The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-15
THE BEACH-COMBERS,
A Strange Settlement Under the
Northern Cliff.
WHERE THE FISHERMEN LIVE.
Asns women and Children In Huts
1t the waters Edss-scenes
and Sketches.

And pallid bodies Of the dead"
Anyone who has lived in Seattle for . year has
surely heard of the "beach -combers," but not
one man In hundred has ever seen them and
their families In the homes beneath the cliff in
the northern part Of the city.
Passing up Railroad avenue on one of the out
bound trains, you will notice ut the right, be-
ginning at the point where Virginia street ought
70 be, and extending to Battery street, . row Of
dirty, dilapidated, but pict aresque huts huddied
under the overhanging hank. On the dry land
above, In the space between West street and the
edge Of this bank, IL ssshanfytown." where the
dwellings are Z shade better Accordingly the
hfghly-favored denixen of Ehantytown looks
down, literally and fguratively, on the beach
comber below
The latter can look down on no one, for his
house II sometimes built on . raft anchored in
the water, sometimes on piles driven in the strip
OF sand between the high and the low tide lines,
watef mark. Some Of these little cabins have
been standing for ten or fifteen years, and have
received SO many patches that scarcely scrap
about fifty huts in the cluster, and although
many of them are inhabited By lone fishermen,
still, 1t Is safe TO say. that the average il two
In the beachcombcrs' village you will meet all
races and coiors OF men, and you can hear .
dozen languages and dialects. Heavy-faced In
dams, black-eyed Greeks, swarthy Italians, red
haired Irishmen and Danes, Sweaes and Nor
wegians with faxeu locks are mingled in this
cosmopolitan settlement The men fish, do
I, ,op n io5s piss up d.isswood and lounge
doors and gossip and the children, too young TO
know social or race distinctions, dig holes In
the Gilt snd the beach, make houses Of 5ebblss
the lines Of piles for Railroad avenue, come rip
ping In. tapping the very doors Of the houses.
o snc O. If
unfortunate drowned in the bay is rolled up on
The Land before the very eyes OF the staring
children.
No road runs along the beach, but after leav-
ing the wharf at the foot of Virginia street you
wind In and out between the houses, walking
now on narrow boards laid insecurity from pile
to pile, now on large logs and now ON the stones
1t would be impossible to find this zigzag way
after dark unless you knew 1t - well as you
know the turns and corners in your own home
Of paint except where the boards bear the stains
of previous service The windows are dingy,
though now and then where some woman lives
struggling plant and scrap OF cheap lace cur
A bunk, stove. table and chair, or stool,
form the furniture, and each piece looks rs
tiona The stove is home made. with brick
sides and top OF an old piece of sheet iron.
They're the best stove in the world ii you
owner of them, "for the fire b quick and you
get fine bake on things"
As clambered along the path day or two
II with Haiian blood in his veins-snd : little
girl whose straight black hair and beady eyes
gave promise thar in . few years her beautiful
dark, transparent skin would become ~ muddy
and wrinkled a. that OF her squaw mother abid-
ing near.
munched eagerly The girl watched steadily.
but showed no sign Of feeling. ! held out .
handful to her.
Tucking her ragged doll under her arm she
walked calmly through puddle OF water be.
txuxz and tu,<lf nod
to her former place and began eating the pea
nuts, shells and all
offered her . few more. Again she battered
through the puddle and grasped them without
saying word or exhibiting q trace OF expression
in her face. The icy water ran through the
holes in her shoes, and Icould see that this tot
of an Indian maiden was emulatfng Jerry Simp-
con, the idol of the Farmen' Alliane, BY wear
Then one Of the boys who had eaten all his
peanuts said boldly: "MaW Amt got no peanuts,
and she likes EN-"
He received another handful. which he low
ingly put In his pocket and carried to worn
looking woman In . hut near by.
Further in some lads little older were build
ing q boat. '.We're goin' to fish and make
money" one of them declared.
remembered how the boats in which used
to work with hopes OF great wealth from their
use when they were finished always failed to
make my fortune: but We are all boat builders.
tempt OF the railway to move the novels back
on the street line. "Ef put house here why
haven't as much right - the railroad? Its
aBut You amt got money and money talks"
was the laconic answer.
The same speaker replied to question of
paee to brns np climber have ana
wood, and the rent Is nuthin. You nights
well pass your life here Is anywhere"
.o,d Biilys" William II Hofiner : srsv.hsired
German who has lived in one cabin there for
ten or twelve years. The window OF It was
taken from . vessel, and the side Of the house
built to fit it. On the outer walls Is stretched
brown canvas-also from the ship-fastened
down with battens, and the roof once covered
q ships cabin. Here Old Billy, powerfully
built, sQuare-shouldered man, sits smoking the
pipe of meditation, and now and then dropping
scraps OF "reminiscences of his adventurous hfe
of course the beach -combers have lot of
dogs. As big black pup began fugging at his
rope, barking at me, woman stepped from he +
house out into the sunshine, and pushing back
a mop Of thick curly hair. the possession of
touch of interest: Hes all Newfoundland. and
he came from where was raised. down Cheha-
lis county. His mothers six feet long from
the nose TO the tail end, and thirty-four inches
high She carries the mali over the mountains
where the road 9 bad q horse can't go. She
won't let nobody steal the mail, and she gets a
big salary. That's the country to live ina
heap better than this
..'ihe other dog there, he's hound, you see by
his ears He's pup too"
At another door two women in shabby, faded
clothes stood talking. Each held baby In her
arms, and each had drappled shawl wrapped
about her shoulders. As passed. one of them
Strengthened up and said with q touch OF pride:
81 don't go on. much now. don't get time to put
on my things and go calm. Gauss 1t takes so
long TO dress. Dressins such q bother,'
One of the cottagers had a tiny piazza with
railing about it. A young man in his shirt
sleeves and q young woman bareheaded but
comedy sat there side by side, talking in an
UNDERGONE He was earnest; she troubled and
undecided. Every now and then he would
strum few bars of q tune on an old banjo, and
she would tap the time nervously with q small
and shapely foot. As drew near, he was play
ing "Annie Rooney" but he suddenly changed
into the old-fashiened "Jesns Lover OF Ny
Soul" The girl took up the words in low,
clear voice,
sIset me TO thy bosom hy.
While the nearer waters roll"
And glanced at the tide creeping up between
the pebbles. almost under her feet
"And the tempest still Is high"
But the tempest. If there were one, was not On
in the water, which lay shimmering in the rays
of the sinking sun.