Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-01-20
LAKE PIRATES.

n
A Thrilling Reminiscence Of the Days
When the Mormons were ON Beav.
or Island, Lake Michigan.
From the oswego Palladium.
1.-The lakes have had pirates in their
days." remarked weather-beaten hulk,
and he rolled his Quid to starboard as he
cast sidelOng glance at three or four in
credulOus young fellows who were seat
ed with him around a ship-chandlers
stove, splitting on the hearth. You
youngsters must not think because you
can put two ends of rope together, and
steer a vessel within -four points of her
course bright starlight night, with the
north star to look at, that you're sailors
and know all about the lakes and the
schOOners that have sailed them. When
Bill Hayes, the Pacific pirate, sailed on
the lakes, he was not the only one who
could steal vessel or lure one on to
rock-bound coast. On the east shore of
lake Michigan were fellows who pretend
ed to follow fishing for living but who,
II the truth were known, made more by
Turing vessels on to the beach by false
lights, and rObbing vessels and crews,
than they did by their nets and hooks.
For several years the followers of Joe
Smith, the Mormon, lived on Beaver ISL
and, lake Michigan. and several vessels
disappeared i'm that vicinity in mid-sum-
mer, and neither they nor the crews
were ever heard from. 1t was said that
the Mormons boarded becalmed vessels,
murdered the crews, discharged the car
goes OH the island. and burned or scuttled
the craft. Iron of a pattern that could
only have been of use OH board vessels
travellers and such like, and pork and
beef barrel-heads of brand the MormOns
never bought-were found on the island
by sailors, and although an effort was
made TO ferret out the crime nothing ev-
er came of It,
In the fall OF 1S49 was fore-the-mast
in little brig belonging to Buffalo. She
was trim little thing-she would serve
as yawl for the big hulks of to-day
clean and smart, but us wet as a muskrat
I'm the spring-time. AS we neared the
Beavers on our passage to Buffalo from
Chicago, We caught it stiff and hard from
the north ard and although the old
man thought he could breast out the
breeze, be found when we worked up
abreast of the island that the seas were
too 'lumpy' for our duck, as she was max
ing dives that would do credit to loor.
1t was late in the afternoon, we'll oil to-
ward the close Of nightfall, and, as the
sky threatened snow, if the wind held.
the old man concluded to go under the
Beavers and let 60 our mud hooks until
the storm had spent its fury.
We made our lee. luffed the brig up
into the eye OF the wind, let 90 both an
chors, paid out chain. and soon the brig
was brought to halt. After the canvas
was furled, anchor watches were appoint
ed, and the rest of the crew turned i'm.
About eight bells, midnight, Jack Stevens.
who was on watch, shouted so loud that
had we been mummies instead of men
he must have awakened us. We did not
scramble out very lively until the mate
came to the scuttle and sang out, .Tum-
BILE up here, you Defeating, lazy dogs
for we thought that Jack had fallen
asleep, and tumbled off the fOrecastle
deck. and was frightened. When we
heard the mate. a big, brawny fellow,
with fist like a sleJge-hammer, we
turned out mighty lively.
On reaching the deck we could see by
the lights i'm the MormOns' houses that
the brig was drifting fast toward the
beach. "A couple of smart fellows mod
esty forbids that L should name one of
them. and not 20 be partial, I'll say MOTH
ing about the other) ran nimbly up the
fOre-rigging, and, quicker than thought,
cast the gaskets Off the tOpsail, and as
the buntlines and clewlines had been let
60 on deck, rode down the topsail hal
yards till the yard was as high as the
double reef, which had been tied outside,
would permit the yard to 60. The jib
was hoisted, as was also the peak of the
mainsail, and when the canvas filled the
brig picked up her feet and clawed off
the shore like green turtle. after sun
ming, digs back to water. The cause Of
the briggs dragging was plain to be seen
as soon as the matter was Investigated.
Both chains from the windlass to the
hawscr pipes we're. instead OF being taut
as they should have been had the anchors
been at the ends. lying on deck. When
we pulled in board the ends of the chain,
we found that both chains had been cut
not far from the bow with steel saw
cut as clean and slick as though the links
had been held i'm wise. 1t was evident
that the MormOns had been at work, and
had il not been for the timely discovery
of Jack Stevens we would soon have
been ashore and murdered. We stood
off and on until morning. and the old
man hove the brig to, lowered the yawl
and went ashore to prv about and find
the anchors, If possible. He said moth
lug, and, although he conld hear nothing,
he saw by the faces of the .Latter-Day
Saints that they were disappointed at
the turn things had taken on the brig.
The brig never recovered the anchors,
and soon after the old man. returned
aboard We sailed away. The next sea-
son, while on a schooner hailing from
Ashtabula Il did not want to go on an
Ashtabula vessel, tor you could always
tell an Ashtabula sailor by the canvas
patches on his trowsers, but had to or
skin for salt waterJ saw the same two
anchors the brig lost the season before at
the Beavers. spoke to the odd man.
about it, and he told me that he bought
the anchors of the MormOns that spring.
How did know the anchors? Why,
knew them by marks Tom Jones, a ship
mate. made while sitting on them spin
ming yarns. Tom was bouncing big
fellow. and he sit on the anchors SO
much that he marked them with hearts
canvas hearts he had sewed on the seat
of his trowsers."