Year: 1869

The Once. Seekers-A Genius from Pennsyl.


vania-fhe Committee Of Ways and Means.


Save the camor Of an office seeking crowd-a
thing OF daily occurrence In the Collectors apart
ment-matters are going along quietly In the Custom
House, and few changes Of any consequence nave
been recently made Ia the working force OF the
institution. Collector Grlnnell has still TO appoint
half hundred or 80 Of deputy collectors through
out the State, together with making no small num-
Der OF changes in the course OF time among the pre-
sent force OF employees in this city; but ne intends
W feel his way cautiously and make no hasty
appointments especially when he has an array OF
over II 900 filed applications to choose FROM 1t well
the Collector is a man Of so much genial good ma
ture, and yet capable Of uniting the sudUer ' odo
with the orer Ia re; else 1t Is difficult to see how
he could ever stand for week the ntolerable pres
Of bOres and paceseekers that iniest his ONCE
from morning Till afternoon Of every day. Scattered
around his Office yesterday morning at eleven O'Clock
were over o dozen men looking for places In
the Custom House. This number was the standing
or rather sitting average throughout the day.
Every other minute hall-a-dozen went away, but
were replaced by halfa-dozen more very quickly.
Here Is q tall young man, OF fine appearance, who
presents Q paper to the Collector and urges his
claims Tor an office The Collector opens 1t and dis
covers 1t is a recommendation from Governor Cur
tin, Of Pennsylvania, without any other names being
attached. lie thereupOn turns TO the expectant
young man. and observes:-


81 see, according TO Governor Curtin, that you
stye. Should saw YOU would suit in some DEPART
Of Custom House; but then there lots Of
young men from this city and tState who also fought
through the war, and VINO have been recommended
to me by distinguished men OF New York; but, al
though their applications have been filed, many Of
them have not yet eeen reached"


Young man (cavaerly) -"GOvernor Curtin,
should think ought TO be recommendation enough;
aud as long as man fought In tine Union army and
always voted the republican ticket don't believe It
matters where he came IRON. Pennsy sylvanian is
any day as gooo as q New YOrker.n


Collector, without losing his good humored express
SION for amoment-"Wel, sir, you havea Collector IN
Philadelphia lie may have as many situations to
gave away as ! have and GoveIn2r Curiin's name
the same time have no objection TO taxing more
favorable consideration Of your papers If you can
with tnat from Pennsylvania but this much want
to assure you, that the certificate Of New Yorker
w w ots vo1 cannot do tSs the1
shall not be able to entertain your application"
And thereupon the candidate from Pennsylvana
retired IN disgust


Next came, right upon the heels Of the other, q
very red faced native OF Orange county, New York,
who ratified into the Collectors the application
OF some John Smith for deputy collector OF that pas
tora region, winding up by declaring that the place
mad been previously promised by the Collector to


The Collector put on his spectaces read the
application, thought awhile, and then said he was





"Oh, yes you did.m asserted the red faced man
from Orange; ..and Il he don't get 1t we want to


swell" said the Collector "a man IS already ap-
pointed for that place. You must be laborng under


''Tnere's no mistake" retorted the other, some
what fercely "Our man Is the only one the people
OF orange county want 10 see In tnat position, and
andn-


Here the Collector recognized o gentleman from
Washington waiting anxiously to see him, so he cut
n
Orange humping away at the paper whereon the
application OF his friend was written and, having
smOotned 1t out fully, left II defanty on the most
conspicuous part Of the Collectors desk and strobe
grandly out OF the door,


crowd that waited to have a talk with the head man
OF the Custom House; but the majority Of the place
seekers though they were all kindly received, lett
without feeling any very bright assurance OF being


The Ways and Means Committee Of Congress, ap.
pointed to investigate Custom House AFFAIRS, held
session all day long in adjoining the CoIlec-
TORS They have now been in session for term OF
six days examining those officers and ex-oicers OF
the Custom House whose experience might be cacu-
lated to give the clearest ideas OF Custom House
management and whose suggestions as to reforms
therein might be supposed TO carry an unusual de-
gree Of weight. Among the witnesses that have been
before the committee is Mr.. Hubbe, OF the export
department the members addressed him great
variety OF questions the subject OF exports all OF
which were fully and readily answered. What
form may be pointed out necessary this depart
ment the committee cannot yet determine sufficiently
clear.


Mr.. Bruce. formerly Deputy Collector, was also
witness, and likewise Mr.. Pratt, now in the employ
Of Mr. A. 7. Stewart but previously connected with
the custom House.


Mr. Lawrence in charge of the bonded warehouse,
gave evidence as to the working OF that branch OF
tue revenue Institutions


The committee naturally took a deep interest
In Mr. Lawrence's statements, as the subject
OF which he treated has already occupied no
inconsderabe share OF the Congressional attention.
The utility or otherwise OF bonded warehouses has
been good deal discussed OF late years. and
great deal OF fraud on the government has been
very nagrantly perpetrated through their agency
there are not wanting those who ask for their aboi
ton altogether


IL Is understood the committee VIII propose such
radical measures OF reform will do away with
many abuses winch are said now to prevail. The
will cnnfinnn I'm ar rs a