The Forrest City times., 1903-11-27
SUMMERTIME SHIPPERS.
Deet Captains of the Atlantic Coast
Who Follow Land Pursuits
when Winter Comes

II is matter of wonder to many
New Workers what becomes of the cap
tains. officers and crews of the Coney
Island steamboats,. Glen Island liners
and other public pleasure craft during
the winter. Over and over again dur
ing the summer tens of thousands of
excursionists depend upon the RELIABLE
ity and skill of these men to save them
from accident and even death
So far as the captains and chief off,
GERS are concerned, says an eastern ex-
change, obseryant excursionists have
noticed the same men in the wheel
house year after year. They know
their course as pianists know the finger
board. But most of them are en-
ployed. at most. only five months in
the spring and summer What be-
comes of them during the winter
zone iron steamboat company cap
tain is farmer up in Sullivan eoun-
ty,' said man who knows all about
these things He comes &c, New York
soon after seed planting. takes COM
mand of his boat. and lets his two sons
run the farm until he gets back in
October. AS he never gets a day of
during the excursion season he invites
his sons. wife and daughter to New
York when the boats stop running.
and gives them a weeks blowout re-
gardless of expense. They stop al one
OF the best uptown hotels. buy the
choicest seats in the theatars and run
the gamut of the stores for their win
ter clothing. This farmer is one Of
the most experienced captains in New
York harbor. He won't give up the
sea altogether. but he doesn't care
about roughing IL in winter.
A captain on one of the Rockaway
Beach boats is the owner OF a large
and profitable cider mill in New Jer-
sey. He is a veteran of the merchant
marine. and commands the Rockaway
boat in summer simply for love of the
sea He lives aboard ship during the
excursion season. His wife lives there
with him. Patrons of these boats often
have seen her sitting outside the
wheelhouse, knitting when the steam
er was not overerowded. or during the
intervals of waiting in Rockaway in
let. He is rich enough to buy one of
the boats. If he wants to.
The Starin company takes care Of
Its own captains and officers on its
sound freight lines But even In that
company there are two or three cap
tains who won't make winter trips.
although they turn up regularly every
summer for the Glen Island service
One of them keeps a cigar store in The
Bronx. The Central of New Jersey
railway also takes care of its Sandy
Hook steamboat men during the win
ter
This applies only to officers who
are wanted season after season. The
oeekhands are hired only by the
month, ard pick up jobs for the win
ter wherever they can know one
who is bouncer in a Bowery theater.
with saloon annex. Many OF them
are expert oyster openers. and find
good employment on the oyster boats
or in oyster bars from September 10
May. Many quit the excursion beats
before the season Is over so as TO Sc
cure oyster JOBS when the r month
opens up that trade. This puts The
steamboat men to considerable neon
venierce. They retsliate by rot giving
deserteis JOBS in the following May.
when The oyster season Is over.
A number Of officers on the excur-
sion beats find winter employment on
the sound steamers.
There are not nearly so many ex-
cursion boats in New York harbor as
there used TO be. In my opinion they
Will continue to decrease in number
as they wear out or are sold TO own
ers in other ports. The trolley lines
have knocked the bottom ont of the
excursion boat business. With two
thirds of the eXcursionists 10 Conev
Island ii is a case of get there Quick
and get back The number OF per
sons who go just for the sail is hardly
sufficient TO make the boats a paving
investment
THE iron steamboats, are put up
Tor this winter in Erie Basin. Some Of
the deck-hands live aboard them as
watehmen. The Glen Island boats are
In the Starin yards. Staten Island. The
Sandy Hook boats are in the railroad
slips on the jersey shore The Hair
lem river, just below Washington
bridge. used 10 be a favorite storage
place for these vessels. but the open
Ing of the Harlem ship canal has
changed all that"