The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-05-07
FROM NANTUCKET.
A CHAT WITH THE TOWN-CRIER OF
THE SEA-GIRT TOWN.
The Nice People and Pretty Girls OF the
PIace-The Crier's Official Duties
Fire Alarm with Bell
and Horn.
Boston Glpbe.l


The town-crier of Nantucket, William D.
Clark, came to Boston the other day, and is
doing the town from one of the hotels as q
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 he spoke of his
duties at home and the motives that brought
him to Boston.
you see," said he, Eve get kind o lone
some down there crter the summer visitors
are gone, and came up 20 Bosom to see
what it was like. There are nice people in
Nantucket, mighty nice, and civil too; just
as polite as can be. Everybody says so.
THEY'VE got some flle women down there,
too. Pretty gir,s that'd make you good
wife, lots of lem, if you haven't got one now.
You go there now AMI you'll have good
time, I'll warrant. Sliding and skating and
candy parties thick enough. Good times
going to 'em win ters, sure's you're live. What
they do at Gu ldy parties, did you say? Oh,
kissing and talking; mostly talking for me.
don't like kissing; not much Of it. Kinder
soft, think
Il am IS years old, and have been town
crier, with my bell and horn, since | was 20.
Not a drop of liquor ever went into my
mouth, and no man can say take It. They
are all good people, and they all like me tip
top, and use me first rate. I'm civil to
everybody that uses me right. I've got
manners enough. No trouble about that.
don't know what they'd do without me there
I'd like to see em get along" and he laughed
at the idea of Nantucket without the town
crier
"Guess they'll be glad to see me back agin.
had lots of presents from them and from
people in Boston on my last birthday. The
trouble is l have too much to do. Too much
care on my mind. What [ do is worth $500
a year if it's worth a cent. When vessel
gets ashore, there's fire or an
auction in town, the first thing
they do is to send for me, and l run all
over the town, blowing my horn and ring
i'm. my bell t. wake 'em up. Make awful
= noise tell you. You ought to hear me. 1t
would make you laugh to see me go it. That
amt all do, either. ] sell papers. Golly,
| nearly lose my head sometimes. Lord
bless youl they'd never know there was
fire if 1 didn't go an wake 'em up. You
ought to see 'em turn out an run when l
blow my horn. Scarf nearly to death, true's
yer live. A fire scar.s 'em awfully.
While he was ticking an alarm was
sounded froIn-bOX Is.
whats that! FIre!" said he jumping up
and taking his hat, instinctivelJ. When
told that it was he asked if the people were
not goinE 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. queer All the people go
to fires in Nantucket, men an boys and
women A fire scares 'em nearly to death
Don't get over it for a week. Suppose you
get use i to it here, but they never would in
Nantucket We have four hand tubs at our
place an they all 90. 1t is good force, not
so good as yourn of course, but good, all the
same. Two.men sit up in the tower an keep
watch They go on at 10 o'clock an stay till
daylight. First one watches an hour and
then t'other Cold up there winters, awful
cold sometimes. But they are paid for it
Give 'em 81 a nigh5. That's good pay for
what they do. SOon's they see 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
get all mixed up at fires here and wouldn't
know where to go. Hope you don't have
many, for fires a hard master-a good serv-
ant, but a hard master, as the saying Is.
Better keep it at arms length. That's my
idee.
~Now, if you'll came down to Nantucket
we'll use you first-rate Show you all over
the town and introduce you to all the pretty
girls. Come down and see me-