Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-13
RELICS FROM THE SHIPS.
some OF THE QUEER THINGS SEEN
IN OLD SOUTH STREET.

esting Histories-How Some of Them
Were Handled During the Draft Riots.
A Pessimistic Old Salt.
A battered looking old fellow, wearing
an antiquated chin beard that was the
color of picked oakuln, stood on South
street yesterday, gazing at one of the big
clipper ships that was loading prepara-
tory to trip around the Horn to San
Francisco. His gaze was somber. He
seemed in some way discontented with
affairs as they stood. Evidently he was
not pleased with his immediate sur
roundings.
Handsome ship, that" remarked a
bystander to the veteran.
s.Humph," snorted he of the oaken
beard. "Mebbe you're jedge O ships. ;"
"Well, no, but thought"-
'tOh, you did," retorts the veteran
+'Well, thort you did. Well, that air
clipper she air well enough for her. l
amt sayin' she amt bit handsome to
wuz the Davy Crockett. She wuz a ship
as was hansum an as did hansum. An
there wuz-but what's the use? Times
is changed an ships is changed an South
street is changed. There's more wrecks
along here than anything else.
"What dye think l seen along here
while ago? Well, l went in one of
them junk shops where they keeps all
sorts of things that they picks up from
old ships, an shiver me eff thar in that
shop wuzn't the figurehead of a ship |
sailed in thirty years ago. 'Twuz all
battered an broke, but knew it at once
Well, bought it, an I'm goin' to take
it up to C'nettykut, where live, an
keep it there. An amt goin' voyagin'
through South street any more. 1t
makes me feel like castaway hulk my
selfr' With this the ancient one re-
lapsed into silence which he would not
break.
THE OLD STYLE FIGUREHEAD.
In one respect the old salt was right
enough. South street can show an
abundance of queer relics of wrecks and
relics of brave men who have gone down
to the sea in ships within the last thirty
years or more. There are number of
shops that keep all sorts of queer things
on hand. They pick these things up in
a variety of ways, and there is consid-
cradle sale for them.
There are fgureheads, for instance.
In the olden time every ship of any pre-
tensions had a fgurehead. Owners of
vessels Wed in their efforts to secure fine
designs, and the enterprising gentlemen
who modelled the representations of fair
maids, sea nymphs, of trim midshipmen
or of admirals in uniform did a right
pretty business. A simple sort of scroll
work has taken the place of the dashing
figures of the past.
OF course there are exceptions The
Dig English four master, the Falkland.
has an excellently modelled representa-
ton of the Fair Maid of Perth above her
cutwater The clipper ship Seminole
has Seminole brave in full war paint,
and there are others. In the main, how
ever, the old time fgurehead has fallen
into desuetude.
just off South street, before shop in
which nautical instruments are sold,
there is the figure of a sailor that has
evidently seen many and many storm.
He looks as though he had been crimped
and shanghaied times beyond number
Part of his nose is gone, some one has
made pot shot at one of his eyes, but
there is jaunty, wicked leer upon his
face and an expression that says:
Here's salt as has sailed, an be
blowed to YEP
EFF1GY OF GEN. BOLIVAR.
There are couple of old fgureheads
to be seen on South street that have had
very hard experiences on land as well as
on sea. One of these is an effigy of Gen.
Bolivar, and was the figurehead of the
ship of that name.
Originally the effigy was so painted as
TO appear dressed in full naval uniform,
cooked hat and ALL At the time of the
draft riots the rioters, having nothing
else to do at one time, stood across the
street and fired bullets at him. He re-
ceived full many wound that day, but
he stands in his place still, stiff and
erect.
Another figurehead Jared even worse
at the same hands. 1t was intended to
represent Samuel Kimball, of Kennebec,
Me, but it left the sea some forty years
ago. 1t was then placed where it now
stands, to call attention to store. The
draft rioters hsd rare sport with it one
day. They tied rope around its neck,
dragged it here and there in wild glee.
'Ehen they made it the central figure Of
a bonfire. Just as it was being consumed
the police came down and rescued it.
1t was repainted, and today, impassive
and dignifed, it passes its time studying
human nature as it is on South street.
But there are other curios to be found
in this locality besides fgureheads.
There is one shop where more or less
warlike articles can be found. There
you can see ugly weapons taken from
Chinese and Malay pirates; you can find
queer looking weapons taken from ma
tives on the African coast or the war
clubs of the Patagonians-at least you
will be told they are.-New York Mail
and Express.
1t is not alone the composition which
determines the quality of bell; very
much depends upon its shape. More
over, the proportions between its height
width and thickness are all to be taken
into consideration. The dimensions