The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-19
BY GUY T. VlSKNISKKl.
Copyright, 1903, by Guy T. viskniskki.

Pat Donovans life is typical of
many that have been lived along the
water front of many city. 1t is fill
ed with the romance and the simple
philosophy that constant contact with
body of water ever seems to give to
those who know its every current and
mood.
Pat Donovan may be found seven
days in the week at the end of a rot
ten wharf jutting out from Staten Is
land into New York bay, near the
little railroad station at New Brighton.
He wears a sou'wester over his griz-
zled, age-worn face and he is always
ready to ferry all who venture on the
pier across the arm of the bay to the
factory-lined Jersey shore, a good
mile away.
Most of Pats passengers are work
ers in the factories, who have their
homes in Staten Island beyond the
pail of smoke. Once in a great
while,* however, a stranger picks his
way along the wharf and lowers him
self into one of the aged ferrymans
ancient boats.
A minute or two later the boat
gndes past the half-submerged wreck
of what apparently was once a fine
craft of some sort. Then as the
stranger looks with awakened curios-
ity at the heavily-rusted machinery,
the remnants of gilded cabin, and
the crumbling pilot house, Pat Dono-
van shifts his tobacco and antici-
pates his passengers question.
That" he says, with gruff cheerful
ness, lis what's left of my fortune"
Yes, sir he continues, after letting
the boat drift close up to and past the
wreck and then resuming the oars,
there's the remains of forty years
work, and here l am, a man of seven
ty odd, doing the same thing 1 did
when L 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
water front near the railroad station.
Guess l was worth pretty close to half
a million at one time, all made by
working night and day along here
from the day ] landed from ireland
until fifteen years ago.
Yes, sir, l started out ferrying as
a youngster right here where I'm fer
rying you across now. That was fifty
years ago. Been Terrifying 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
Tied passengers in New York bay. And
that's why I'm rowing EN- across to-
day.
Tell you how it was. Fifteen wears
ago l 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.
/ calculated l had several hundred
thousand dollars in real estate and
buildings on it, and SO 1 said to my
self Pat, l reckon you've got
enough to take your customers across
in a decent boat And 1 gave orders
for a steam ferry-b boat to be built.
''She was as fine craft as ever
plowed her way through the Bay
white sides, gold paint and looking
glasses in cabins, and a pilot house
with hard woodwork and brass trim
mings. Lord, 1 was proud of her-so
stuck up proud that l took her across
myself the first week and she behaved
like the trim little lady she was.
Then, one day 1 didn't feel like
working. and 1 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. l was in
love with the Mary O'Donnell, and l
made up my mind to bring her up
from the grave, which 1 did, though
it cost me another $25, 900 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 O'Donnell the third, and
she went like the others.
Yes, sir, those boats burned up
under my very feet in less than five
years, and that's why lost my nerve
for while and then lost what prop
erty l had left after clearing off the
mortgages
Doesn't pay to lose your nerve.
does it? Well, l 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 1 am,
still at it.
Ever wish for my fortune back?"
The steel-gray eyes twinkled Cant
say 1 ever did. Amt l doing what
did when 1 had the Mary O'Donnells
taking EN- across? Doing some
thing was my best pleasure then, and
doing something gives me my best
times now. Besides, amt / got the
memory of the days when l 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 EN-, is
enough to keep me feeling happy now.
Then there's the bones of the last
Mary O'Donnell back there. Why,
every time / row past 'em l laugh at
the thought of myself strutting round
in uniform and bawling like mad at
the deck hands and soaring the pas