The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-01-08
OLD Art OF SALLMAKING.
To.day Almost n Forgotten Calling
An Old Saiimaker's "Reminiscences of
the Half Century.

the Half Century.
Richard Hathaway, perhaps the old
est sail-maker along the waterfront, in
talking over the gradual disappearance
from the sea of the old-time sailing
vessels, as their place is taken by
steamboats,, gives an alarming proph-
ecy in regard to his one-time famous
trade. In his opinion twenty-five years
hence the art of sail making will be UNI
known, since no more boys are appren-
ticed to the trade nowadays, and the.
old hands at the work are disappearing
ct rapid rate.
Fifty years ago. says this old man,
as he sits alone in his low-studded loft
with it's whitewashed brick walls at the
top of building on South street.
"when the swift packets of the Black
Ball line were sailing ocross the west
ern ocean, it was hard work for YES
sci to get birth at any of these docks.
day with about the same number of
docks, there are open spaces or 'hoH-
days everywhere"
In those days the usual practice was
khis Shippers when they reached port
would hunt about for some time until
they finally fell upon some spot where
their craft could be squeezed in among
the others. After considerable argu-
ment with the dockmaSter this would
be accomplished. A few days later the
dockmaster and the skipper would meet
in the street. The former would ask
the latter to drink. When the pair
were alongside the bar the dockmaster
would remark: I'm in a tight place
now, captain; can you lend me ten or
twenty dollars for a day or two?' The
skipper would respond cheerfully, and
that was the end of the matter. The
loan was never thought of again. One
OF the chief causes for the present
greatly diminished number of sailing
vessels is the fact that during the war
a great number of packets were put
under the English flag. When the war
was over no law could be brought
about, try as shipping men might by
which they could be brought back again
to the American register.
''Sailmakers," says this disciple of
The palm and needle were men of a
very different position in the old days,
Each morning they came to the sail
lofts with their high hats, canes and
Kid gloves. None of them ever asked
for Job. Instead they We're at once
recognized by the boss and begged to
70 to work. Often when there was
crowd of packets in port there were not
enough men to satisfy all the master
sailmakers. Then the custom of those
who fell short was to wait at the foot OF
rfeir rivals stairs toward shutdown. AS
the journeymen came down from their
days work they were asked to come to
another loft to work till inie o'clock.
The pay then was two dollars for ten
hours work. To-day it has risen to
three dollars for nine hours work, put
the demand for work has become so
,-slack that it is doubtful if any satlmak-
er along the front averages more than
a dollar and half a day throughout
the entire year. The question of the
masters of vessls never used to be
siTIow much will you charge for the
work." but rather "How quickly can
YOU get it done?'
In 1850 there were upwards OF hfty
lofts in New York, all of them over
crowded with work. To-day there are
scarcely fifteen, and those lucky II
they are busy half the time. Whlle
there used to be from two hundrd and
fifty to three hundred journeymen
sailmakers, now there are only the few
old timers that are left, and no more
boys serving their time. Like calking'
rigging and sparmaking, the old trade
will be forgotten before many years
have passed.
Circus tents, too, another thing that
rave the sailmakerSs work. as SHIPS
grow less, are now going out orr use
\ The principal work left Is the making
of wnings. and most of those at pres
ent can be made by machinery, or sewed
by women. Even the oyster-boats in
these times are propelled by motors, as
well as many of the yachts which were
originally equipped with masts, AS for
the sails of any yacht running up to
fifty feet in length they can readily be
turned out by machine.
This old sailmaker has now reached
The age of seventy-two, although he Is
still as active and hearty as the aver
age man of fifty At the age of sixteen
he began his apprenticeship, and kept
at that for four years, The first yeai
his pay was two dollars week. after
\ that two and a quarter, then two dol
lars and q half finally three dollars
r=-----------==--------