New-York tribune., 1900-07-08
SPOILS OF RIVER AND BAY
THEY ARE RARELY MISSED BY THE
WILDCAT" TUGS AND THE
JUNK BOATS.


WILDCAT" TUGS AND THE
JUNK BOATS.
The horror OF the North German Lloyd dock
fire has not appealed to the owners OF the
wildcat" tugboats and the proprietors Of Junk
hunting scavenger craft that abound in New
York Harbor. The owners Of the larger boats
Of this variety who were able to get lines the
Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse, the Main or the
Bremen are smiling over prospective salvage
Their libels are as large and their briefs i'm
perative as those of larger tugs belonging to
regular lines and doing organized business.
If the libels hold good in court and the owners
obtain judgment they will be happy indeed, for
the few hours afternoon work will net them
more than many weeks ordinary business
There are several things which the wildcat
tugs have in common, and by them they are
easily identified. Only a tug of the smallest d.
mensions can pay in the business and new
steamers are never built for the trade. Most OF
them are rescued from boneyards on the flats,
and made seaworthy to a small degree at the
slightest possible expense The profits Of the
trade give no margin for paint and the longer
the tugs remain aloat the more weatherbeaten
and dirty they become.
A BROOKLYN AND A JERSEY FLEET.
Most Of the tramp tugs come either from
Brooklyn Jersey One finds them in swarms
around the Atlantic Dock. the Brooklyn
front and about the small York-st. wharves in
Jersey There is great rivalry not only between
the individual tugs. but also between the two
fleets. When Brooklyn and Jersey tugs are in
conflict about job there is bound to be trouble.
and plenty of it. There have been many fierce
fights of this sort off the Jersey or Red Hook
fats and around Staten Island, where most Of
the tugs wait for incoming lumber schooners
from Charleston, coal laden schoOners from
Newport News or coasters from the North 1t
has not been many months since Jersey tug
sighted a yellow pine carrier from the South.
Before she could get her lines on board the
schooner a Brooklyn wildcat" came up and
offered to take the tow for half the de-
manded by the Jersey boat. OF course. the cap
tain Of the schooner accepted the lower offer
and refused to take the Jersey line. There
was much swearing and threatening, in which
all hands on both tugs participated. The Jersey
captain finally took radical measures Here's
where I sink you!" he cried. as he backed away
AS soon as he had gone a reasonable distance he
ordered full speed ahead, and punched the bow
of his boat half way through the Brooklyn tugs
stern. The latter limped off for her dock and
the Jersey tug brought the schooner into port.
The damages adjusted out Of court and
the Jerseyman paid a round sum for his attack.
EXPENSES OF A WILDCAT"
An economical owner Of a wildcat can pay
all expenses on an average of S1S a day in
significant sum when one remembers that
"cabby" has to pay S. a night for the use OF
one horse cab. The usual crew consists Of four
men-captain, engineer, fireman and a cook who
also acts deckhand. The captain is in many
cases also owner, and may have his entire
fortune in the tug. He usually dicker to
finer point than railway terminal hackman
and rules his crew with his fists. He always has
a revolver handy in the pilothouse. and is ready
to it at any time in resenting interference
with his trade.
This Hoboken fire was a great thing for
these boats" said 4 member of q prominent
South-st. towing firm. Mighty little wreck
age that worth saving went out to sea,
and they manage to make use Of almost every
thing. one Of the smallest boats in the wild
cat feet had exciting time last Sunday
with a barge OF cotton that had drifted up the
Hudson without attracting notice in the
ctement and smoke. The little found ii in
some cove and started 10 push II to town. The
cotton was still on fire and the smoke soon at
tracted attention. Three boats sighted il from
different points in the river and made haste
TO get their lines on board. The captain who
had discovered the prize tried to keep the
others off, but his crew was too small TO
force. and argument Of any other kind wasn't
good with few dollars in sight. Other tugs
kept coming alongside, and by the time the
barge was abreast of Hoboken you could not
see ii for the tugs. One two late arrivals
trailed along behind watching for an opening.
I suppose the captain Of the little will go
10 court about ii, unless the police conflscated
the barge in the interest OF the owners, as is
more than likely"
DEPREDATIONs OF RIVER THIEVES.
Boats OF various kinds owned by or operated
in the interests of waterfront Junkrnen form
another class Of New-York Harbor craft and
q very troublesome class 1t is. Their steamers
launches rowboats and scows are everywhere
and always manage to get in the way They
give the harbOr police more trouble than any
ether single harbOr element and are frequently
in trouble. These junk boats scour the har-
Dor day and night, not only for things adrift
but for anything that be set adrift. They
can use almost anything that gets into the wa
thrown away. The crews either own the boat
themselves or operate II shares. They make
a living, but little more.
One Of the most lucrative branches OF this
business used 10 lie in visiting newly arrived
sailing vessels when they were at anchor in
the Lower Bay and purchasing plumber Of all
sorts from the crew. The police watch this
sort Of traffic very closely now, and It is little
practised. In former years the crews OF ait
ing vessels would f7ll their sleeping quarters
with broached cargo and on reaching port slide
II over the rail 10 the first night visitor. They
depended the junkman's visit for their
81 ending money on shore
1t is only a question Of time when both the
wildcat" tug and. TO some extent, the harbor
junk boats VIII be driven out of business The
introduction Of larger water carriers is driving
the schOoners out Of service, and with them
viii go the tramp tugs An improved harbor
police system is slowly forcing the junkmen
10 be honest, and IL was chiefly through dis
honesty that they profited