The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-12-31
and unless the relatives are discovered

get nothing, as the money goes to thu
city. / recall one case, JerseymaI
who, after drinking more than was gooC
for him, walked off the Desbrosse:
Street dock and was drowned before
assistance could reach him. I picked
up the body over by the Hoboken dock
and lowed it across the river. The
police searched the body and found five
hundred dollars in the pockets and a
gold watch and chain. l was called to
the inquest and wasted two days on the
case. The relatives of the dead man
questioned me pretty hard and wound
up by giving me five dollars as a re.
ward for my honesty as they called
it. They did not seem to think de-
served anything for finding the body
and towing it in. On another occasion
l was rowing along past the Spring
Street dock when a 'longshoreman,
pointing to something in the river,
asked me what it was. told him !
thought it was a dead horse, and after
he had gone back to his work pulled
out to the object and found it, as | sup
posed, body. l made one hundred
dollars by that days work.
''Yes, have often heard the state
ment made that the body of a male
floats face up and female the reverse,
but it is not true. / have found bodies
in every position, but the strangest case
/ ever came across was that of a man
who could not sink and vet was
drowned. He fell from the Canal Street
dock and some people saw him 90 over.
When he struck the water he lay there
face down for some seconds and then
was seen to try to turn himself over on
his back, but could not do it. was a
little way up the river and a tuEboat
Captain told me of the accident, and l
pulled as hard as could for the spot.
Some people showed me the direction
the body had taken and l started in pur-
suit. l overlook it a little farther down
the stream and was surprised to find the
back of his coat perfectly dry. His
face was under water and in THAT way
he had drowned without being able to
help himself. was never able to ac-
count for that case. Usually, when l
find body IN curious position, work
out theory as to how it came so, but
that one was away beyond me. / have
given up looking for 'fiOaters, as l am
becoming old and am not as active as l
was a few years ago. Still, if | run
against one / pick it up, for nobody
knows who may be watching for the
poor victims return to the home he will
see no more. Anumber of the bodies
have picked up are venturesome SWIM
mers who, having gone beyond their
depth, lost their presence of mind and
their knowledge of swimming at the
same time. The city authorities pay
small reward to the finder of bodies,
but / never claimed it.
81 devote my entire time now to pick
ing up old rope and all kinds of junk.
get five cents pound for the rope,
and that is about the most profitable
find can have. Still, business is pretty
good and don't complain. l have to
watch my boat carefully, for the river
rats steal any boat they find lying
around. l had one taken a few years
ago. They sent it to the West Indies
and sold it there. never saw but one
suicide, and that was enough for life
time for one man. 1t was rather late
and | was returning in my boat from a
profitable trip up the river and was
feeling pretty good. lay on my oars
to let ferryboat go by. AS she passed
l thought l heard scream but did not
pay much attention to it. From long
habit keep my eyes on the water, and
on this occasion l was looking at the
wake of the ferryboat when, without
warning, l saw white, frightened face
rise up right at my side. Twas startled
for a moment, but long familiarity with
'floaters' had made me callous, and
| swung the boat around and seized
the body, pulling it partly out of the
water. 1t was young girl, with the
Saddest face have ever seen. She was
still alive and seemed determined to
drown herself, for as l attempted to
lift her into the boat she wriggled out
of my grasp and disappeared. Ipulled
around allnight, nearly, looking for the
body and was at it again early in the
and toward noon found it up
Fort Lee. The face of that
dead girl will come back to me as long
as memory lasts. 1 never found out
who she was, and the body was buried
in Potter's Field along with the other
unknown dead.
81 never work on Sunday, but al
ways go down to. the docks and sit
around talking to any chance acquaint-
ance. think you may learn some
thing from every man you meet, be he
of high or low estate. The tramp can
teach the rich man how to
bear trouble and how to stand depriva-
ton and Affections that would make
the millionaire seek death as happy
release. l sometimes find stray row
boat and earn five dollars reward from
the owner, who perhaps had given it
up for lost. Ipick up a little some
thing from the ocean steamers, taking a
line ashore or carrying passenger who
is anxious to see his family and friends
after long absence, l know every
boat on the river, all the ocean steam
ers, tugs and 'sailers,' and they all
know 'Hughey.' But there is Canal
Street dock and my stopping place. ~
N Y. Herald.
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