Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-12-02
A SEA srREEr.
From the s. r. Chroniele.l

A SEA STREET.
From the s. r. ChronieIe.l
To very many Of its two hundred and
fifty thousand inhabitants San Fran
cisco lies within the block on which they
live: to very many others the city 10
bounded by the streets which they pass
over when going to and returning from
business; while TO very many others it
consists Of house, . theater or two. q
few street cars and q promenade ground.
San francisco, however. d something
more than this-it h . city Of curiosities
and contrasts. II contains quarters as
widely dinsreut In their characteristics
and dwellerS - the old and new towns
OF Limerick Or the Quarter Latin and
the boulevard des Italiens in Paris. Il
would b something Of Q fovelution for
the frequsnter Of Ksaruy street to turn
into Steuart street, and, standing in the
sunshine that warns the crisp Novem-
ber air, 70 look around and 80 what
new manner Of SURROUNDINGS lie about.
As it IL quite possible that the exact
Location OF Steuart street il a. little
known as that Of Erie avenue, il may
AZ veil be promised that it lies next
above the water front, that it runs south
for three blocks from Market street to
the bay, and that il ends in a little
crooked wharf, to which q coastine
schooner occasionally moored. Il 10
not much frequented a. thorou9hfare,
as il practically leads nowhere, except
TO the infirm wharf before mentioned.
In its short space, however, it is full
OF hustle and life-a hustle and life that
are semi-nautical in their kind. The
streets that lead eastward from il are
called piers, and there il the mixed
smell OF pine wood and bilge water in
the air. Through tho vistas OF piles of
resinous lumber one sees the rigging of
the distant ships, with here and there q
sailor sitting on swinging spar that
bhovs like match against the pale
blue sky. Below him lie the smooth,
drab waters of the bay, and in the far
Their distance stretch out the low, trun-
Gated hills OF the coast range, deepen
ing into purple where Mount D.ablo
shows its head. The men Who are
building up these heaps Of white wood
planks that bend like yew-bow, have
caught the spirit Of the place in their
phraseOloRy and swing the plant lum-
Der fore and aft, instead of up and
down. Where do these thousands of
sawn-up trees come from?" Some of
them, 1t is seen, come from out the held
OF the Dashing Wave, a great broad
beamed bark hailing from Port Town
send. She is straight from stem to stern,
like long packing box, is painted
dull gray, has heavy, cumbrous rigging,
and with all the living rooms on deck
to give up the hold to lumber. Or they
come from the Samoset, also of Port
Townsend, craft Of the same rig, but
decorated with figure-head in the
shape OF . very red Indian with a very
WHINE top-knOt. Below the Jumping
stern OF each platform is rugged, on to
whlcn, on heavy, squat trucks, all sorts
OF plaAks are rolled-rough planks.
planned planks, and planks tonpued and
grooved ready for flooring. Even the
decks are packed with lumber, fitted in
as closely as the pieces of q Chinese
puzzle, and lying together SO tightly
that they have to be pried up with 4
A shrill whistle attracks attention.
and following the direction of the sound.
one finds it ooincident with the puff and
whirr OF a donkey engine on board the
coalinR bark Alaska. I'd from the hold
comes huge tub filled with black dia-
monds. 1t swings high in the air, a
hoarse voice shouts Flower, bor' and
with rafting swish the contents are
smptied INTO the Rrimy schooner living
alongside. The mon ON the wharyes
shout to each other as though in a
storm, or each make speaking trumpets
OF their hands and roar across the Sins.
Inc clothes strung out to dry at the
oacks OF the houses are mostly Ailskias 1
and the women who had1 them ont
glance upward, though to read the
s,gns q tnS @eather. TO walk between
.ne houses is like walking on 9 ahip's
deck, for underneath the pianked aIIev-
ways there may be heard the dull svash
OF the tide. Boat builders Law their
stocks on the streets, and the snvmills
that buzz and shrek all around ara busv
on ships knees and locust trsnails. The
of which there are manv.
hang out their rates, but with the add
tional announcement that ships' Draws
are provisionsd and boarded within.
Tackled up in out Of the way corners
are sailing notices of ships to carrv
freight and passengers to such still more
qua river and Marshfeld.
The shoemakers keep long sea-boots
in stock and hammer at their Lasts in
dark holes below, while sailmakers drive
three -cornered needles through their
stout canvas in the lofts above. Some
Of the saloons are decorated with col.
lecti0ps Of shells and marine curiosities
and othofs-fOr they abound-are deck.
% out with prints OF ships. with models
d snipe, aud are Uttered with sea chests
and sailors kits in long bags like bols-
era Inc stores are equally character |
lstic OF the place and contain everything
mat . skipper can want, from a kedQe |
% . sextant. In the windows are case.
Knives lying side BY side with Ton
nents Nautical Almanac" and over
head swing flannel shirts and heavy
,oass OF blue pilot cloth. There are
olnocular glasses and cans Of preserved
heats. giant ropes and slender twine,
,ulRinR lanterns, with co,ored glasses
axe big: intiamed eyes; speaking trum-
2ets and chr0nometers, fishing tackle
Inc enough TO catch . minnow and
ltronR enough to haul in shark from
me Jamaica seas. The little tribes Of
>efsonai adornment arc fab shaped
out from mother OF pearl.
. immature compassee dangling from
!atcn chains made like cables. The
iterature Of the place ranges from
Tide Tables Of the Pacific Coast" 70
ne American Practical Navigator.
md from "Shortreds's Logaritums" 70
Ihom's Guide for Seamen." Tho verv
NJ OF the place 10 impregnated with the
-, and turning into Market street one
'arries with him the pungent scent Of
~ upon ms clothes and walks with
OIL. as though Just coming from . long
'oyaGe.
new n SECURE uEALru.
IL u strange any ono viii suffer from
leranRements brought ON BY impure
Hood, whom Soovill's Saraparilla and
!ealhn0la, or BLOOD and LIVER
|YkUP will restore health to the phyo-
cal organization. II Is . streuQtheniua