New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-19
WALL STREET NOTES.
RESIGNATION OF THE BOSS OF THE CUSTOM
HOIrSE"

RESIGNATION OF THE BOSS OF THE CUSTOM
HOUSE,
II leaked out Yesterday that Samuel NJ. Batch
ford auditor in the Surveyors Office IN the Sus'oi"
House. on Monday handed his resignation "
John C.. Mcclure, the surveyor. to take eHect On
the anpointment of his He has long been
known as the boss Of the Custom House on ac-
count of his great influence or. as the pohuciahs
put It. his pull" He has been In the customs
service for twenty-eight years. His first appoh'.
mont was as a wegher. In 1875 he was appointed
a deputy collector, and stationed at the APP
praisers' Stores Later he was transferred 10 'he
warehouse division in the Custom House. stun as
deputy collector Finally he was made auo''or III
the Surveyors office and Deputy surveyor Last
fall his health failed. and he went South on
leave of absence Before going he retired from the
position of Deputy Surveyor but retained ms
place as auditor Not fully recovering ms neaiIn
ne was said that he had Surveyors appointed and
displaced and he kept even Collectors IN lT aaea
as d p.sco OF SENSATION in the Custom House
would have the resignation OF Conect9T Mo .,r
o QUE fSeN and Of the Surveyors ocs no other
ever did 1t used to be sd Know Si ANN nnTthns of
their ONCE or its duties He was Acting Surveyor
the ana the npponment Of John G MGu
and he has claim against the M nCr ' in
addition TO his salary auditor. II was reported
whether true not that ne WAS back III rns o ana
Surveyor Mcclure Mr. Blatchfcrd is about sixty
eD FIVE he sG cousin ha' of late
lord Of the United States Supreme Court He was
warm ar persona Se married. p Mrs swan who was
niece OF Samuel j. Tden and inhsr'ed Ior.Gde
Drive He belongs TO the Union League and the
Lawyers Club.
The bears in Wall Street have been having things
pretty much their way Of late but yesterday
the Street talking OF one instance IN which
they struck snag at considerable expense 10
Tor he few dayS Chicago Gas
certificates have been dancing around at lively
rate. coterie of bear operators. led by specu-
lator known for his daring started the dancing out
others took up the game and provided the music
for the bears to do a little dancing to- on Thurs
day last the stock touched 81 and closed at Si1s
The bear clique thought favorable opport Shar
side especially as they imagined the defeat Of the
Humphrey bills in the Illinois Legslatufe ror sns
would be construed as presaging the defeat OF the
bill for the consolidation of the Chicago gas com ON
Ing Chicago Gas and kept 1t up for two days; on
Saturday the price had got down to s ON ba fhe
Consolidation bill reasonably sure to pass the
nGs R had hs ssSs ooE n
began buying back the stock they had sold short
n me p SnS on that day was s or satur
days closing price, and the bears paid very nearly
They continued their purchases Yesterday and car
RED the price up to S al S5oc which Ha showed
an average loss TO them OF ~ per cent ANYWAY or
oTarterly dividend Of III per cent to paid
Chicago Gas on May 20. The books close lot 'his
dividend tomorrow.
Ex-Justice Charles F. Brown and Hamilton Odel
as referees will on Friday hear arguments on tho
question to whom the profit the sale of the old
Clearing House building belongs. The building
was bought in 1874 for s2l5.oo0 and sold in 1896 for
$3.50 The question is whether the pront snoulu
90 to the ffty-nine banks belonging 10 the, Cear'
ing House when the property was acquired or 10
them Jointly with the banks which subsequently
ioined The entire proceeds were used in payment
FOR the Clearing House building, anp me pro-
members shall contribute OF the sum required LOT
the new building in excess Of the amount derived
from the sale of the old building
speaking of a report that the dividend on the
stock of the Western Union Telegraph Company to
be declared next month would be reduced, Russell
Sage said Yesterday: western Union earnings are
showing some gain last year, but am unable
TO say how much the increase is. cannot say
anythine positively about the dividend until the
ExecIItiye Committee meets and all the figures are
laid before it, If the regular dividend is earned 1t
will be paid
Alexander E. Orr, president OF the Chamber OF
Commerce has appointed the following special
COMMITTEES TO promote the passage of an efficient
National bankruptcy law: James M ConStapie,
lanes G. Cannon John K. Cilley and G. Waldo
Smith, with Alexander +. orr ex oHcio
Charles Bennett of Jones's Point has written to
Collector Kilbreth that the tug Comet. belonging 10
tho standard OIL Company, has been dumping its
ashes in the river and defling the shore at that
point The Collector turned the letter over to the
Superintendent of Navigation.
Standard OIL Trust certificates sold yesterday at
nj which was a drop of S1a points from the high
,rica which was recorded Friday last.