Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-10-07
GETS IN IT'S WORK.
THE M'KINLEY BILL SHUTS OUT ANUMBER OF
IMPORTERS.
A Very Fall Description Of the Rush on the Custom
House the Day Bsfrs the Law Went llto
Efect-The Crowds that PlOcksd Around
the Collector to Save Their Bacon.

NEW YORK, October 6.-For the first
time in its history the Custom House
was kept open yesterday until midnight.
Eighteen years ago when the Tariff bill
of 1872 went into effect the hours OF
business were extended to eight o'clock
In the evening, but never before, so far
as could be ascertaned from the oldest
officials yesterday, has the Custom House
been kept open until midnight.
Collector Erhardt was a busy man yes
terday, so busy, indeed, that his mid
day luncheon, ordinarily a rather leiS-
urely meal, was cut disagreeably short.
From the time he took his seat in the
morning until late in the afternoon he
was constantly beSieged by importers
and brokers who implored him to keep
open as long as possible TO enable them
to enter their merchandise on the lnman
line City Of Chicago, the Zaandam, Of
the Amsterdam line, and the steamer
Regulus, said to have been chartered by
the Red Star line especially to bring a
cargo to this city In advance OF the date
when the Mckinley bill was expected to
90 into operation, and thus save many
thousand dollars in duty.
The ante-rOOm of the Collectors Office
was crowded all day, and after three
o'clock, the hour Of closing on Satur-
days. the big rotunda and the corridors
in front of the Collectors Office were
literally jammed with anxious and eX-
cited brokers. The majority OF these
represented importers who have mer-
chandiSe on the three steamers above
named, although some OF them were in
tereSted in the Etruria, which was due
some time last night.
WIRED FOR INSTRUCTIONS.
Collector Erhardt, besides being in
terviewed by the brokers, was in con-
slant receipt Of dispatches from import
erS urging him to extend the hours Of
business. Among these was one from
Thurber, Whyland Il Co., who have a
large shipment on the City Of Chicago.
To all he replied that it was not in his
power to extend the hours. but early in
the afternoon he telegraphed to Secrc-
tary Window in Washington briefly out
lining the situation and asking for in
Structons.
While the answer TO this telegram
was anXiousy awaited the crowd grew
larger every minute and those who
wished to see the collector had to make
their way to his presence through a
dense crowd Of perspiring brokers, who
filled the ante-rOOm and OverilOwed into
the corridor. One young broker who
had been waiting since ten o'clock In
the morning told me that the failure Of
| the City Of Chicago to enter in time to
bring her cargo in under the old law
would cost the firm he represented be-
tween $50, 900 and 10000 in extra duties.
At TIE COLLECTORS DISCRETION.
Pending the arrival of Secretary Win
dom's instructions Collector Erhardt
called a conference of heads Of depart
ments. which was in session when the
message arrived. 1t was couched in
these words:
The time Of closing the Custom House
to day is left to your discretion, having re
gard, of course, TO the law and regulations
WILLIAM WISDOM, Secretary,
The sttle mercury who bore this
message will never live To enjoy q
heartier greeting than he received yes
terday at four o'clock, when he pre-
sentcd himself at the door of the Collec
tors office. His uniform told the crowd
his mission, aud when word was passed
to make way for telegraph messenger
strong arms seized the little fellow and
he was passed on over the heads Of the
throng.
Two or three members Of the COllec-
tors cabinet were opposed to granting
the extension of time for the recon that
it would necessarily deprive Uncle Sam
of few thousand dollars Of duties, but
the more conservative, Including the
Collector himself, pooh-poohed this idea
and decided that the request OF the I'M
porters should be- granted. Then after
"A brief consultation, the Collector de-
cided to keep the Custom House open
until midnight. The news was received
with enthusiastic delight by the anxious
brokers, and in less than a minute the
crowd melted away and left the mas
siye old building to its usual afternoon
quiet.
\ BIG WEEKS BUSINESS.
As showing the immense volume OF
business transacted in the Custom
House during the last week OF the old
Tariff law the appended figures are in
interesting. They show the daily re-
ceipts for the week.
Monday AZ ~. @ 5tS u !.