Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-07-13

| at the Motel they are examined by every body
| who chances to look them over, and can steal
them if he chooses. We have frequently seen
one of the boarders at a hotel examine the
| letters and read the postal cards.
| Maine Man Observation-Disclosures I'm an
Eventful Life-The Cruise of the shen-
| andOah.
Capt. Thos. G. Young, who etires from the
State library after several years of service,
has at our request furnished us some interest.
ing facts in his history, which we will pro-
coed to give to our readers.
His life has been rather an eventful one,
but not particularly out of the course of the
youth of half century ago, who, the Captain
thinks, were of different mode of tempera-
ment from the youth of the present period. AT
| that time there were but few openings to a
young man wishing to see the world, and the
whaling business was one. Merchant ships
were closed to raw material; there was no
great west" or California to flee to. In 1929, a
the age of II years, the subject of our sketch
entered as carpenter ofship "Zone" of Nan
tucket, commanded by Capt. John NJ. Russell.
1t was an eventful voyage and shaped his fu-
ture career. At the age of 25, without the aid
/
reached the position of master of a vessel
| the barque Favorite of Fairhaven. Mass, F.
r. Whitwell principal owner and manager.
| His escapes by flood and field we will not
narrate. The many persons scattered over
| the country who have sailed with him, will
say to man that Young never shiIked his
| duty in storm or in calm.
| On his sixth voyage in the Favorite he
| sailed from Kanagaw, Japan, for the Arctic,
about April 2Sth, 1865, (having lost all his
papers the exact date cannot be given). He
left without his ships papers, the American
consul at that port having demanded of him a
| sum that he was not entitled to, refused to
| deliver up the papers, having an idea that
| Young hadn't spunk enough to leave for sea
without them. Consequently when the Eng
lish pirate captured the Captain and his vessel
| on the 26th of the following June, there were
| no papers forthcoming. If the consul above
referred to is a far representative of all in
that office, the Captain is of the opinion that
| they are vultures who prey on our merchant
marine. He thinks, however, there is now
and then an honorable exception.
| On the arrival of the eventful 2Sth of June,
| the Favorite with her gallant commander and
| crew, were near the entrance to the Arctic,
having arrived at the northern extremity of
| Behring's strait, sailing along with pleasant
II
ing to be in the Arctic ocean. There were a
few patches of floating ice here and there, but
| not enough to make navigation dangerous,
provided there was a good lookout AT A.
| NJ, the first officer, Mr.. Whalon, came to the
| Captain's room and awoke him from sound
| sleep, with the information that there was a
| ship in sight with signals of distress flying.
| The Captain dressed himselfas soon as posi-
| Bile, went Oh deck, and directed the sails
| trimmed to run for the craft in distress
| Young boarded her at 2 A. NJ, and found her
to be the ship Brunswick of New Bedford,
stove in by the ice. By 9 A. M. of this event
full day, there were nine sail of us collected
around the disabled vessel At IL A. NJ, the
| fog coming in thick and fast, while the little
| fleet was anchored near the vessel alluded TO-,
the Captains made survey of the disabled
| vessel and condemned her as unseaworthy,
| giving the Captain papers certifying to that
fact, The paper being drawn up by Young. At
= 2. NJ, the fog having lifted, a steamer was
| seen approaching from the south, with the
American flag displayed. 1t was judged to
be sounding across the strait, preparatory to
| laying a telegraph cable from America to
Asia, project much talked about at that
time, but the little fleet was soon undeceived.
The Captain of the Isaac Rowland volunteer
ed to board her for news from home. This
Captain was a rarity in his way for sailor
| man without guile-and the words of sin
| and iniquity seemed to be a problem to him.
| His form was as perfect as his character
| standing over six feet, he was model for
statuary. On his return from his mission for
| news, the expression of his face was very
comical. On his leaving the disabled ship,
one Of the Captains requested him to get some
papers, as the steamer was direct from Cali
| fornia. On his return, he exclaimed, in a
l ,y..,
| was a rush for the boats-it was "each one
for himself and The ID take the hinder
most" In Youug's passage from the disabled
ship to his own vessel, the Favorite, he had
to pass the English pirates (for pirate it was }
bow j; he was hailed to come on board, but he
only sang out to his boats crew, "pull, ye
devils." On reaching his vessel he found
that all was CONSERVATION. He hailed his
cabin hoy (now an apothecary in Maiden,
Mass. to bring him up the arms and ammu-
milton, of which there was fair supply. He
loaded the bomb gun, and as the pirates boat
approached hailed him and plainly informed
him that he must keep his distance. His cour-
age failed and he returned to his ship, not
seeming to like the appearance of things in
general. In short time the dreaded Shen-
andoah (for that was the name of the steam
er) came down and ran out her guns. BY
this time the crew of the Favorite began to
grow little shaky. Capt. Young's officers,
mate and second mate, clinched him, and took
the gun away and hove the ammunition over
board, lowered all the boats, and left the cour-
ageous Captain "alone in his glory" He
was perfectly defenceless, but over him float
ed the proud emblem of his country, the ever
glorious stars and stripes. He did not give
up in despair, but went into the cabin and
rummaged for more ammunition, but withou,
avail. And even then the cowardly English
man dare not board the defenceless vessel
until he was sure the Captain was disarmed
However he got Young at last in his posses
sion, manacled him, put "the bracelets" up
on him, and threatened a gag more oppressive
than the recent newspaper gag bill. Capt
Wardell should have had little respect fol
grey hairs. There are many other interest
ing incidents of the capture, but we have no
space in which to give them.
In 1862, the captain offered his services t.
his country, but Mr.. Wells considered he wa
too old. He is an old hero of the seas, and il
well known throughout the State of Main,