The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-17
ABOUT THE BIG TEA SHIPS.
"reminiscences of John Jacob Astor and
Others Who Began the Tea Trade.
A Modern Tea Steamer-A Scene in South
Street.-The 0ld-Time Clippers-The
Far-0ff Marts to Which They Go.
Written for the indianapolis Journal.

Written for the Indianapolis Journal.
The sight of big tea steamer. the other day,
at a South-street wharf in New York, just above
old Rutgers slip, recalled to mind the old times
of the tea trade of the great city, the days of
John Jacob Astor and his ships, and more par
ticularly the famous old millionaire himself.
In 1875 he hired room at 1862 Pearl street as
shop for the sale of toys and German knick-
knacks Later he had shop at 50 Pine street,
at the corner Of Pearl then at 81 Queen street.
and still later he was located at II Liberty street
In 1928 his store was in Vesey street, on the
site OF the present Astor House. He then owned
large tea warehouse on the east side of Green
witch street. between Liberty and Cortlandt.
AT this time he had number of vessels OF his
own. They traded principally with Canton,
the great Chinese port Of the famous mer-
chants day. One of the clipper ships, the Bea-
yer, became the subject for the pen of no
less gifted writer than Washington Irving Mr.
Astor paid the genial Irving considerable sum
to write about the Beaver and the settlement of
Astoria in Oregon. His vessels took out gin
seng spelter. lead, iron, furs and Spanish dol
lars to Canton. He sent bis ships to Oregon to
get the furs, aud he sold them in China for a
large profit His captains brought back large
cargoes Of tea The duty on tea was then very
large, but the government allowed merchants a
year and half in which to pay it. Mr. Aston
sold his tea cargoes on four or six months time
or perhaps for cash. In twenty years it is said
that he thus secured from the government, with
out interest, loan of S. 000 000 The tea ships
to be seen at the New York wharves also recall
such large tea-houses of other days as Thomas
Fl. Smith & Co.. Russell, Sturgis & Co., and Oil
plant g. Co., all of whom have gone down in
commercial typhoons.
Here at pier No. 46. East river. is the steamer
Benvenue, which suggested the foregoing rem
iniscences. She is screwsteamer of nearly
1890 tons capacity 3l8 feet long and 3S feet wide
She was built in Glasgow in 1888 She arrived
here on Christmas day with no less than 1000
chests of tea These chest contained from sixty
to eighty-ive pounds, making the cargo at the
smallest estimate considerably over 100000
pounds, easily worth ST. OOO 900. The steamer
has black hull and q short yellow funnel, from
which curls volume of black smoke. On the
deck is a stove. on which pals of tar are boiling
the tar is to be poured on the deck to make it
more ship shape A goodnatured Swedish
looking sailor is carrying it aft In performing
this work. Two dark-skinned sailors are watch
lug Tue uE0 anu T6pl0nISuIug Ii Wu6u necessary.
One looks like q Southern negro, with a round,
amiable face, but he is native OF Bonn
bay; the other is also a native of India. He
is an older man. with strange face that sug
gests Hindoo image The skin is dark; ne has
a gray grizzly beard and tigerish eyes; he proves
very civil when spoken to, but plainly enough
was never designed by nature to set the North
river on fire. Sidney Smith once said that
surgical operation would be necessary in order
to get joke into some peoples heads. Perhaps
something of the kind would be necessary in or
der to make our Hindoo friend understand a
simple question about pail of tar. The crew
looked rough and bronzed; they wear canvas
jackets dark, greasy blue coats, and some
have their pants in their boots; officer in cap
adorned with a wide gold band looks inquiringy
at the writer as possibly large stakeholder in
the steamer. A quiet Chinaman is smoking
cigarette by the bulwarks- He is the cook; his
little cook house close by has an array of pots
and kettles, copper tank and range, whose
glow looks cheerful in the gray. damp
afternoon. Forward there are men taking out
the steamers ballast of stones and gravel,
doubtless obtained in Japan; large buckets of
ballast are hoisted by the steam winch from the
deep, gloomy hold and poured down into a canal.
boat beside the steamer, where a man in cap
and red shirt, doubtless obtained from the gen.
eral store in some inland village is shoveling the
larger stones here and there, while a small dog
near by is knawing bone, in blnk-eyed appre
hension of the descending stream of stones
The wharf is. a busy scene. Trucks are being
loaded with chests of tea, of which are
marked Via Suez Canal. extra choicest new
season Moyune gunpowder;" others. "Pakeong
Moyune spring pickings Hyson," and still others
bear the name of Oolong. The boxes of tea are
piled up to make lane along the wharf,
and through this passage comes pro-
cession of trucks, heavily loaded. on their
way to different parts of the city.
One man is hurrying about with pencil
behind his ear, overseeing the loading; another
in blue overalls is sewing up with stout Irvine
and needle large enough for shark hook the
mating of tea boxes; others in canvas aprons
are lacking UP the packages repacking the
tea. It is noisy as well as a busy scene.
There is the rumbling of trucks along the
wharf, the stamping of horses straining under
their loads. the hooting of steamers on the river
the ringing of hammers in neighboring dry
docks, the alternate rattle, and thunderous
rumbling of the steam winch on the steamer
the falling of stones and gravel down the wooden
chute from the steamer to the canal boat, the
rafting of carts and the jingling OF horse cars
along South street, and the sound of mems
voices 1t is region of ships, warehouses, dry
docks, shipwrights, caulkers, spar makers and
cheap dining-rooms for sailors and longshore-
men.
The large black steamer stretches along the
entire length of the wharf. She has brought an
unusually large cargo Her next port of desti-
nation is Leith, Scotland. She has come to New
York by way Of the Suez canal She has made
a voyage of about Is. 900 miles.
The steamer left Yokohama on Oct l. Yoke
hama. by the way, is foreign settlement in
Japan, whose commerce has greatly increased
within the last twenty-fv years. 1t is an en-
porium for tea, as we'll as beautiful specimens of
lacquer ware, bronze and inlaid work and ivory
carvings 1t has railroads and telegraphs The
Japanese are far more progressive than the Chi
nese. The population of Vol ohama is 81. 900. The
city was nearly destroyed by fire in 1860 and
again in 1866 but has since been rebuilt. By
Oct. IA the steamer, whose course may be
of interest to indicate, had reached
Hiogo. At this port she took on
board tea, Japanese ware lacquer tea-sets
and various native curiosities Hiogo is a sea-
port of Japan, on the island of Hondo It is
lighted with gas, has town hall, a custom
house and large government machine shops. The
population is 80, 900. 1t has a fine harbor. On
Oct. % the Benvenue arrived at the farfamed
port of Shanghai whence 2. 900 vessels are clear
ed annually, which has an annual trade of $751;
QQQ QQQ and tiar Of l. q