The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20
QUAINT DOWN EAST CUSTOMS.
Old City of Nantucket Still Has Its
Town Crier, 'Billy" Clark.


Providence Journal.
Billy Clark, the old town crier of Nan
tucket, has been sick this summer. to the
great sorrow of the summer visitor.
He is now recovering, and will soon be
able to get about again, perhaps with his
old-time activity, but his absence from the
streets of the village has been a sore dis
appointment to scores of men and women
who regularly visit the island. and look on
Billy as one of the brightest features of
the quaint old town.
Fortunately Billy did not take to his bed
without leaving a worthy successor. With
out it's town crier Nantucket would feel
lost. so every one realizes that there is a
debt OF gratitude owing Alvin Hull, who
rings his bell as violently, and shouts as
madly as did Billy in his palmy days. and
in addition has characteristics OF his W
wherewith to interest visitors. Character
il the strong point of town criers at Nan
tucket. However desirable this underlined
quality may be in the b~ustling world OF
business, outside of whose pale Nantucket
lies. in politics or the learned professions
Il is twice as necessary in the makeup
OF the town crier, for his office is one TO
which the present generation is little ac-
customed, and everybody expects that the
man who fills 1t will be different from
other people.
Inc NlSlIoT at nantucket, SlllluS on the
hotel veranda, hears the ringing of a bell
down the street. punctured by shouted SEN
fences. If he is unaware OF the existence
of that anachronism, the town crier, he
instantly asks his nearest neighbor what is
up. And If the nearest neighbor chances TO
be one of the small army of people who
have spent every summer of the past
decade or two on the island, the answer
comes in tones expressing surprise at the
question:
why. that's the town crier-"
& rfh 80 40 tfnna On hA Nandn
Hull is in sight, walking with a rapid.
nervous tread to the accompaniment of a
good-sized bell. of the old-fashioned din
ner variety, which he swings violently.
Waves of brassy sound break upon the air.
In front of the hotel Hull stops, pulls him.
self up In a statuesque attitude, and says
his piece, which may run somewhat as
follows:
There's going to be, a concert at the
Sea Cliff tonight. The walters quartet's
a-goin' to sing. 1t will be a good concert.
Don't forget the concert by the walters
quartet at the Sea Cliff tonight"
With a couple more agitationS OF the
bell he mounts the veranda and distributes
~hand-bills announcing, 1t may be, the auc-
ton sale of old-fashioned china and furni-
ture. a perennial summer institution at
Nantucket, or some entertainment given in
the village. After a chatting word passed
with the summer visitors who know him, IN
which he gives as good as they send and
maintains his sturdy independent Ameri-
canship after the manner of all Nantuck-
eters. as evidence that he is as good as
any fat-pursed summer visitor, yet with
out iDtimation of ~impudence, he passes
along down the street at a five-mile-an-
hour gait, changing his bell and stopping
wherever he sees a group of people to shout
his various announcements. He does not
need his semi-official garb. a blue coat and
a yachting cap. to announce that he is the
town crier. His business is one which
speaks for itself.
Nobody possessed of a camera ever
thinks OF letting the town crier get away
without trying to take his picture. AS
soon as Alvin discovers the desire he says:
81 know how TO do this"
find and throws himself into the proper
attitude. bell hand appraised. the other
holding out his bunch of circulars. After
the exposure OF the plate he Is apt to re-
mark:
That will be a quarter"
Sometimes he gets the coin, and more
isfed with the promise of a photograph If
it turns out well. for Alvin shares another
and very pleasant characteristic OF Nan
tucketere in not being meanly mercenary.
The town crier appears TO be a self-ap-
pointed individual well qualified to look
after his own business. There has been
such an official for so long that the people
of the place never think of adopting any
other way OF advertising their goods than
through Billy Clark or Alvin Hull. If
there Is to be an auction. a special bargain
sale or an entertainment. the town crier
stands ready TO let everybody know about
1t. and instead of following the fashion of
the newspapers in charging so much per
square inch. he is contented with a dona-
ton of half a dollar or so. There would
be little profit I'm the business were ii not
that he takes several jobs at the same
time. Another source of income is the re-
covery of lost articles. If anybody finds a
piece of jewelry or an article of clothing
which has been mislaid. he turns il over
to the town crier, who hawks il around
until he finds the owner, and from that
fortunate individual collects a reward pro-
portionate to the value of the property re-
turned.
From his habit of doing several jobs