The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1876-04-20
Four.in-Hand Of Whales.


'
Capt. Elijah Williams is weather
beaten old sailor who lives Oh the
north shore of Long Island. For
over thirty years he was engaged in
the whalefishery, and was known rs
one OF tho most successful captains
in the trade. lie is bachelor, and
his homestcad-which looks as wca.
ther beaten M himself stands mt the
end Of creek, miles away from
any habitation. "Old Elijah
he is called-is known to b. ocean.
trio, but some years ago when he put
down q fence at the mouth of the
creek and was seen in little boat
all day long, talking to Invisible be-
ings in the water, the neighbors
thought the old man had gone crazy
Last summer laiy from the city
determined to pay him visit. Capt
Elijah at first threatened to put her
off his farm. but after while he
took her down to the creek TO show
her his wonder, which he said would
rcvolutionize sea travelling.
The lady followed tho Captain, and
without hesitation stepped into n
little boat with him, aud was soon in
the middle Of the stream Tho Cap
tain took in his oars aud blew lit
tie whistle, which Immediately
brought several moustors TO tho sur~
face. Tho lady was 80 thoroughly
frightened that she shrickol, AMI
compelled Capt. Williams to land
her. As soon rs her feet touched
terra iirma she ran home. aud since
thon the people have verified the la
dys statement, that the old man
kept several large pets in the creek.
Last Christm ~ the community Of
the North Beach were thrown in con
sternation by tho report that the
Captain hal contracted with ships
building firm in Port jefferson for
the construction of II vessel. to be
built undoy the personal supervision
OF the Captain. and soon after the
keel WAS lail, and tho ribs of a curi-
ous construction became visible.
The shipbuildcr said that the Cap
tlin was all right but that the
We 'sel would have neither steam nor
sails that the Captain hil discov
erel power by which the vessel
c1uld be drawn to Liverpool in three
days.
The STAR reporter started for the
Captains farm. AMI walking down
the north road found the oil cabin
hi away between cluster OF trees.
NJ one answering tho knocking at
the front u ,or. the reporter walked
around the house, aud hearing voices
IN the barn went towards it, and on
pushing open the door discovered an
old man sewing on u largo strip of
leather.
The Captain siid he hal heard of
Barnum training u soal, and why
shouldn't we train the fish to pull us
around on tho water as the horses
did on land!
"Well, you soe,' continued the
captain, Il must commence ut the
commencement. When | was boy
aud made my first trip on a whaler /
saw boat pulled by harpooned
whale about rs fast as ever seed
anything go. 1t made deep i'm.
preston ON me, aud made up my
mind if ever l became anybody, l
would tame whale the same "a the
farmers tame q colt, and drive about
the sea. Many years passed, and l
seen the Same things many time,
and have often boon in boat pulled
along like lightning by one Of them
On my return. after long cruise, |
found that an old aunt of mine had
left me this farm and Il little ready
money. ! soon after bought a share
in n whaling ship, which | command-
ell. until q few years since. Thought
I would give up going to sea and
live the rest Of my days in quiet l
went to farming the same as other
folks here, aud ono day l seen as
how man up East had caught u
whale. That started me agoing
again, went to Now Bedward, and
soon aftor brought the young whale
down here. 1 planked the mouth of
tho creek so he couldn't get ont, and
then / let him loose. BY the time |
had finished fencing the creek-far !
did it all myself-I had trained the
creature 80 that he knew me, and
would DO anything l wanted him to-
I chistened him Brandy, and every
day played with him for hours in
the water, the same as you city folks
would with a kitten. He would let
mo ride Oh his back, and he used to
pull my boat and play as long as |
wanted. 1 then wrote to paper in
New Bedford, advertising for live
whale cubs, aud soon found I could
getas many OF them as ! wanted, I
bought four more, which I called
Gin, "Sherrys,' Port and Rum,
keeping them all in the tank at first,
and playing with them till they
were as tame as Brandy" Well,
time went on, and Brandy is 81 feet
and over, and the others not much
below that figure. Then made a
kind of harness and hitched up one
after the other OF them aud made
them pull me around. About Christ.
mas time ! thought as how my
pets were trained enough for mo to
make q grand trial, so l went to Port
Jefferson to look about me for hg-
ger boat. l couldn't find one, ex-
actly TO my taste, so | concluded to build