The morning call., 1892-10-23
He PICKS Up FLOTSAh.
An Octogenarian DriftWood
Seeker.
HIS HERMITAGE VISITED.
Old Peter Barringer's Lonely Life in His
Rude Little Ark on the Quiet Bay
Shore.

Peter 81. Barringer. though In his eighty
first year, gains his livelihood by irksome
and hazardous means, bat Is happy withal.
de lives in lit tie ark on the Oakland
harbor shore, and his buoyant domicle is
midway between the properties that were
held by force of arms in the late contest
over the ownership of the water 'front.'
Every morning, about daybreak, the octo-
genarian captain sallies forth from his mar
thine habtation in 14-foot boat OF rather
crude and unshapely b1ild. In this he
navigatss the waters of the bay in the vicin-
ity of Goat, Alcatraz and Angel islands. in
quest of stray piling, floating boards aud
other driftwood. He hauls thcm into the
boat when not too cumbersome, and lows
them along il otherwise.
These prizes of the deep, "the captain"
as he is called. conveys to his home.
He has Dre-empted piece of high and dry
land in the vicinity of his ark, which he has
converted into storeyard for fiotsam.
As soon as the timbers, sticks and boards
are thoroughly dry. and there are enough of
them to make it worth his while. the cap
tain takes "a day or two off," This time he
employs in cutting up the rescued wood into
BindlIng and stove lengths.
He sells it to the masters of schooners
and other craft, and 10 the neighboring
househoders.
Il make dollar a day sure" proudly
claimed the captain as he chopped away at
an oak knot with all the vg0r of man
one-third his age.
81 used to be a rldge-builder in the days
gone by, but | came out here thirty-five
years ago and lost S6S75 in stocks.
My wife and family of seven children
died and l sort of took to this lonely life.
81 don't owe no one for my living and
am my own boss"
While he talked the captain chopped
away. Then throwing his ak down he in
| vited the visitor to go into his cabin.
The ark was found to be so by 3 feet In
size, comfortably arranged and as warm al
| toast.
It was partly divided into two rooms In
| both of them were buaks. There was also
a stove in one of the apartments which the
captain holds sacred 10 his own occupancy.
in the other one?" asked the reporter.
"Well. there's poor feller sleeps there"
| he explained. He came down from them
| coal mines in Alaska. He's an educated
| Teller, too. but he don't go and put on airs
| about it.
to rough shirt that doan' need cleanin' too
| often"
! While the captain was explaining matters
| the 'other poor Teller" entered. He looked
hale and hearty. and was fitting COM
| panion to ''the captain"
well, it's hard life and no mistake
| about ii" said ''the captain" ''But then,
you see, l can s'prise the boys with my
| strength. can put key O. beer over my
back by lifting it from the ground.
"Oh. yes; | get many funny things. |
| pick up body onct in a while, but then /
doan' go and charge nothin'. I'm lot dOin'
that kind of business. | pick up nothing
but stray boards and sticks.
Il tell the other felers on the bay if l see
| anything that amt in my line. / get 20 cents
a sack for my kindllng- wood, cut fine. and
| 81 or So cord for stovewood, depending. of
course. eff It's good. hard pine or some in
| feIi0T article"
And yet ''the captain" is happy and
CHEEKY and believes be has many years of
life before him.