The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-10-05
Importers Rush to Enter Goods
Under Old Duties.
Captain Of the Etruria Arrives Just
in the Nick Of Time.


NEW YORK, Oct 4.-The most intense az
citement prevailed in and about the custom
house Ill day. Whole troops Of importers
and brokers kept coming and going. As
8 O'Clock approached the numbers increased
until the rotunda was filed with . solid
mass Of humanity, which jostled, punched,
and yelled. All wished to get their en-
tries in under the old law, and stood ready
to make entries the moment the vessels
were sighted at Fire island. By decision
Of yesterday the custom-house was to have
closed 1t o'clock this afternoon.
The mass of importers and brokers in the
custom-house was 50 great at o'clock that
Collector Erhardt announced the time ex-
tended until O'Clock. Each moment after
Those in the rotunda appeared to be going
crazy. They shouted, yelled and made fu-
tile efforts to move about. The clerks in
the various divisions were swamped with
business. Not for years has such scene
been enacted in the custom-house.
The collector was in quandary. His
Office was iammed full of importers, who
waved rolls in their hands and shouted to
him not to close. The pressure on the col
lector became 90 great that finally he tele-
graphed Secretary Window for advice.
The secretary soon replied for the collector
to use his discretion in the matter. Ac-
cofdingly the collector decided to keep the
custom-house open until II tonight.
At $50 p. m. the City of Chicago was en-
tered, and . great part OF the waiting
crowd was relieved. At Cos p. m. the
steamer Regulus, with cargo of laces.
silks and velvets, entered. There were
still due the Etruria, Thingoalla and Van
Dam. News of them was anxiously
awaited. At 1880 p. m. it became known
that the Etruria had been sighted of the
outer bar at 9:A p. M.
At one minute of 12 the captain of the
Etruria had not arrived. Ten seconds
later, when half the lights were out, car
riage came up on the rush to the door. and
great shout went up. From it jumped
Captain Hams, who was immediately be-
hind the counter and entered his vessel
Just before the clock struck midnight.
Three cheers and tiger were given for
him. The captain mad comeu up in special
tug and was driven at breakneck pace from
the dock to the custom-house.
The receipts at the cust0m-house today
were 81, ,154.5 .583, the second largest amount
taken in there since the war. The receipts
for the week were over 5000, 900.
WASHINGTON CRY. Oct 4-Secretary Of
the Treasury Window, Assistant Sscreta-
rles 6paulding and Nettieton and General
Appraiser Tichenor spent the day over
questions that have arisen in regard to the
execution Of the new tariff law,
which takes effect Monday morning.
Several importers desirous Of receiving
the full benefit of the existing tariff
rates have applied to the treasury depart
ment for permission to enter their goods
at the custom-houses up to midnight Sum
day. Assistant Secretary Spaulding has
informed them that this is matter en-
tirely within the discretion of the collec-
tors of customs at the various ports, and
that the department is not disposed to in
terfere in the matter.
General Spaulding said today that he did
not anticipate any trouble with regard to
the exection of the cew law on the Pacific
coast by reason of the failure of the Gus
toms officers to receive official copies of the
law by the date it goes into operation, as
entries made on and after Monday under
the present law can be readily hquidated
under the new rates with very little extra