The Monitor-register. [volume] (Woodstown, Salem Co., N.J.) 1892-1972, 1896-11-13

A Woodstown Man Abroad.
NORTHWESTERN HOTEL,

ltwas rather dreary Saturday morn.
ing when we backed away from the
Cunard pier at the foot of Clarkson street
and swung the ships head slowly to sea.
ward. The great city of New York was
still wrapped in mist and darkness. and
out on The river the rain drizzled from
the leaden clouds. As We crept down
the bay the prospect frightened some.
what, and by the time we had dropped
our pilot off Sandy Hook the weather
had cleared and the sun broke through
the clouds.
The Lucania is the crack boat of the
Cunard fleet, and is one of the two largest
passenger ships in the world. Compared
with ordinary craft she seemed immense,
but on the heavy swell of the Atlantic
she rolled with freedom that brought
dismay to the luckless land-lubbers.
among whom your correspondent may,
perhaps, be classed. The passenger list
was good-sized one for the time of year,
more than three hundred all told, of
whom one hundred and ffty-two were in
the saloon. The voyage was an average
one; some rain, more wind, and the sea,
as the steward expressed it, "a bit
lumpy." Another fact worthy of note,
the voyage was longer than vas expected;
it always liz.
A trip on one of the great Atlantic
liners affords an excellent opportunity for
the study Of human nature, as all the
various phases of character, breaking
through the conventionalities of ordinary
life, exhibit themselves with marked SIM
plicity under the trying ordeal of discom.
fort incident to ship life. After two or
three days passengers naturally assert
themselves and form little groups Of
kindred spirits whose society is mutually
agreeable, and thenceforward during the
voyage they stick together; occasionally
firm friendships are formed, but not often.
for the rule is that acquaintances made
at sea are not to he recognized afterward.
In our smokiug-room was to be seen the
whisky group" mostly Scotchmen, one
of them with a nose red enough to stop
an express train; the "poker crowd"
sociability consisted in the effort to get
the other follows money away from him;
the bunch of "sports," sons Of rich men
and their admiring imitators, spending
money earned by someone else; hard
haqnod huainocu nd las
ing, INDUCING but little themselves and
sizing up the crowd at its apparent worth.
In addition there were few nondescripts
who were unlike anyone else and moved
about in solitary loneliness.
Queenstown was reached on Friday
and a steam tender took off the mails
and passengers. The latter were mostly
servant girls, coming home with full
trunks to astonish their friends with their
newly gotten wealth, and very likely to
take younger sister or an old father and
mother back with them. At this season
of the year Ireland presents brown and
desolate appearance, but in the early
summer, when the fresh green grass
covers its billsides, it fairly earns its title
Of the Emerald Isle. For eight months
of the year it is dreary enough, and those
are fortunate who can leave it.
Saturday at daybreak the Lucania
came alongside the landing stage, and
when our baggage had been examined we
were at liberty to 60 our several ways.
never to meet again until that great day
when all shall be gathered from every
land. There is not the slightest trouble
with the customs officers here IL no decep-
ton is attempted and one keeps his
temper; tobacco and spirits are the chief
articles sought for, and these should be
in handbag, where they can be seen at
once.
Liverpool has changed but little, still
1 have not been about enough yet to ex
press very definite opinion; but from
what have seen SO far am inclined to
think it is standing still. r.