The San Francisco call., 1897-01-03
REVEALED ON THE CITY FRONT
Denis Hearney Learns the Rare History Of
Strange Long Black Hul!

T%,WO of US went dowh to the City
AES front to look at the ships. My co M
FyAyS panion was French exile, who had
been banished from his native land during
the reign of Napoleon III. Being a re-
publican he disliked that monarch.
France he thought, was not big enough
to hold both OF them. Either one or the
other must go.
But my friend was not alone. There
were others of his way of thinking. So all
the king-haters gathered themselves to-
gether and from behind the ramparts of
Montmartre and the barricades they
hurled defiance and solder things at the
throne and its minions. He soon found,
though, that for him it was the guillotine
or Punishment, and he chose the latter.
- He is a cultured gentleman, of nice
taste, is fond of good books and fine
wines. His abode is on Telegraph Hill,
close to the summit, and his high-up
house overlooks the beautiful bay and the
hills around and about it. In the rear is
garden that is marvellous to look at. The
patches are all laid out in terraces that
have been cut in solid rock, and are made
to blossom in the summer, and IN the
winter, too. Posies, daisies and roses
grow here side by side with lettuce, rad
dishes and leeks. But what of the cellar,
with its lashings of wine, and 10 spare2
Shall 1 describe it? l won't, for we now
are among the ships, and they interest me
more.
The Lancing is discharging at Howard
street wharf and we are looking at her.
She has long black hull and tall taper
ing masts, the lower ones being very high,
with yards in plenty, for she is four-masted
and square rigged on every mast. But the
bows, the very sharp yacht-like bows, are
what l noticed more particularly.
THAT hull was never built for sailing
ship said I, turning to thick, stubby
old man whose face resembled the porcu-
rine in bristles and color. He had on an
old sou wester that looked the worse for
wear and an oilskin coat that was full of
patches. He must be sailor, 1 thought,
from the cut of his jib, and that's why my
remarks were addressed to him.
Not al all, mon," he answered, speak
ing with cockney accent. THAT there
ship used to be the French mail boat
Perier, and flash un she was in 'er day.
1t cost 'alf million pounds to build 'er.
l made 'alf dozen voyages in > er meself
as quartermaster in the early COS. She
was bran new then and made regular
trips between Havre and New York"
The old shellback's statement had
surprising effect upon my friend from
Telegraph Hill. He acted as one who re-
ceived a sudden stroke of paralysis, and
looked to US like an image that was glued
to the dock. a man, and Frenchman
at that, petrited by the simple mention of
a steamers name was indeed a curiosity,
and the proper place for him would be
the Park Museum. Arrangements could
be made with the Commissioners, l
thought to stand him up out there in
that space between BardwelPs clock and
De Young's picture as curio worth see
ing.
But he revived, and as he did so 1 sug-
gested that he tell what hit him. He
gurgled UP an oath. 1t was in French,
and, therefore, unintelllgible to me.
"PerierF' he gasped on recovering his
reason. "She's a relic of the fraudulent
and ruinous speculations which were the
shame of the Second Empire"
But" I Inquired, what has that got
TO do with the shock which came so near
landing you in Bardwelrs curiosity
shop?"
Let's go on board and I'll tell you"