San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-25

something about the tone of his voit
that made me list his inquiry undt
the head of a dirty dig.
"Do you walk often?" was my ne,
venture.
but he stopped at the rail to waite
sea gull rise and dip and / wake
on. l hope his coupon clippers &
on strike.
Aside from the thrill of being herd
ed with millionaires there is nothin
in New York, to my notion, tina
equals ride on n Staten Islam
ferry as the sun slowly sinks in tn
west.
There is the skyline which deserve
all the putting it gets. Then thu
shadowy glimpses of those mysterious
canyons on the lower tip of tn,
island, the rows of dark warehouse:
piled high with freight for India
Japan and wherenot.
The placid harbor is rocking with
boats. Perhaps far out tiny speck
which il you wait long enough will
prove to be a giant ocean liner-a
floating city-thrilling to the first
sight Of land in many days.
Days That Bring Romance.
On clear days there is the flaming
sun and the billowy clouds and that
swish of the sea-a sound that opens
the well springs Of desire for adven-
ture and romance.
Gently Juggling at anchors are
| vagrant steamers-"t ra2lps" they are
called. Some are just Back from the
Argentine, Port Said, Germany and
Liverpool. You can see the old sea-
men perhaps washing their clothes or
sitting on piles of rope peacefully
putting at pipes. They have an aura
Of dignity and the eyes of dresmers-
the Undesirable content that one
does not find among folk bred in the
cities.
They know more Of the mystery Of
life than most people. / imagine
They have gazed through fsg. rain and
pitch black night and battled with the
eternal mystery of mysteries. Some
appear TO have become a very part of
the elements. Likely as not they
will wave st you-for they are friend
ly souls, these mariners.
And the milionaires will wave
back. For the millionaire knows the
easy familiarity will not cause him
further annoyance. Seamen will not
call him up for a quick loan.
Then there is the Statute Of Lib
erty. With glasses one may sec
patient tourists slowly climbing the
steps-up and up TO the torch that
is held aloft. Bedloe's Island, Quar-
antine. the ugly-beautiful marshes of
New Jersey are all within the range
Of vision.
Unspoiled Little Villages.
Up the North River valiant little
tugs are putt-putting their way to
nose transatlantic liner into the
pier. Motor boats skip about. And
the deep boom of the bell buoys add
glamour to the ensemble. And so
you near Staten Island you see the
unspoiled little villages-dreaming
away the days and nights.
Nearly all of Park Rows printers
live over on Staten Island. They
are home owners-these men who con-
tribute 50 much of your daily news
paper joys. They are we'll dressed
and home loving for the day of the
tramp printer is no more. Along
Park Row at noon time those nat
tily dressed men you see carrying
canes are in most instances printers
the men who generation ago could
never. resist the lure of the open
road.
Too, the tall factory chimneys with
blazing blotches Of red. yeritable
little Pittsburgs.
| No ferry ride is complete without
n shoe shine. The little ragged Dicks
swarm above you as bees swarm to
clover: You. cannot resist them.
They have never raised their prices
not even during the war. A shine
is always five cents and they do their
work well and with certain pride.
They are youngsters who attend school
at night-Greeks, Italians and even
Chinese--all hurled precipitiously into
the great melting pot and accepting
the vicissitudes of life with a laugh
on their lips.
Down on the first deck OF each
boat are the veteran harpist and
vlolinist. They play the old tunes
In the Good Old Summer Time. "
sidewalks of New York" and Sweet
Rosie O'Grady.r
They pass the hat shyly and are
thankful for the few pennies they
receive. II they are unrewarded they
play just the same and bow as you
pass by to disembark. Some Of them
are blind and all are pathetically old.
1t is a short ride across the Staten
Island but always a memorable one.
There is close knit camraderie that
springs IN as the ferry pushes out into
the harbor. When a pleasure steam
er from Albany or one from Coney
Island goes by, the ferries foot a
friendly welcome.
Somehow the city seems far away.
AS much as we all love New York we
like to get away from it. There is
vicious side to it that. at times
suffocates us-but a puff of fresh
sea air blows it all away. And that.
l Imagine, is why our millionaires
steal away from the hurry burly of
office routine as dusk approaches to
slip out into the harbor.
They. feel that somehow the world
Is not altogether wrong NJ man tbo