The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-28
A HARD JOB TO HOLD.
The Collector Of Customs Gener.
ally in Hot Water.
4 HISTORY or THE OFFICE.


PoEr Tovssxxp. June E.-ispecsal.l J.
James c. Saunders has succeeded Andrew
WATSON ~ collector Of customs Of the
Puget sound district. Mr.. Saunders il The
seventeenth collector regularly appointed
and qualified since the organization Of thu
district in October. ISL The only Officers
that have ever had . successful admins
tration, practically speaking, we're Collec.
tors. Moses. webster, Drew and WATSON.
In late years. Wasson's regime stands out
- one Of the most successful, popular and
Efficient administration Of customs in
this district. The records Of the treasury
department. show that the affairs Of the
district are in excellent condition. great
contrast ~ compared with some proceed
ing administration. Notwithstanding the
great increase Of business and the estab-
ltshment OF . dozen sub ports Of entry
throughout the state Of Warrington.
simpson r. Moses vas the first collectors
OF customs for the district. then part Of
Oregon territory, appointed by Pres
ideat Fillmore. while THONGS Cor
win was secretary OF the treas
ury. He came out to the Coast
from Washington City via the Isthmus Of
Panama, arriving in San Francisco in 1851.
There he learned that Indians were nu-
merous and hostile in this section Of coun-
try. He procured an assortment Of small
arms and ammunition from Gen. 3. A.
Hitchcock. commanding the Pacific d.
vision Of the United States army, sta
toned At Benecia. Collector Moses
came up to Olympia and estab-
lished the customs headquarters of the
district. Prior to this time an inspector
Of customs under the jurisdiction Of Col.
isctor Adair, Of Astoria, had been sta
toned at NesquslIy for few months. On
August %, is5l, before the arrival Of
Moses. . convention of delegates from all
ports of Oregon territory assembled at
Cowlitz, Lewis county, passed resolutions
calling the attention Of the government
to the wholesale smuggling Of English
merchandise into the United States by the
Hudson Bay Company. Three months
later Moses verified the report to the de-
partment. After appointing w. d. Miller
IS surveyor Of the port and Elwood EXans.
now OF Tacoma. deputy collector, Moses
started two inspectors OF down the Sound
in sail boat. we'll armed. with instruc-
tons to intercept and seize ali foreign
vessels inward bound with contraband
goods aboard. Tho British brigantine
Mary Dave and the British steamer
Beaver, the first steamer 10 round Cape
Horn, now laid upon the rocks near Van
couver. were seized. and fined $1,000 each
for violation Of the United States customs
laws. In the month Of December, 1851,
Moses received the information that
the brig 0eorgina, with twenty-five pas
senge:s and crew of five seamep, was
wrecked on the coast of Vancouver island
November 10. 1851. Indians held the pas
seneers and crew as captives. The Georg-
ina was en- route from Olympia to San
Francisco. Moses organized q relief ex-
petition, chartered the schooner Damaris-
cove, took aboard squad Of soldiers I'M
der command Of Lieut.. John Dement, and
started to the rescue. On payment Of =
large quantity of blankets and provisions
the captives were surrendered.
In the following February. 1852. Henry
c. Wilson, who. with L. B. Hastings. sr.,
and A. A. Plummer. ar, all since deceased,
were the first settlers in Jefferson county.
was the first to receive an official appoint.
ment at Port Townsend NJ inspector of
customs. Moses had great difficulty in
enforcing the revenue laws Of the district.
The country was wild, and lawless ele-
ment. encouraged by the Hudson Bay
Company. were continually smuggling
English goods into the district
On June 4, 1853. Col. John n. Ebey sue
ceeded Moses. and his first official act was
to advise the treasury department of the
advisabiity of removing the custom
house TO Port Townsend. The Pu-
get Mill Company was behind this
proposition. the shipping and COM
mercia! industries demanding the
change. A. Benton Moses, brother of the
ex-col!ector. was Ebey's special deputy.
In thoss days it required from four to six
months TO communicate with the treasury
department.. On one occasion Ebey found
himself destitute of funds with which to
run the district, and he was compelled to
borrow money to carry on the govern
ments business. Secretary of the Treas.
ury Guthrie approved his course and sent
him personal letter thanking him for his
prompt action. The receipts Of the dis.
trics were about $500 per annum. and the
collectors annual salary was $1,000. On
September. 1854. the custom house wa.
removed from Olympia to Port Towns
end. Although Ebey was a Democrat.
he retained number Of Wings
in Office. and. - is cussomaw
in such cases. the Democracy raised a
howl and tried to have him removed.
Ebcy lived at Ebey's landing, WILDLY
island. across the bay from Port Towns.
end. where most Of the customs business
was transacted. He had nearly concluded
to resign. when in 1856 band of northern
Indians came down from Queen Charlotte
island 10 attack the white settlers of Puget
sound. In battle on Wildly island
they killed Col. Ebcy and carried his head
OF As trophy. A few months later the
scHip vas recovered through the aid of a
friendly Indian ", s. Ebey, brother of
the deceased. took charge Of the district
until relieved by NJ. II. Frost, August 1.
1876, when the late Maj. j. y II. Van
boxSclen was appointed chic, deruty.
Frost was succeeded, December $. 1850
sy c. c. Phillips. father OF Commissioned
a. T. Phillips. Of this city. Phillips was
an imnorsan. factor in the early history of
oregon territory and California. He built
The hrsi lumber mill on the Sound At
TuIaiip. near Muckil,eo Victor Smith
father Of Mayor smith. Of Port Angeles
came oct from Washington City in lss,
with commission signed by Pre.,den,
Lincoln, ana relieved Phillips. Smith
vas one OF the most trustworthy agent,
the govern ment had. and he brought on,
over $s.@o,so IN currency to San Fran.
cisco Tor the United States army. On the
way Up from Panama the steamer on uhleh
he had embarked "a. wrecked, and he VA,
compelled TO remain on the Mexican coas.
six weeks, with his money. before he could
get passage 10 San Francisco.
Smith became interested in Port AnxeIss
ana sbs v.~ncts NJ p,-. T.-~.