The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-07-25
GYP5 IES FOUND Ol
The SHANIY BOATS
Always Have the WanderIust in
Their Veins
THEY LEAD AN EASY LIFE
There is no Rent to Pay, There is Al.
ways Breeze Through the
Door and Boats Require
Little Attention.
From the New orleans Plcayune.

From the New Orleans Picayune
River gypsies; why not?
We have river steamers, river catfish,
river shrimp-then why not river gyp-
sizes? And what else would you call the
dwellers of those simple households which
drift down the Mississippi from no one
knows where. and dot the river banks
from Southport to Canal street?
They are not oppressed by poverty for
the wolf, not being an amphimious AMI
! NAL cannot get to their doorA They are
not stifed by convention, for such as
they have is of home manufactures they
are a law unto themselves, and chiefest
of ALL they are not unhappy for their
life is utterly without responsibility, and
the wander-lust is IN their blood.
A walk along the levee any day re-
veals untold possibilities in the way of
learning their life and likings, and both
are freely exposed, for the river gyspies.
the men and women of the 4shanty
boats as they call their homes. are
friendly to the last degree.
This social instinct shows Itself in the
little settlements they from along the
bank. Rarely does "shanty boat" tie up
alone Groups of two or three are the
common rule, anything larger or smaller
the exception. Sometimes the owner of
the boat is not a stranger One small
square edifice erected on scow. and
resting in the shade of a larger boat is
thus explained by the lean. brown-faced
| workman on the front of the latter
THE Teller who lives on that shanty
| boat" he says in a drawl that echoes the
lazy tapping of the water, 'wuz bred
and Dawn In Carlton. Never been away
frum here In his 1ife he JUS took no.
ton to live out here--it's ehepern In town
and SO he built him this boat. Him and
his wife an two kids been livin' on 1t for
nigh onto three years now Bred and
bawn right here, but he jes' liked 1t or
the water and this here's his home"
Inclined to be Friendly.
The lean, brown workman is inclined to
be friendly and diseursve on the subject
Of shanty boats.
They drift down mostly IN January y
he says, with noticeable contempt for
those who have not been bred and bawn
In the vicinity.
Some of EN- are big enough-tbree or
four rooms and a kitchen, but them's
mostly owned by Yankees. that come
down on huntin and fishin <trips-not
regular shanty boat people And some's
right nice little boats. People find they
can live cheaper herein on land, and
some'-he scowls virtuously-"some,s
nuthin' but loafers and vagabonds They
drift down the river stealin' bit here
and another bit there"
But the middle class of "shanty-boat-
ers, those who were not bred an bawn"
here, neither do they steal, Is less pic
turesque II no less interesting.
They have the gypsy blood without the
gypsy morals. The joy of vagrancy is on
them, but the habits of everydayness
have their hold as well, and the blend is
quaint If illogical.
AS fair specimen as heart could want
OF this genus is the square-topped, red
painted shanty boat with a souarer
larger one just astern. that floats In a
curve of the river just where the bank is
muddiest, the willows drooplest and the
view prettiest.
The plank walk that leads from the
levee to the boat Is narrow and shalxy.
the mud on either side deep and treach-
erous, but the old negro woman who
directs the wayfarer on the path he
should go Is encouraglngiy careless, and
the CHEEKY call with which she summons
the inmates of the boat to view-'Eh bien.
comment ca va?'--is a stinulant To timid
nerves.
Space at Premium.
The shanty boat Itself Is not large n
Is partitioned off into two rooms-bed-
room and kitchen. the first of which holds
double bed. a sewing machine, several
hanging book shelves, a washstand. a.
table and several chairs. Does milady's
boudoir hould more
The walls are gay with pictures, bright
calendars chiefly, and old photoeranbs of
quantity dressed people in unpleasantlv
stiff poses.
A picture of the President adorns one
corner. The owner of the boat, she who
answers the CHEEKY summons of the old
negro with an invitation as CHEEKY. is
tireiess IN her EFFORTS to entertain the
chance visitor.
She is large woman, brown of hair
| and blue of eye, and her calico gown Ia
comfortable even unto care1essness. She
has been here three years. she saws
and she likes 1t mighty well-amazin
we'll"
She claims a small town in Tennessee
as her birthplace and dilates with feel
Ing upon the superiority of New Orleans
as place of residence
| why, when We a'sittin down here eat
! in of all these lovely vegetables and
things, they're just a'tearin up the
ground In Tennessee to put the seed
| down."
Before one has time to recover from
Tins At.seAN9'tiS paeee ni geographical IN
formation, she is singing the praises of
the shanty boat In terms unmistakable.
mo rent to pay fancy evading land
lords by prolonged life on the ocean
wave. No homework to do, or at least
none worth talkin about. A breeze right
| in the front door all o. the time. all
the water you want for washin dishes
and clothes
unconcerned Beauty.
A tall SIP OF a girl, with a skin like
the petal OF a magnolia bud smoothes
her light halr eomposedly before the mir
ror at one side of the room. Possibly
many visitors have rendered her Gallons
and Indifferent, for she preens herself as
unconsciously as a bird at a woodland
pool, and puffs her locks and powders
her cheeks with the air of an artist in
such matters.
There comes out Of the growing dusld
from the other shanty boat which floats
astern. a little commonplace man. with
| nothing about him to show that the wan
| derust runs in his veins. He is not vounr.
he is not handsome his eyes are mech.
in crows feet, and his hair stragelsa
grayly around bald crown. but tha
hound OF your fancy is on the trail and
you see him as he was and as one Other
saw him.
That other speaks of him quite eoollv
as the man who owns that boat" b,it
she cannot hide a faint flavor of proprie-
torship ana she regards him almost with
pride.
MY first husband was a veteran ;, sha
saws, with that willingness 10 saa,,- sl 20
private matters which is the trade'~,.s,-
OF these people, ''and he sorter hanlaras
Atzx n IT,