The Newtown bee., 1879-09-17
LIFE ON A CANALBOAT.

1t is estimated that there are in the
neighborhood of five thousand canal
boats which do business on the Erie
canal. Each boat is in command of
a captain, who lives on board with his
family Besides the captain and his
family, ca h of these boats has two
stecrsmcn and two drivers. Here, there
fore, is n community by itselC-a floating
population of some fifty thousand people,
with their own manners, pecullarltles,
characteristics, living their lives amid
surroundings scarcely dreamed of by the
denizcn of the town.
The life of the "canalcr" in summer
time easily divides itself into three dis
tinct periods His boat is either on the
canal or -" in the tow to and from AL
bany and New York, or it is lying up in
New York or Buffalo, the two eXtrcm-
tiles of the line, discharging and rcceiv-
ing freight. Three hundred of them are
always lying at the piers Immediately
above the South ferry during the sum
mer season. They line these piers, and
still line each other until the space be-
tween is filled with them. To the pas
senger across the South ferry or on the
Elevated railroad rs it sweeps around
the curve at Coenties slip, this floating
city presents very curious and AMI
mated appearance. The boats are for
the most part white, touched here and
there with green; vaiously colored
clothes are everywhere hung out to dry
boat people, inspectors, peddlers with
their wares, and bumboat women with
their payly- decorated baskets, are con-
stantlv passing from boat to boat; while
on the busy pier the trucks are discharg-
ing their loads, and 'longshoremen are
running to and fro.
A modern canalhoat is about 100 feet
long, fifteen feet wide and nine feet deep.
The captains cabin is at the stern of the
boat. 1t rises two feet above the level
OF the deck. On three sides are opened
lilliputian windows, and on the side to-
ward the deck is a correspondingly ugly
lilliputian door. The floor of the cabin
is four feet below the level of the deck.
The cabin ceiling is thus six feet high.
The cabin is the width of the boat, and
is about twelve feet in the other direc-
ton. This curious little box is fitted up
with berths along the wall nearest the
stern, while the forward part is divided
into a diminutive kitchen and living
room. The aspect of these cabins is
frequently very neat and pleasant. The
tiny windows are prettily curtained and
bright with summer flowers. The floor,
which is reached by very small and
nearly perpendicular stairway, is COW
cred with cool mating, and the walls
are ornamented with photographs in
cheap but tasteful frames. The roof is
painted shining white, and is protected
Mt the height of four or five feet by an
awning thus adding another room to the
"canaler's" house. There is always 8
rocking-ehair or two here, and ham
mock is swung between the awning
posts; and in this summer room, while
the boat lays at the pier, or is "in the
tow" the canaler" and his family live
ut their ease
AS you come up out of the tiny cabir
you are confronted by two large barrels
painted white, as nearly everything els,
about the boat is. These are the waite
barrels. Although the canaler" live
on water, the procuring of drinkin!
fluid is always a matter of some trouble
and in New York the water for washin.
even has to be obtained from the hea(
of the pier. Next to the water barrel
comes the round tool chest, also painted
white, and then portable bridge. Thi
is used to transfer the horses from tn
boat to the toepath. The horses are KEEP
on board. At the bow of the boat ther
is second box corresponding exteriorl
in size and appearance to the cabin il
the rear. But on peering through tn
diminutive window one sees that thi
box is arranged as stable and sees thre
or four horses quietly crunching thei
hay Mules are sometimes used TIL
canal business is very hard on horses
and most of them seem to be Athlete
with chronic sore neck; but they ar
fed abundantly on grain, they have Ion
rests between the times that the boa
leaves the canal at Albany and return
there and they do not work in the win
ter, so that they manage to hold thei
own very well. 1t is no unusual thin
for u canal man to have one set of horse
for eight or ten years. They are worke
on the canal from six to eight hours
day.
These eanalboats are built at differen
points along the line of the canal. The
are of two kinds-the ordinary canal
boat described above and the bullhead
The bitter is so built that the roof of tn
cabin Is flush with the deck, and th
miniature windows look out from til
side of the boat. The bullhead, fo
some unexplained reason, runs nor
easily than the ordinary canalboat
They are built of pine or oak, an
usually last about ten years. Those {
oak are more expensive, and have ger
orally proved the least durable. TIL
captain of the boat commonly owns i
but in some few cases a number of boat
are owned by one man, and the captain
are hired to run them. Canalboats nor
cost about SO. 500, and are sold on a pay
n ment ofv$i ,000; the purchaser givin
what is called "cutthroat mortgage.
Formerly, when the business was bette
than it is now, canalboats cost IS ,OO'