The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-05-26
SOUTH STREET.
A PICTURESQUE QUARTER OF
AMERICAS METROPOLIS.
Craft and Careoes From all Parts
Of the Civilized World-Odd
Observation-Disclosures Of
the Canalboats. Ys

An observer standing at Fulton ferry
and gazing down South" street toward
the Battery sees one of the most pictur-
esque scenes of this great city. Along
this little stretch of river front, scarce
half mile long, are crowded ships from
every part of the world. A veritable
forest of masts reaches up into the sky
from amid maze of spars and rigging.
Some of the slender mast tops seem to
scrape the dome of the sky itself, while
here and there the red and black smoke
stacks of ocean steamers thrust them
selves into the vision of spars and ropes,
emitting spiral clouds of sooty smoke
that twist away skyward, where the
breezes blow them over the East River to
the windows of the rich dwellers on
Columbia Heights in Brooklyn. The
row of long jibbooms that thrust their
noses across South street almost into the
windows of the warehouses and ship,
chandleries opposite, suggest nothing 50
strongly as regiment of infantry pre-
pairing to receive at the point of the
bayonet the attack of q column of charg-
ing cavalry. A walk among the wharves
and under the slanting booms is astudy
of naval architecture, fgurs-heads and
geography. Queer names confront ths
beholder on all sides.
Some OF the ships were painted, deep
red; others green, black, white, and still
others an indefnable lead-color. The
finest vessels in the collection by far were
the splendid California clippers. From
the wharves the sailors at work on tho
sails of these ships resembled spiders
crawling "along under the edge Of.
Heaven" as spectator observed to the
reporter. From the deck of the Samaria,
which lay at Wall street, mate shouted
hoarse orders to three sailors toiling up
aloft relative to slowing away the "for'ty
gallan'-s'l," and other bits of canvas uh-
known to land-lub ers. 5IjsE IS.
Not the least interesting of the sights
of this busy street was the miscellaneous
merchandise lying in heaps on the pisrs
or being hoisted out of the dark holds,
representing truly the four quarters Of
the earth. There were the barrel-shaped
black steamers of the Mallory Line, built
for the short and tumbling waves of the
Gulf, lying next to Fulton Ferry.
Stacked up on the wharf were the pro-
ducts of Texas anl the South, bales of
cotton, hogsheads of molasses, piles of
cotton-ties and crates of early vegetables
from the Struck" gardens of Florida.
Next to these signs of the South lay q
''round-the-Horn" clipper, her pier laden
with boxes of dry goods and tons of ma.
chinery and hardware, all preparing for
the 120 days voyage to San Francisco {
At Pier No. 10 the Bristol steamer
Warwick was discharging a cargo con-
sisting principally of the square fat boxes
of tin from the Cornwall mines. Next to-
her lay the Norwegian ship Professor
Nordenskiold, engaged in hosting on
board miscellaneous cargo of Yankee
notions, the chief part of which, strange
to say, was shoe pegs from Connecticut.
zone would think that there was wood
enough in Scandinavia to manufacture
their shoe-pegs at home," said specta-
tor. A large gilt efigy of the Arctic ex-
plorer after whom the vessel is named
decorated her bow. His hair was brushed
neatly back from his high wooden fore
head; his mouth was ornamented by; q
mustache that would create envy in the
bosom of a New York Alderman; and
his right hand, stretched forward with
the forefnger pointing ahead, completed
the image of the distinguished traveller.
The Professor Nordenskiold hailed from
Stavanger., Side by side at the Coenties
Slip lay 'blue nose," three-masted
schooner, unloading lumber and potatoes
from Nova Scotia, and queer little leld
brig with slender masts and black yards
that bore the name of Durham, of London.
The figure-head on the stem of the latter
vessel was a naked Zulu chieftain, with
thick, red lips, coal-black body, knotted
hair, headdress of feathers and barbaric
necklace Of tiger claws.
At the foot of Wall street, strong
smell of sugar and molasses is waited at
all hours into the noses of the people
who are crossing the ferry. It proceeds
from the holds of the Havana steamers
that berth at this point. Near here the
ships that load with salt, coal and oil
for Calcutta can be seen wedged in be-
tween coasting schooners and the steam
ers that bring cocoanuts and bananas
from the Mosquito Coast. Hundreds Of
peddlers' wagons, old rattle-traps drawn
by equally dilapidated ''crowbaits" of
horses, flock to the piers and block up
traffic in South street, whenever one Of
these ''fruiters" comes in. Not the least
interesting of the miscellaneous collec-
tions of vessels strung along South street
are the hundreds or more canalboats that
rise and fall with the tide between Piers
2 and 8. Little tugs puff in and out,
taking some away and towing others in.
On pleasant evenings the families of TIE
sturdy boatmen sit out on deck. Pretty
girls fit from boat to boat chatting with
sunburned lovers or forming little
dancing parties by moonlight on the deck
to the music of half-cracked accordeons.
Most of these canalboats have in their
narrow limits all the comforts of home.
There are carpeted parlors, where the
captain and his wife receive their COM
pany in simple state. Many of these
parlors boast of upright pianos, while
sabinet organs are numerous. Thus are
combined the practical and the poetica1
md while the plodding mules are drag
ging the heavily freighted boats, with
their loads of apples, coal, grain or -four,
Ilong the placid Erie Canal, the echoes
Of the Mohawk hills are awakened, and
possibly the tired mules are cheered, by
sweet melodies from the cabins.
Weather-beaten and tarry-fsted sailor.
men, with the spray of the salt sea still
slinging to their clothes, throng South
street all day. They lounge under the