Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-07-07

'S" WIZ Hiaue sailing nne ART are all
dead, and the men who would have taken
their places in former times have gone
INTO steam, where they can have comfort
able cabins, good pay and quick passages.
The ships themselves show the change.
Look at this hooker Pm going to sail in.
She's not such an old ship, as sailing ships
| go, but she's all run down. No paint,
decks all stained up and rigging run in
any way at all. just so long as the ship
viii held together and sail after fashion
is all they care about now. 1t seems as if
everybody was discouraged on a sailing
ship and knew that no one would pay any
attention to square-rigger, no matter
how trim she looked in these days OF
steam turbines"
casual inspection of the other sailing
ships moored along the East river seemed
to bear out all the old sailor on the Mary
ID. had said. Everywhere were evidences
OF money saved in equipment, as il the
owners expected the next voyage might
| be the last.
In Front street, near Wall, there is
ships chaEdlery which has stood there
chronometers, spyglasses, oilskins, can
dies, etc., and in the store are all the
things needed to equip sailing ships and
/ their crews. The proprietor, who is the
grandson of the original owner of the
shop, remembers well when, as a boy, he
heard his father and grandfather discuss
Capt. Samuels' feat in bring the Dread
\ he NJ, ,,,f do
This shop is still prosperous because the
sailors on the steamers buy their toys
there, but with the exception of few
chance sales, its trade with sailing ships
has gone.
Then in the old days Front street was
lined with lots of sailmakers and Triggers.
AT this time OF year every wharf was
centre of activity. Gangs of skilled men
were at work running up new rigging and
fitting sails to the ships, that lay some
| times three deep between the piers. To-
day there are few of these concerns left,
and the skilled Triggers, retired sailors who
| devoted all their time to this work, are
dropping out year by year. In Erie Basin
and on Staten Island there are still places
"hciS ooAhhS shiPo Soh Achtf poe VIC oAu
days when contracting Triggers swarmed
over vessel as she lay at her pier have
gone for good.
With these institutions OF a former day
! have disappeared most Of the customs
and traditions that made up the romance
of the sea. Gone are the ''sailing days"
when the owners in frock coats and beaver
hats gathered on the quarter deck after
their ship had been worked out into the
stream to give final instructions and drink
toast to the skipper. At that time, be-
fore the Brooklyn bridge forced big ships
to drop their topmasts, it was worth q
! walk to the river front to see a ship weigh
anchor and up sails for trip to China.
Now tug steams up to the pier and max
ing fast line to the stem of sailing
ship, yanks her out into the river, and
then, taking the hawser from the bow,
hauls her down the bay. The only per-
sons who see square rigger in all the
glory OF her spreading canvas now are the
passengers on an Atlantic liner, who, at
rare intervals, pass one far off on the
horizon. Soon even these spectacles, like
the horse cabs OF to-day, will belong to
the past.