The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-01
WHEN DAN MACONE RULED IN THE
OLD CUSTOM HOUSE.
Collector Of the Port Had Strange Ways With Merchants
and Employees

store. and was a persistent resdo. =.
novels. No one to look at him VIII
think that he had an ounce Of se,,I
ment or more spunk than tho ordi,a.,,
beneficiary Of a system OF polit,o,,
favoritism.
But he had n real sense OF hur,a.
Magone summoned him into his of,a.
one day and peremptorily inforrnos
him that he was dismissed. The dr.
charged man looked at his chief NJ,
daunted and told him that he conf,
have his official head and he damroS
Then he stalked out, his hird.,p,.
head supported maJestlcally on hi,
stilt-llke legs, went back to his sna
in the rotunda, curled himself com
fortably in It, threw his legs scro,,
the desk and resumed his reading =,
Laura Jean Llbby's latest. 4 fov
days after Magone sent for him =,
confer on some detail OF adminls,rs
ton and he stalked into the ofico
again to give his chief the benef, a,
his advice, at the same time remind
ing him that as 1t was unofficial M
inconvenient consequences were IA
follow in the wake of his giving I'm.
sound advice.
A story about a man now nearing
the eighty. mark was current at ,bo
time that Magone was rattllnc dry
bones to get real service and not sue.
ceeding very well. This man 10 in.
gratiate himself with his new boss did
the unheard of thing Of going over
the head Of his immediate superior "a
the Collector and volunteering the in.
formation that he could do more work
than was his daily stint.
What! Not doing all the work VOL
can! You are dismissed" Magone ex.
claimed wrathfully.
But. Mr.. Collector, I'm building
new house and must complete it. You
can't discharge mel" he gasped.
You are dismissed Magcne
snapped.
The man went to his desk. is IN.
day seated at one in the new Custom
House, and has served Uncle Sam con.
tinuously since the day Magonc dis.
missed him quarter of a century ago
An amusing instance of Maeones
sense Of humor was exhibited with a
man in the lower grade of employees
as a foil. This man was an under
sized Irishman. had been a plumbers
assistant at one time in his life, was in
the unprotected class of employees
and was therefore in mortal dread q,
his boss. He acted in the capacity ~
messenger. He had gait that was
dog trot-probably an requirement ot
his early professional training anus
ing to most people but annoying to
Magone's irascible temperament The
Collector would give him a message
to deliver and Jimmy would star.
toward the door. When he got half
way Magone would call him back and
order him to walk like n man and not
leap like a monkey" Jimmy would AZ.
tempt to correct the defect in his style
OF locomotion and make matters worse
After several attempts Magone would
be obliged to let him deliver the mes.
sage in his own way so far as his legs
were concerned. Jimmys reward for
his obedience came later. He found
himself on the payroll, maybe not 10
MS SUI Prise, lol NllthA' N'"l
after his demise as berth filler
When he was Intercepted by men In
the Custom House on the cause Of his
getting out he answered.:
Sure they discovered me"
Dan" Magone was, as ! had mora
than one opportunity to observe.
timid. While he welded his
shillelah impartially on those both in
side and outside OF the Government
employ he was like nettle that won't
prick IL you grasp it boldly. He h-'
the suspicion OF disfavor in which he
was generally held that Is the night
mare of all petty tyrants. although 70
was very human and at times
really funny one. This fear was shown
on a New Year Eve after he had ha''
in office for some time. The brokers
boys in the Custom House, led by 2
wag, wanted to wish him in mo.
& God nature n happy New Year. ant
they went to his office on maSso. TEer
filed the anteroom. Magono came -
the door of his office TO learn VIZ. .
was all about, and seeing the mob
boys and half grown men he shut the
door on them and fed to his i'm
Office. The boys were Banquos ghost
On the morning of the great blizzard
of 1888 the Collector was nj his desk
at the Custom House on time ami
sharply criticised every man who N''
either late or failed to report f0r DIT"
taking no account OF stalled trains o-
streets impossible from mouN'a.nS ~
snow. Magone lived al the old E,cr''
House on Union Square, and AZ
mark of favor to him by its proIri"'oT7
got to his office in cab. \ E'por.
critical fault finder Cinspred, M io.'
by his chiefs eSample) who l'r'1 ~
Brooklyn-a Grand Army man with
cork leg and an acid temper Who
couldn't walk or get a COnN">0n'" ~
take him to his post-cryV'a'"i "a
report that the Collector rCf'~r'I Es
bill for cab hire to the TrcasNF poe
partment for settlement.
After leaving the employ ~
Sam Magone was engaged by tf' ~aH
OF New York to codIfy its statu'" laws
He died some years ago.
FINpLAy SArgrrr.