Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-02-17
81 LOMBARD STREET.

bard street below Third would suppose
that GO years ago it was one Of the fashion
able faubourgs of the city. an offshoot of
Quality Hill, Front and Pine, where the
most select of our commercial magnates
dwelt-and our merchants were magnates
In those days-Louis Ciapier could stand
on the hill at the foot Of LON bard street
and see five OF his own ships sailing stately
up the river. Every square rugged vessel
was known to the city boys and the news
that the Cordorcit or Voltaire was coming
In brought them to the wharyes. There
were no tugboats, and ships used to go past
the city under jib, main, topsails and
spanker 1t took rare sgimanship to do
this, and the Delaware bay mariners re-
garded themselves as first in the profession,
speaking scornfully of Yankees as spout
ers' and CLAN diggers,"
At this time we had a larger proportion
of foreign merchants than now. Both
French and Spanish dealers were engaged
in trade and much respected for their prob
ity and correct business habits. Among
them NJ Auguste Perron was at one tine
prominent, He had come here about 1900
and was a refugee from St. Domingo, al
though Frenchman by birth. Helived at
81 Lombard street, and his neighbors were
shipping.
M. Perron was o4tensibly West Indian
merchant and had undoubtedly in his lit
tie by 10 Office on South Water street
many samples Of colonial produce, but as
he always filled any orders he might have
through other houses, his neighbors regard
ed his business in this line as neither ex-
tensive nor profitable He did receive CON
signments from the islands occasionally,
but no samples of these were ever offered in
open market, and as they were generally
brought ashore by dark visaged men with
rings in their ears, in small bundles, it is
fair to believe that the formality of passing
them through the custom house was omit
ted. M. Perron's credit had been badly
shaken in the commercial world by some
thing that had happened year before. and
an account of this may throw some light
on the character of his business.
Mrs Abner Gardner, wife of Captain
Gardner, of Salem, Mass, looking into the
window of Fletcher & Gardner, 1870 Chest
nut street, then the leading jewellers here,
was shocked TO see therein displayed a
handsome sapphire ring which she had last
seen on the finger Of her husband when he
sailed from this port in the bark Venice
nearly Is months before for Pernambuco
No intelligence had since come to her as 10
his fate, and she had given him up for lost
No wonder then, that this ring was to the
poor woman a message from the sea
Messrs Fletcher & Gardner admitted o.
once that it was one of numerous articles o.
jewels and plate that had been purchased
from NJ. Perron, CO Water street. Mrs
Gardner got the ring, and the matter was
bushed mp, but the jewellers declined to do
lug In .t#t L..
compatriots, such as Mr.. Louis Capier,
passed him by with pointed absence Of
recognition, and people did not hesitate 10
say that he had been acting for years rs
agent for the West India picaroOns and dis
posing Of their plumber Then, as now,
justice was harsh and uncompromising TO
small offenders, while big ones escaped
altogether
At this time there were firms in phila-
delphia of unimpeachable credit and re-
spectability that fitted out slavers at Ha
vana and made much money out of this
terrible traffic Perron was perhaps -
honest as stephen Girard, who was once
warned that If be continued to supply Co
lumbar priyateers commanded by such
ruflians as Harry McCabe, Abel Thomas
and Captain Breed with munitions OF war
the government would bring him 20 ac.
count 1t il part of sea history rhat one
of his vessels engaged in this traffic. the
Osprey, was the brig on which the hapless
Roger Tichbone left Chill. She was never
heard of again.
Perron found his business shrinking at
rate that made bankruptcy in the near fJi-
lure more than probable He was sitting
in his dingy Office one raw day in October,
1929, very disc0nsOlate, when the door
-. ..1N -.
dressed in the fashion Of the time-a dark
green coat with wide skirts and high roll
ing collar, embroidered vest with deep la
pels, tight fitting pantaloons and hussar
boots. With easy and rather contemptuous
assurance he addressed the Frenchman in
his own tongue.
MY dear 81. Perron, delighted to see
you. | have the honor TO bring you a let
ter from a mutual friend which will ex-
plain my presence here. / will wait till
you have read it." Then the stranger
dropped into chair and looked about him.
Perron was a sturdy built little fellow
who looked as If born without nerves, but
his hand shook perceptibly as he read the
letter, and his voice trembled as be spoke:
Captain Revel, | am charmed to make
your acquaintance. Say how / can serve
you"
The visitor was not an ordinary looking
person. He was evidently "A powerful man.
despite his fashionable attire, but there
was something nautical in his looks; his
face bad evidently been tanned by tropic
suns, and although the features were good
there was something repellent about his
gray green eyes Cold as ice, when seen
through the half yelled lids, when suddenly
opened they gave you the startling impress
sion that you saw another man. The thin
lips smiled, but the evil eyes never. A
long, livid scam that ran from the cheek
bone into the hair was an intimation that
the captain had seen service in his time
He regarded perron with long stare and
said MY friend, you are Of course aware
that our business south OF the gulf has been
annihilated There is no longer any profit
in il, so have quit the service for good.
/ bring with me $4,000, and with this a
80.