The morning call., 1890-05-18
PROF. VANDORO'S
DISCOVERY.
An Herb With Peculiar Proper
ties Found on Goat Island.
Fruitless Trip of Customs Officials in Search
Of Struggled Characterization
Ct Physician.

of all vessels arriving from the Orient, and
have carefully searched all persons coming
down the gang-planks of steamers from for
eign ports. A boat guard has been kept,
too, day and night in the stream to see that
none Of the contraband drug was quietly
dropped overheard from vessels and snug.
gled ashore. The officers efforts, however
have been well nigh futile, the only seizures
that have been made of late being OF small
value.
1t must not be supposed, however, that
the Custom house officers have been
remiss in their duties or relaxed their Wig
lance. On the contrary, they have Of late,
if possible, increased their watchfuness,
and the members of the opium ring which
is known to exist here have been put to
their wits end to find methods to evade the
watchful eyes of the inspectors and to
throw them off the scent.
Since his entry into Office Varney Gaskill,
the new Deputy Surveyor of the Port. has
been unremitting in his attention to duty
and has proven a worthy successor to John
7. Fogarty. who we'll earned the soubriQuet
of "Hawkshaw of the Custom house.
Like John heihas followed up every clew,
like him he lad the telephone ringing in
his bedroom at all hours of the night
giving warning of raids TO be made, has
driven in Quincy down to the front to
trace up some supposed smuggling scheme,
and many q night at the hour when grave
yards yawn has his blonde mustache and
dignitied figure been seen Swooping around
the docks keeping cases" on the inSpec-
tors who were, or were supposed to be, on
watch.
For the past two months or more the Dep
uty Surveyor has been greatly troubled in
his mind From time tn time hurIDn tina I
period 1t has been reported to him that
often after nightfall whitehall boat
manned by two men has been seen to pull
steathlly over to the city from Goat Island.
ltHever came to any of the regular boat
landings, but was pulled along the front,
generally coming in somewhere between
FiShermen's Wharf and Section of
the sea-Wall. AS soon as those i'll the
boat saw that the coast was clear the boat
would be pulled up alongside the wharf,
one man would Chamber up pile onto the
dock his companion would throw bundle
TO him and he would then go quickly up
town, and the boat would pull away in the
darkness. When the boat was met on the
bay and hailed by any of the waterfront
boatmen the occupants always gave eyasive
answers and pulled quickly away. Some of
the boatmen reported the matter to Mr..
GaSkil, and he and his men have kept a
good lookout for the boat. They thought
that the opium ring had managed to SNUG
gle IN some way.
A LARGE QUANTITY OF THE DRUG
And cache it on Goat Island, and that the
men i'll the boat were engaged in bringing
it to the city in small parcels and disposing
OF 1t. A strict watch was kept, and it was
thought that if the men were caught in the
act and could be made to diyulge, a great
sensation would be the result. The cap
ture has been made, and a great sensation
is the result, but not such one as was an
tipIDatPu bV the customs officials
Night before last TWO bOatmen at Clay
street Wharf Informed some one who was
in charge of the CuS:om-huuse boarding
officers that while ON their way to the
boat-steps from, an English ship in the
stream they had seen the suspicious boat
mentioned pulling leisurely over toward
Goat Island. They had hailed the buat,
but got no answer. Shortly afterward
Quarantine Officer LAWYER and Commits
sluner OF immigration Thornley, arrived at
Meiggs Wharf in The Custom-hOuse steamer
Hartley. They stated that they had seen
the beat
Then the man in charge telephoned to his
chief, and in less than half an hour Gas
kill was down on the sea-wall, where he
met his subordinate and a conference was
held. 1t was determined to keep strict
lookout on the sea-wall. and 1t was hoped
that big capture of dope would be the
result. a CALL reporter, who was nosng
around Tor news and who had been posted
by the boatmen, was on hand and helped to
keep watch. The night was dark and
gloomy. The deputy posted his men on the
sea-wall, about 200 yards apart, ana gave
orders that if the boat came alongside the
man should be allowed to land and take
his stuff, aud then be Swallowed and ar
rested as he entered or was about to enter
the depot where he was taking il, The
plan was followed out.
About $50 o'clock Whitehall boat with
two occupants pulled slowly out of the
gloom and hauled alongside Section Of the
sea-wall. The watchers were all attention.
One Of the men In the boat climbed up or
the dock, looked around to see If tile cOas
was clear, and then whisted softly. Hi:
companion threw up bundle, which he
picked up and then walked quickly alonl
| the wall toward the ferries. He was fol
| lowed by the three watchers. The sup
posed smuggler went along East street &c
sacramento, casting furtiYe chances behind
| him, and then boarded a cable-car bound
| west. His crackers boarded the same car
At Montgomery street the man left the cal
and got on one Of the Omnibus line gonl
| south, not going up into Chinatown as hi,
| pursuers thought he would. At the corner
| OF Third and Howard he took transfer x
car going west. He was still followed
| When the car arrived at Rausch stree
| the man signaled for it 10 stop, aud got of
with his bundle. After leaving the car he
| looked nerVOusly around, and then rapidly
crossing to the sidewalk knocked at thu
door of building near the corner. As thu
| door was opened flood of light Streamet
| forth, and as he was about to enter he wa
| grabbed BY miniOn of the law, who tool
| his parcel from him, saying You are IN,
| prisoner" The man was greatly surprised
and agitated, and accompanied the officer
| into the room, where 1t was found that
meeting of the
RAUsCH- IMPROVEMENT CLUB
Was being held. The President, Major En-
| right, was astOunded when the officials en-
tered and showed their badges of authority
and assured them that the man was onl
bringing quantity of a new herb or shrui
that was used by members of the club ant
| which was, as far as known, only grown oil
Goat Island. The officer who made tn
seizure was ncredulous. When the parce
| was opened it was found TO contain. iustea,
OF opium, only about ten or twelve pound
oil green herb, with pungent smell an,
| with leaf somewhat resembling mint, a
soon as the Custom-house officers saw tina
| they were on false scent and that Their
was no o. luln IN the matter they retired
rather chagrined. The scribe remained /
Interview the officers of the club regardin
the herb and the great secrecy that was oh
served IN getting it. The President an
Joseph Enright, the Secretary, were yer
non-communicatiye, but DR.. Carolane, tn
Medical Examiner, was willing to tell al
he knew. Come to my Office" said til
doctor, "and I'll tell you all about it.
When the two reached the office the docto
told the following curious story:
You probably remember" said he
about three years ago, the 'Arbor day
inaugurated by Joaquin Miller, when til
school children and others planted tree
on Goat Island. Well, last year the Rausch
street improvement Club held picnic o
excursion to Goat Island. Major ENRICH
chartered the steamer Caroline to carry
over, and we had jolly time Will
roaming over the island many of the part
gathered herb or shrub that bears
understanding blue flower, and brought
home with them. We learned from MI
Linnhe. who has charge of the Government
stores there, that the seed was brough
there by great traveller named Paulo Van
dOro, who had recently arrived from th
South Sea Islands, and who accompanle
Joaquin Miller. l have met Paulo. II
has been in many lands, and can answe
| questions on every conceivable subject
lie has great head.
IA few days after we returned from tn
excursion l was called to attend little bo
on Rausch street who was suffering terri
bly, from pain in the stomach. | foun