Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-08-19
SAILORS SNUG HARBOR.

A group oil weather. beaten olu sailors
sat in the shade of a generous elm on
the north shore of Staten Island, and
placedly smoked their pipes in the heat
of the midday sun. They were
battered and manned and aged, and
showed the effects of tempestuous lives
in wrinkled faces and knotted hands, but
they smoked in the calm contentment of
men who had no further cares, and
were pleasantly drifting onward without
anxiety.
Before them was the Kill Won Kull,
alive with craft of every kind, from the
monstrous excursion steamers, throb-
bing and humping heavily toward
Coney Island, to the slender racing
shells that shot spasmodically about.
Occasionally o cleanly built yacht
would bowl up the channel, with the
water kissing over her bows and bub-
bling wildly astern, or stanch freight
schooner or brig would sail majestical-
ly by the little group of aged seamen
lounging under the shady elm. Then
a short and stumpy old man, with a
tanned face, wooden leg, and single
rickety spy-glass from his cvpious coat
pocket, and bring il to bear gravely on
the craft, though it might be less than
fifty feet away. His companions always
ceased talking when he did this, and
looked up at him with grave and por-
tentous interest. When he had finished
sighting the craft, the one-eyed old
sailor would jam his glass together with
a resounding smack, drop it into his
pocket, and resume his seat with pursed
lips and puckered brow. His compan-
ions then looked at each other and slow
ly shook their heads, implying forcibly
that the one-eyed sailor had his
opinions, but he didn't shout them aloud
and scatter them broadcast to the
world.
Within few feet back of the tree
was the shore road running around the
island. Heavy men went whizzing along
behind fast trotters lanquid women
rolled by in luxurious victorias stylish
youths, perched on grotesque dog-carts,
drove with their hands very high, and
made earnest efforts to keep a single
glass in the right eye; brightly dressed
girls ambled gently in phaetons and
equestrians bobbed jerkily along, and
glared fercely at the slim boys who
flashed silently but dazzlingly to and
fro on their spidery bicycles. But the
old sailors sat with their eyes on the
water and noticed nothing ashore.
On the inner border of the road was
high iron fence with heavy pillars of
stone. Through it could be seen more
than twenty buildings, large and small,
rising flom closely clipped lawns, and
shaded by beautiful old elms and oaks.
Carefully kept fiower-plots and level
rows of box hedges broke the monotony
of the lawns, and cool paths wound
about under the trees. Scattered over
the grounds were groups of ancient sea-
faring men quietly chatting together,
and invariably smoking pipes. They
were nearly sill beyond sixty years OF
age, and several sbadowed hundred,
but they looked cheerful and happy,
and spun yarns interminably. One long
row of marble steps that led to the CEN
trail building supported nearly two
hundred old tars smoking in the shade,
Over the marble portico that sheltered
the steps were the words, "Sailors'
Snug Harbor," in stone letters. In the
basement back of the steps were more
old sailors, working industriously at
making baskets, weaving mats, or
fasbioning diminutive ships. Many more
wandered along the road, and few
were fishing off the shore. There were
five old men in the group under the
shady elm. The oldest, man of per-
haps eighty years, had been a captain
in his younger days, but his right leg
was broken by falling spar in gale
| of wind, and he was obliged to give up
thesea.
'I went high an 1 went low," the old
one would give me lift. My leg was
shattered above the knee, an had to
use two crutches, so of course / was no
good at sea. l was left in Havre until
my money and credit was gone. Then 1
went over on the charity of an OF ship
mate to England, where hoped to git
relief from the firm which owned the
Percy b., the ship sailed as cap'n on
fur Six year. The firm give me three
pounds sterlin' an toP me not to come
back. Then l wandered about the
docks lookin' for my old friends. didn't
find EN-. No it was no use; they couldn t
be found l hung around Liverpool
fur two year, an actually had to beg
from door to dCor.-me as once COM
manded ship Then l cum over to
this side OF the water, where / first
started out to sea when a boy. l tell
you 1t went hard with me for a long
time. had no relations nearer than
cousins, an what cousin is goin' to take
care of middle-aged, crippled old sea-
nun ? / peddled matches. an hung
around Water and South streets fur
years, gittin' lower all the time. Some
times I'd meet some of the old men that
sailed before the mast when / was cap'n
OF the Percy B., and they'd give me a
lift fur time. Well, / got the rheuma-
tism in my Joints, an it did appear to
me as If there wasn't any use alvin,
when the owner of a sailors boardin'-
house in Cherry street, who knew me,
sez one day, Try the Snug 'Arbor,' sez
he. knew that man oughter be fifty
five to get in, an was only fifty-two;
but went down an they took me in
because was crippled, an washed an
shaved me, an give me room as clean
as the cap'n's cabin of q man-o' war, an