Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-01-07
MIDNIGHT ON THE DOCKS.
SHADOWS COME AND VANISH LIKE
GHOSTS IN THE DARKNESS.

| The Lonely Life of Dock watchmen and
| the Queer Ways of the Remarkable
Characters Who Frequent the Docks
| After Dark.
| A sharp nor'wester had driven the watch
men of the North river docks to their stoves
| and shelter, while pale moon Illuminated
| The desolate scene outside, deepening the
| ;omber shadows around On the pier at the
| foot of West Twenty-sixth street reporter
| approached the wharf buildings, and peered
| In at window through which a light was
shining. In the room, seated in an arm
| chair, uniformed, his cap on his head, lam
| tern close beside him, was the Waterman.
A sharp rap on the door startled him, and
| nstinctively he seized the lantern and came
out.
As the reporter withdrew the Waterman
held his lantern high up in the air and peered
around at the mass of timber and rubbish,
then closed the door and returned to his
.helter.
At an adjoining wharf canal barge
swayed gently on the waves Attracted by
cheerful light which shone from it's cabin
window, the reporter went toward it, The
room was tastefully furnished with the ordi-
nary comforts of a chamber. 1t was suite
Of apartments gathered together in a space
about nine feet square. A kettle boiled
cheerily on the small stove in one corner, a
mirror in gilt frame hung from the ceiling,
marine chromos decorated the walls, little
white curtains adorned the windows, and
canary fluttered about in cage hanging in
the center of the cabin.
The reporter tapped on the window, and
thin, lanky boy who was whiting beside the
stove got up thrust his nose against the win
dow pane then climbing the companion way
raised the hatch and appeared head and
shoulders above the cabin. A few inquiries
developed the fact that The barge was named
Mary Jane, and that she carried lumber up
the Erie canal
care you all alone on boardr' he replied
with q slow nod OF the head.
care you the captain?'
"Naw, dads gone ashoor," he answered
slowly Just then the head of a woman APP
peared beside the boy and whispered con-
ference ensued.
care you the captains wife, madam
asked the reporter.
~ reckon So" replied the woman angrily,
shut what do you want to know for? Suth-
ms wrong, guess" and panied expression
passed over her face as she looked with long
ing eyes toward the lights and the city in the
distance. In spite of assurances, her anxiety
aroused by the questions asked became
greater.
"Now if suthin's wrong, why don't ye tell
neY" she pleaded. II know suthin's tho mat
ter I'm sure on i'll Why don't ye tell me?'
''What is wrong!" asked the reporter
"Well, We see my husband went ashore this
mornin' 'specting to return at noon, and he
amt back yet"
1t was usless to ask further questions; the
woman was inconsolable, and refused to an
,wer any. The reporter withdrew, leaving
the two figures outlined against the slly-the
wife looking anxiously toward the city, the
boy watching the lights on the river, while
the cabin within was desolate.
On the Wilson line steamship docks little
man leaned lazily up against post, putting
hugo clouds of tobacco from Pipe and gaz-
ing solemnly at the boards.
pretty quiet around hereG" said the re-
porter.
ayes. Somethin' like a graveyard to-
night" replied the man in deep, sepulchral
voice, his eyes still fixed on the ground. 81
was watchin' the rats scamperin' about there.
H'ml They're havin' high old time to-
night; none of the mems worldn' we see, and
they're undisturbed."
A stout, muscular man clothed in pea
jacket and sou'wester, sauntered slowly up
| and down the dock, humming the~'Girl left
behind me' in a gruff, unmusical voice.
"Wuz that two bells, mates" he inquired of
| the solemn individual.
"One bell, replied the Waterman.
"Good night for suicides" suggested the
| reporter.
Eyes, or even murder" continued the
| Waterman, gloomily. "There's been many
an accident and much loss Of life happened
| around here night times"
"Do you generally attempt a rescuef"
"Of course we do. Who else would if we
didn't? You see we're used to it that we
understand all the sounds and noises around
here. We can tell the difference between q
| lash of the wave and the splash of a suicide.
WHY, / could detect the slightest footstep in
| my part of this dock. Do you hear thats"
A low, plaintive sound like the moan of
| some one in distress echoed near by. Snow,
| that sounds like groan, but it amt; it's the
wind. There, hear thatl That's the side of
| some ship scratchin' alongside the wharf.
Some time ago a soloon keeper had trouble
| with his wife He took duckin', and when
| we fished him out he thanked us, took a car
| and went home. No one was the wiser 'cept-
| ing ourselves. Pretty women-tramps, broken
down bankers, lovers, buns, all kinds, drops
over the side here into the river at night, and
we generally fishes 'em out"
Don't you report these cases to the
| police~
''We amt obliged to- cause we amt officers
| Of the law. Then we don't often see police
man above Fourteenth street. It's too quiet
for 'em, guess"
Schooners and small craft We're anchored
alongside the wharves, while lights shone
| from the cabin windows and their columns
| of smoke poured from the small chimneys on
the barges. Attracted by light which hung
from short mast drifting about in the wind
! the reporter walked to the end Of aswhar'