New-York tribune., 1903-07-05
SAILORS IN HOBOKEN.
Where Those from Big German
Liners Spend Shore Time.

Probably the German is glad that nearly
all Of the great German steamships dock In Ho-
boken. In other part of NewIork Harbor
could he find quite much Of the atmosphere OF
home. Hoboken has jocOsely been described
German city set down at the door of New-York,
and in certain sections it is German. In the
along the street opposite the immense piers of the
neutrality-suspicious., the North German Lloyd and
the Holland-America lines one must needs speak
German II would be understood. Conveniently
situated the sailors and steamship stewards with
their Kaiser Wilhelm mustaches assemble in these
places in the evening The great ship, when in
port is forsakea in the evening by nearly every
member of the crew from the captain down. Only
those who needed watch the ship remain
board The officers goFto visit friends they have
made in the of their voyages to visit the
officers of other ships to tank the old times
when they were in the same ship. The stewards
and sailors scatter about the resorts along the
river front opposite the piers Here they sit far
into the night and talk their glasses OF beer.
A short time ago, while running down story in
which it desirable TO the names of three
passengers who had crossed a certain steam
ship. these resorts visited in search of the
two smoking room stewards of the ship II
surprising how difficult it to make progress
without knowledge of the German language. One
would think that the stewards on the German
steamships from their contact with the numerous
English speaking passengers OF these ships would
obtain a Smattering of the English tongue. at
least
1t was a drizzly night. but the saloons all along
the street on the waterfront aglow with lights
The ships alongside the piers were dark. One does
wonder that the seaman and the steward leave
their vessel during their leisure hours when in port
1t is like a closed house the rooms are gloomy and
almost hear ones footsteps echo as one
tramrs along the dismantled floors of the passage
ways.
Stepping down one step into a little arbor the
garden, saloon. whichever it might be called
was entered. Seated about round tables on one side
OF the room were sailors in their blue bouses and
flowing trousers. and whte-jacketed stewards 9th
ers stood leaning against the bar. At table at the
end of the bar nearest the door sat plump woman
and a man. VINO appeared to be her husband and
the proprietor OF the place. She did seem to be
out OF place because the atmosphere was one OF
sociabity rather than OF revelry. BY dint of put
ting together such German words as could be re-
nenbered ii was at last discovered that no one
IN the place had the Information which was desired
entered one could hear rumbIng below stairs oo in
the basement; Here were other stewards and sail
whence proceeded the T9mbn Gea @ ~ ITelOs @ oetQW'
This stairway opened into rear room TWISTING
down the narrow passage it found that an ex7
ceI!ent bowling alley was the of the mys-
terious rumbing and crashing Two or three sea
4n men ana stewards were bowling AS the stewards
There were more round tables and beer drinking
sou9h ana stewards but not the two men who were
Down the street bit from the saloon first visited
was platform, and beside this an upright piano
space was occupied by about hundred men ' seated
IN IN chairs They were watching inane per-
Iormance on the platform. The entertainment was
a boxing match between and a woman The
man wore basgy salt and pepper pants ana red
chin whSkerS OF the conventional irish Comedian
II, The woman looked fat aud forty. but not fair.
she wore skirt that reached only q knees
The hands Of each We're encased in boxing gloves
That resembed pillows in size ana softness Win
these they were whackng each other licbt and
ett and with entire disregard for any known rules
they seemed to be beating time on each others
face for the benefit of the man who was thumDing
out on the piano some ragtiue piece resurrected
from the archives OF the Society for the Promo
ton Of Ragtime Music: After a minutes exercise
the pair separated and retired to their respective
corners, from whence they instantly broke into the
arena again with form Of attack
With flushed face the woman shot at her COM
panion: How would you like to be the ice uan?''
Whether this query was the cause or not--it well