Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-11-13

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and into New Yori Bay. near the little
railroad station at New Brighton. He
wears a sou'wester over his griZzled.
agc-worn face, and he is always ready
20 ferry all who venture on the pier
across the arm of the bay to the fac
tory-lined Jersey shore, a good mile
away.
Most OF his passengers are workers
in the factories, who have their homes
IN Staten Island beyond the pail OF
smoke Once in a good while. a stran-
ger picks his way along the wharf and
lowers himself into one of the aged
ferryman's boats.
A minute or two later the boat
glides past the half-submerged wreck
OF what apparently was once fine
craft OF some sort. Then. as the
stranger looks with curiosity at the
heavily-rusted machinery, the rem
nants of a gilded cabin, and the crumb-
ling pilothouse, Pat Donovan shifts
his tobacco and anticipates his pas
senCer's question.
SHAT" he says. with gruff cheer
fitness. sis what is left of my for
tune.
Yes, sir" he continues, after let
tiny the boat drift close up TO and
PIP IS the wreck and then resuming the
oars. there's the remains of forty
years work, and here / am, a man of
seventy odd, doing the same thing l
did when I started out getting what's
sunk back of you, sir.
Look behind you and see what
used to own. Just about a mile OF
the waterfront near the railroad sta
ton. Guess I was worth pretty close
TO a half a million at one time, all
made by working night and day along
here from the day | landed from Ire
land until fifteen years ago.
Yes. sir, started out ferrying as
youngster right here where I'm ferry
Ing you across now. That was fifty
years ago. Been ferrying ever since,
too. but not In a rowboat all that
time. No, STREE. I've taken 'em over
in as fine a steam craft as ever car
ried passengers in New York Bay. And
that's why I'm rowing 'em across to-
day.
Tell you how II was. Fifteen years
ago got tired seeing my men rowing
passengers over and l thought of the
property I'd managed to get hold OF
with my savings from year to year.
"I calculated had several hundred
thousand dollars in real estate and
buildings on it, and so said to my
self: Pat. l reckon you've got enough
money to take your customers across
In a decent boat And l gave orders
for steam ferryboat to be built.
"She was as fine a craft as ever
pl0ughed her way through the Bay
white sides. gold paint, and looking
glasses in cabins, and a pilot house
with hard wood work and brass trim
mings Lord, was proud of her-so
stuck up proud that took her across
myself the first week, and she be-
haved like the trim little lady she
was
Then, one day l didn't feel like
working. and | turned her over to a
hired pilOt-and damn me. sir, she
burned to the waters edge that same
day.
Discouraged? A boatman never
stops pulling in a squat. ! was in
love with the Mary O'Donnell. and |
made up my mind to bring her up
from the grave. which did. though it
cost me another $4,000 mortgage on
my property"
Pat Donovan spat refectively over
the boats side.
Same old story-she burned a sec
ond time, two months later But her
bones are not back yonder. They be-
long TO Mary 0'Donnell. the third, and
she went like the others.
Eyes. sir. those boats burned up un-
der my feet in less than five years,
and that's why l lost nay nerve for a
while and then lost what property
had left after clearing of the mort
cages.
Doesn't pay to lose your nerve,
does it? Well. / got mine back after
a time. and set about rowing across
here as I'd done before l could rub
two quarters together; and here am.
still at IT,
"Ever wish for my fortune back?"
The steel-gray eyes twinkled. Cant
say I ever did. Amt l doing what
did when / had the Mary O'Donnells
taking EN- across?
Doing something was my best
pleasure then. and doing something
gives me my best times now. Besides
amt l got the memory OF the days
when had plenty of money and when
folks called me Mr.. Donovan and not
plain Pat?
Just to think Of those fine times,
when I'm smoking my pipe OF nights.
and TO know that I've tasted of 'em.
is enough to keep me feeling happy
Row.
Then there's the bones of the lasd
Mary o'Donnel back there. Whyl
every time | row past 'em l laugh al
the thought of myself strutting round
In uniform and bawling like mad al
the deckhsnds and soaring the pas
sengers half to death with my impora
taDce. Yes, sir.
why should feel gloomy? Amt 7
rowing EN- across Just the same?'
Removal of Garbage.
II Il u,