The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-10-07
TIE PLYMOUTH ROCK SOLD.
Merry Life on the Old Boat During Jim Fisl,s
IImc

The famous old steamboat Plymouth
Rock, redolent with memories Of GoIona1
Jim Fisk in his palmiest hours of tbo
great reign of shoddy at Long Branch
In 1871, of the famous coocbiSo r;voIr1,
OF Fisk and Helmbold, of Jay Gould and
Black Friday, champagne and oystera
Jarrett and Palmer, and mysterious
petitS soupers in gilt-edged state rooms
mas been sentenced to death. She was
sold at auction on September % to But-
lcr, Clancy and Co., of Boston, for the
sum OF 80, 100. They sent Captain Riley,
II crack steamboat skipper, and their
Junior partner, MIR. II. Fitzgerald, here
with crew to take charge Of her This
morning at s o'clock, in tow of the big
tug Cyclops, she will move out to tho
eastward through He'll Gate, and bic
farewell to the Bay of New York forever
for when she reaches Boston she will be
broken up and sold for old Junk.
She ran fifteen years on the Sound be
fore Colonel james Fisk, Jr., saw hel
and fell in love with her. It was ut the
tlmc when Fisk was in his glory as {
railroad and steamboat manager and the
proprietor Of the Grand Opera House
lie was also Colonel of the Ninth Regi.
ment at the time he formed the idea OF
becoming q commodore, and he engaged
the regimental band to play on board
the steamer. He himself used to 40.
pear in her saloon wearing q Yachting
cap heavily trimmed with gold bullion,
blue recting jacket with black buttons,
and white trousers. Just before reach
ing the city or Sandy Hook he would
disappear into his stateroom and pres
emily emerge clad in his street costume
On the same boat travelled DR.. Helm
bold, then full of wealth and ambition
for display.
On arriving ut tie Branch the Doctor
was always met by his coach, drawn bv
six bay horses, and whirlcd to his splen-
did mansion in Chelsea avenue. Fisk
had three cottages on Ocean avenue,
near Bath avenue. He occupied one
himself, while the other two were ten
anted by several beautiful young women
who appeared to be very well acquainted
with Fisk. These enchanting creatures
used to meet the gallant Colonel at the
train, whittier they went in handsome
landau with gold trimmings, drawn by
bay horses with gold mounted harness.
Fisk himself used to ride in an enormous
dray drawn by crossed team of six
blacks and grays He had coachman
and tiger on the box and two footmen
on the rumble behind.
All the wealth and fashion of the
Branch, from John Hocy and Charles j.
Osborn to old jeremiah Curtis, the faith
CT Of Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup,
and Russell Sage, the grandfather Of
puts, calls and straddlcs, used to travel
on the Plymouth Rock in those days;
and with the music and the champagne,
and the gilt-edged staterooms with spring
locks, every "Trip Was picnic, n menage
RE and sideshow thrown in.
After II checkered career stories got
ahoat that tho vessel was unseawortHy
and Scoticld, who then owned her, lost
money on her as an excursion boat
Then he built great platform on TOP
of her, put an awning over it, called he1
a floating skating rink, and ran her up
the Hudson. But she failed to draw,
and on November II, last year, she was
put up at auction. Scoficfd bought her
III for s., 7,S75, and owned her until she
was sold last week. Her career has
ended, but no boat ever had merrier
life of it.---N. Y. Star, Sept 20.