Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-04-17
Correspondence.
Two Days on the wharves Of Bosto

so homely that half fear lest this paper
go into the waste-basket unread. am
told that tone must write from abroad II
he would have his letters published in the
papers,"
Have we not had overmnch Of camels
and cossacks, of guides and gondolas and
like terms, suggesting Foreign men and
mannerss Surely our own vast country,
with its thousand sources Of absorbing in.
terest. has not been exhausted by travellers
and correspondents"
You will say by this, What about the
"wharves of Boston," Well, may reply,
nothing startling, nothing Of great impor-
lance. and yet let me say that there is =
real fascination about these whsrves for
any one who loves strength, activity, indus
try. and human life. How one comes to
admire those little ug-boats-not for their
beauty, but for their great strength and
indomitable pluck. Just to see one Of
them sidle up to great ship You would
think her in sport; but there, she has but
ton-holed the huge creature in a confiden-
tial way and moves Off with II In a brisk.
triumphant manner. as il that was nothing
to what she could do. The only justiaca-
ton could see for giving them such names
as Elsie" and Emily" was in their CO.
quettish method of taking where they
would. those great ships that had breasted
the waves OF all oceans, and scudded be-
fore the gales of all climes. They appear
"pugh. pugh!" were of for any job, and
ready to face any emergency. Shall say,
that to my qualification, one of them got
into a corner at last. She ran aground. a
few rods from India wharf. Oh. how she
! churned the water, and walked the echoes
of the early morning with her hasty excit-
ed putting. All in vain-not a foot did she
start; and then rang out her sharp, sudden
cry for help. Quick responding came the
Elsie" threw her ready line, and with a
dash of brayado, set OF in hot haste; the
rope rose from the water. Strengthened and
strained, but all TO no purpose. Another
she stuck like that painted ship upon a
painted ocean," and not until the third and
| fourth had come did she start from her
muddy resting place.
| On the wharves, find no more interest
/ ing objects than those little engines used
for hosting cargoes, driving piles aud the
| like. Boxed around. or slowed away In
/ some dark corner, these black dwarfs have
at first rather an uncannie look. They
/ pull with such yigor and determination,
aud chuckle with such defiant rapid "ha,
/ la :" that one does not wonder at Patrick,
when he walked up 10 one of them. and
shaking his brawny fist at ii said, "Ye
blasted black villain We to stand there and
take the work out of an honest mans
hands, and the bread out of his mouth.
bad luck TO We, but it's no rote that We
have AFTER ALL
find here this morning the Halifax
steamer, just arrived, quite number Of
her passengers are Acadlan French. The
/ girls are neatly dressed in the product OF
their own quaint looms. They are not
handsome. Not one of them suggest an
Evangellne in other way than by the speech
OF the Maid of Grand Pre-. But withal
they seemed modest. or at any rate. shy
and retreating from the din and boisterous
confusion in which for the first time they
find themselves. Soon they will be lost in
the surging multitude. and the old Aca.
dian shores will scarce receive again the
supplemented maidens, who left for other
scenes and untried labors. But enough OF
this. | find myself eibowed by a gang OF
negroes. They muster thick and fast, OF
~u shada. 8. -,.u me blacklist TO the liz ...ss.
olive. Each one has his dinner-pail and
cotton-hook. They are here TO take tug
for the other side. One is struck by their
continuous uproar OF merriment, their loud
banter, and chucklng good-nature. which
pervades the whole crew of n hundred or
more. As many white men In like circum.
stances. would not have as much fun In a
week as these careless Ethiopian's enjoy
during ten minutes OF waiting for a hard
days work.
How these withered old apple-women
beset one with their. Here's your nice ap-
Piles sir" II you buy from them, it's only
atemporary relief. for they are soon back
again good as new, making their trips As
regular as the moon, and at each return
are utterly oblivious Of your former pat
ronage.
After few hours of calm, what activity
a stin breeze suddenly begets. On all sides
one hears the creak of blocks. the heavy
flap of mainsals, and the cheerful voices
OF the sturdy fellows who are swaying the
haly ards and raising the anchors. a mo-
ment ago those heavy hulks looked dead
and unwieldy enough; but now they are
all activity and lite. They seem glad to be
OF 10 ses again. They throw the foam
right and LEFT, and leave their quarters to
the wave, as if rejoicing in their strength
and freedom. Soon the inward-bound
feet bespeak the presence of the welcome
wind. There they come ghost-like. glid
ing along against the dark, billy back
ground, tall, dark barques, and briggs loom
ing proudly above the cleaning, all sorts
OF sloops and schooners.
What picture have We here of life. anC
industry. How are these vessels freight
ed, not only with the needs Of Nation
but with hopes and fears and joys and sor
rows. But must close here. 1t matt err:
but little to you reader, that l often dur
ing those two days, scanned anx iOusly tina
harbor 10 its distant blue rim. Let me say
in parting that you will not waste you
time, if on breezy day. you spend al
hour or more on the wharves of Boston
X. Il. MCLEOD.
BOsTON, April IA, 1873.