, 1885-01-07
FROM NANTUCKET.
4 CHAT wlrH<rHE rowN-cHleR OF
THE sEa-oiHT TOWN..
n Nice People and Pretty Grin OF ths
PInce-rhs crier's omoiAl Duties
Fire Alarm with Bell
and Horn



Tho town-c1ier OF Nantucket, William D.
Clark, came to Boston tho other day. q Is
doing the town from one of the hotels as a
base Of operations. He Is a slim, nervous
man, with restless blue eyes, and bears with
him the unmistakable tokens OF long and pa
tient study Of his sea-girt home In the
course OF a conversation no spoke Of HIS
duties at home and the motives that brought
him 10 Boston -
some down there nrter the summer visitors
ara gone, and l came up 20 Bosom to 500
what it was Ike. Thore are nice people IN
Nantucket. mighty nice. and civil too; just
as polite as can be. Everybody says so.
They've got some fine women down there,
too. Pretty girls thatd mako you a good
wife, lots Of EN-, II you haven't got one now.
You 20 there now and you'll have q good
time. I'll warrant Sliding and skating and
candy parties thick enough Good times
going 70 EN- wintors, sure's you'reslive- What
they do at candy parties, did you sayi oh,
kissing and talking; mostly talking for me.
! don't like kissing; not much OF It. Kinder
soft, l think.
II am 3s years old, and have boon town
crier, with my bell and horn, since I wal 20.
Not a drop OF liquor ever went into my
inouth, and no man can say 1 tax it They
arc ali good people, and they all iiks mo tip.
top, and use me first rate. I'm civil TO
everybody that uses me right I've got
mannen enough No trouble about that I
don't know what they'd do without me there.
I'd like to SOC 'em get along and he laughed
at tho idea OF Nantucket without tho town
crisr.
HGuess they'll DO glad TO SEQ mo back ngin.
! had lots Of presents from them and from
people In Boston on my last birthday. The
trouble Is / have too much TO do. Too much
care on my mind What / do is worth $500
a year II It's worth a cent. When a vessel
gets ashore, or there's q fire or an
auction in town, the first thing
they do Is 10 send for me, and / run all
over tho town, blowing my horn aud ring
ing my bell to wake 'em up. Mako an awful
noise, / tell you You ought to hear mo. It
would make you laugh TO see me go IT. Tint
amt all 1 do, either sell papers Golly,
| nearly lose my head sometimes. Lord
bless you'll they'd never know there was a
Ere IL / didn't 60 an wake 'em up. You
ought 10 see 'om turn out an run when !
blow my horn. Scarf nearly to death, frus'a
yer live. A fire scares 'em awfuIly.
While ho was talking an Harm was
sounded from box 70.
whats that Firef said be jumping up
and taking his hat, iustinctiveiy. When
told that IL was he asked II the people woru
not going to IT. On being informed that all
the inhabitants did not go to fires In Boston,
he fell back In his chair and exclaimed;
"Gracious, that's queer. All the people go
TO fires In Nantucket, men an boys and
women. A Gre scares 'em nearly to death.
Don't get over 1t for n week Suppose you
get used to 1t hero, but they never would In
Nantucket. We have four hand tubs at our
place an they all go. 1t Is a good force, not
30 good as your'n, Of course, but good, all the
same. Twosmen sit up In the tower an 4reop
watch They go on at 10 O'Clock an stay I'LL
daylight First one watches IAN hour apd
then t'other. Cold up there winters, awful
cold sometimes. But they are paid for It
Give 'em 81 a night That's good pay for
what they do. Soon's They see a blaze they
call me up, and / go around with my bell
and horn, making a big noise. They turn
out spry and run to the fire. I'd think you'd
got all mixed up at fires here md wouldn't
Know whore to 60. Hope o don't AVE
many, for fire's a hard mastsr--a good serv-
ant, but a hard master, as the saying Is
Better keep 1t at arms length That's my
idoe.
aNow, II you'll came down to Nantucket
wen use you frst-rate. Show you all over
the town and introduce you to all the pretty
girls. Come down and sec me-