The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-03
CONOVER'S FAT FEE.
He Collects $50 for Inspecting
the Alger.
AN ovER-sTR,cr QUARANTINE.
Regulations Stretched to Apply 70 the
jestfc's Captain Con-
tradicts the Sealers.

The government officials at Port Townsend
yesterday notified Captain Jones, OF the sealing
schooner Allie l. Alger, that he had violated
the orders of the treasury department in pass
ing the quarantine station at Port Townsend
without submitting his vessel and crew TO in
specfion. The only way out of IL was to return
the vessel to Port Townsend or have the quar-
antine officer come over here to inspect her.
The Zee for having the quarantine officer come
over here was $50 but il would cost three times
this amount to have the vessel taken back to
Port Townsend, so there was no alternative but
pay the exorbitant fee, and in the afternoon Dr.
Conover arrived over and gave the vessel clean
bill OF health.
Shipping men cannot understand just how
DR.. Conover CONSTITUTES the orders of the treas-
ury department TO apply to this class of vessels
unless his object be to force business to Port
Townsend by compelling all vessels to stop
there whether it is necessary or not. In the case
OF the Alger it could not have been the order
compelling vessels to submit to inspection on
account of the smallpox quarantine that was
violated, for that only applied to vessels coming
from British Columbia. Neither could 1t have
been the order for vessels coming from foreign
ports to submit to inspection to guard against
cholera. for that order plainly states:
That no vessel from any foreign ports carrying
immigrants shall be admitted to enter at any
port OF the United States until said vessel shall
nave undergone quarantine detention OF twenty
uaye vessels now afioat shall be made the sub
ject of special consideration on due application
to the department
This order was issued Wednesday evening
and the Aiger arrived in the waters Off Port
Townsend Tuesday. She carried no immigrants
and hence it would naturally DO presumed the
order did not apply to her anyhow; and, If it
was so construed a. to apply, she should have
been Kept under quarantine for twenty days or
an application duly made to the department for
special consideration, as she was afoat at the
time the order was issued. Speaking of the
matter yesterday, Captain Jones said:
Some time ago 1 brought tugboat in from
Astoria without stopping at Port Townsend.
The customs officials informed me could enter
her at Seattle just as we'll, but when reached
here l had to go back to Port Townsend to
enter. For this reason was especially particu.
lar to inquire Of the collector when started out
on my sealing cruise in January il could come
direct TO Seattle on my return aud enter here
He told me positively l could. But now it
turns out that they have some quarantine regu-
Iations of which l couli have no possible
knowledge, and they practically fine the vessel
for my Ignorance OF 1t. / consider the amount
chargedior coming over here an imposition.
Captain J. C. Nixon, tho owner of the vessel,
said:
do not care to say much about the matte,
but consider it one Of the grestest outrages l
ever knew OF. The vessel simply touched ut a
Japan port for supplies and then continued Oh
her cruise. The captain could not have had
any knowledge of the order for all vessels CON-
ing from foreign ports to stop at the quarantine
station. II he had, he could easily have
gone in there, for the vessel WAS drifting about
In dead calm near there for two or three days.
1t IL all right to en- force quarantine regulations,
and would have no objection to paying rea-
sonable fee Tor the official to come over here,
but no body ever heard of such thing az $50
for a man for few hours, coming over aud go
ing back He simply knew he had the chinch
and put it on to me.