to assist
On offcia Of the law in the discharge OF his duties
80 the resources Of the Special Agent reflect til,
gamut OF human nature, from the nobest 10 tho
most ignoble.
The report received is that smugglers have ar
nvea on an ocean steamer and Mr. Wilbur may
setaii Special Inspectors Cummings. Hussey, Brit
von and kerrigan, who are hest known TO the pu b.
to through the newspapers as successful detective.