144 THE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET. 



office to all parts of the world, via "New York and via 

 Boston. Charles II . Allen is the local agent. The 

 local express business is done by the regular team- 

 sters, and by Wm. B. Kay and Charles C. McCann > 

 who each have a hand-cart. William B. Bay, " Porter 

 No. 1," and Charles C. McCann, " Porter Number 

 0>ie," are always ready to transport, in their little 

 vehicles, trunks and other luggage to any part of the 

 town. Twenty-five cents is the regulation price for 

 the transportation of each trunk from the steamer. 

 As there is considerable rivalry between the gentle- 

 men above mentioned (each claiming priority on 

 account of the number of his license), it is perhaps 

 justice to them both, to say that neither was ever the 

 cashier of a New Jersey bank, consequently they can 

 both be relied on. When not at the steamboat land- 

 ing, they can generally be found on Main Street (never 

 both on the same side.) 



Fires and Fire Department. 



The apparatus of the fire department consists at 

 present of five old-fashioned hand engines (and very 

 old ones too), six hose carts, two hook and ladder 

 companies, and 2,150 feet of hose (estimated), with a 

 force of two hundred and eight men. There are also 

 thirty kegs of gunpowder for blowing up buildings in 

 case of necessity. This is of course a great improve- 

 ment on the old-fashioned leather fire buckets that 

 hung, a hundred years ago, in the halls of every well- 

 to-do householder; but the town is far behind the 

 age. If, as has been asserted, during the last thirty- 

 five years not a fire has occurred in the town but 



