Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-22

for ground I'm the Manhattan division OF
New York City, was paid last week for a
slice Of 1000 square feet Of ground at
Broadway and Thirtv-second street, known
as the Union Dime Savings bank property.
The buyers were English investors. Four
years ago the property changed hands for
5000 o making a net gain OF 100000 for
the purchasers in that time. The south
east corner of wall street and Broadway
brought 1858 a square foot in 1905. Since
1901 the record price in the midtown section
has been $324.5O a square foot, which was
paid for the northwest corner OF Broadway
and Thirty-fourth street.
How Collector Of Customs Loeb broke up
the White Carnation league is one Of the in
teresting stories in connection with the
shakeup of the New York custom house
related by the Brooklyn Eagle. 1t seems
that for a long time certain men, well up
in the customs service have been in the
habit Of making mysterious trips down the
bay on revenue cutters to meet incoming
steamers. on these trips the officers al
ways wore white carnations In the lapels
OF their coats. Nc matter whether II was
bleak winter or a mild spring day, the
white bloom was as much a part Of the
costume of the officers as their shoes and
hats.
None Of the members Of the order OF
the White Carnation now make these trips
down the bay, Collector Loeb fathomed
the mystery Of the white emblem and has
broken up the order. According to high
treasury officials the flower was a badge
by which wealthy travellers desiring to
smuggle valuable goods into the country
recognized persons who were able to help
them in avoiding the aymen Of duty. The
wearer Of the carnation could always be
counted upon as a safe" officer who would
see that the struggled goods were passed
without question. In explaining how the
scheme was operated, a treasury official
said;
Suppose Mr.. Traveller was going TO Eu-
rope with the intention of bringing back
some diamonds, silks or other valuable
goods without the formality of paying
the usual customs duties. II he located the
right persons, and imagine this was not a
difficult matter, he would find ready
promise of assistance. Mr.. Traveller would
be told to watch for a customs officer
wearing a white carnation. Such an Of
ficer would meet the incoming steamer
down the bay and all the smuggler had to
do was to ask the flower decorated officer
W nave hS bobSobO bNRShihSN' AhNiO hNS
responsibilities of Mr.. Traveller ceased.
His trunks, with their load Of undeclared
valuables, would be FASTENED through the
customs house under orders of the man
with the white carnation. If there should
be a settlement afterward, who would be
the wiser?'
One of the members Of the Order Of the
White Carnation lived in a hotel in New
York patronized chiefly by the well-to-do.
This man occupied a suite of rooms, the
cost of which was SO per cent, more than
his yearly income from the government.
Apparently the eXtravagant habits of this
officer failed to arouse the suspicion Of
Collector Loeb's predecessor. When Mr.,
Loeb got on the trail OF the white carna-
tion story and learned what it meant, there
were some dismissals. In the lot, II is
stated, was the high-flying officer who
lived at the expensive hotel,
After an extended period of opposition
the New York legislature il 1908 enacted
the Torrens law. II went into effect last
February, to the satisfaction of the great
body of real estate men ana all others con-
templating at any time The purchase or
sale of land. But the influences at work
to defeat the measure during it's legislative
stages are apparently still active. The
first application for registration of a piece
Of property under the new act in Kings
county has been held up and is now being
contested before the supreme court. The
law requires that every person seeking to
have a piece of property registered must
make owners of all abutting property par
ties to the formal action, which is prelimi-
nary. In March of the present year a man
bought the piece Of property now in litiga-
ton and a month later the title to 1t was
passed as perfect, the abutting owners
permitting their part to go by default,
when suddenly one of them, owning a lot
AUDITING Just six inches on the corner Of
the new purchase, challenged the proceed
ings.
This was a Florida tobacco importer with
a Spanish name, having an office in New
York. He explained that the Title Guaran-
tee and Trust company had advised him to
take that course. Another of the interested
parties said he had also been approached
by a representative of the same company
who offered to provide him with good
lawyers, free of charge, If he would oppose
the registering Of title. Meanwhile further
transactions under the Torrens law are
! HuSDClutu dl oNCA NAAN NNNN 1850 $3.50 -
case, which may have to go through sew
erel courts, is decided. Title companies
hate to give up a good thing.
The New York police department has
granted a months leave of absence with
pay to Acting Captain Kuhne, head of the
) Brooklyn detective bureau, who must
shortly begin serving thirty days impris.
: onment for contempt of court i'm connec-
ton with the photographing of an accused
/ banker some months ago, He will go 10
5 Jail as soon as the formal order Of the
court is received. Officials from all de-
partments OF the city government called on
Kuhne to express their friendship, and
many police officials limited to him that a
plan was under way to reward him at the
end of his Imprisonment by installing him
as a full captain.