Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-03

"'Where away is sheg says the Old
man.
"tAbout three points on the bow, sir,
says the mate.
&C Let her go off, says the old man to
the chap what was at the the wheel, and
then to the mate he says, Let me know
when we head for her.
"'Aye, aye, sir says the mate; so,
steady just as you CO.
"'Steady says the old man; keep her
iist as she's a-headin' t"
"'Well, it weren't long afore we riz her
from the deck, and in the course of
couple of hours we was nigh hand unto
her. She were evidently big ship, with
three to- gallan' yards across and the sails
onto 'em snugly furled, as was the flynn
,iib, iib and spanker. The courses was
hauled up snug and the three topsails
close-reefed.
"Runnin' clear under her lee quarter
the old man hailed, Ship, ahoyn
HALO says the chap aboard of her,
and he, so far as we could see, seemed to
be the only person on board.
Sis anythin' the matter with you?
says the old man. d
"I'm all alone here" says the man,
"and I'd like to have some help for to
work the ship"
"We'd ranged along out of hail by this
time, but the old man hauled up the
mainsail, backed the maintopsail and
told the second mate for to go aboard
and see what the trouble was, and it so
happened as were one of the boats crew.
We pulled right up under her lee, and
fhn nharN ohna nd hnyya linn on1 oil hnt
one of us scrambled aboard, and whoever
should the chap be that met us but Billy
Edwards, him as had been shipped in my
place when were in the calaboose, and
his here ship were the FAIRY Queen.
''Out If all that were on board of her
when she left New Orleans there was left
only Billy Edwards and young woman
named Molhe Hammond; all the rest had
died of yellow fever. The ship were in
good condition, and all that Billy wanted
were as many men as our old man could
spare him for to lend hand for to work
the ship. Our mate wanted Billy for to
go on board of our ship with HIM and
spin his yarn to our old man, but Billy
were fly he were not goin' to abandon
his ship and have her took possession of
as a derelict, and so he has just told the
mate that if so be as we wanted for to
let him have some hands for to lend him
| hand why we'll and good, we could
found claim nm that for salvage onto the
slip and cargo: but if we didn't we could
90 along about our business, and he'd
trust to getting help from someone else.
| So our mate went back and reported to
the old man, who jumped in the boat and
ent aboard and had talk with Billy
who told him he could navigate the ship
and that all he wanted were some help
for to handle the sails. The old man he
wanted for to send one of his officers,
and Billy he said he had no objections
to that except that under no circumstan-
ces would he give up the charge of the
vessel and whoever comes must come pre-
pared to obey his orders and treat him as
the captain of the ship.
"Finally the old man concluded for to
send the second mate and four men on
board of the Fairy Queen, and on the
call for volunteers was one as stepped
forward. You see had been ship-mates
with Billy Edwards, and know'd he were
a good man; also considered that she
were my ship, havin' been shipped into
her afore Billy where, and so me and
three other chaps went along with the
second mate, takin' our bags and ham,
mocks aboard the Fairy Queen.
''The young woman what were aboard
here with Billy were the daughter of a
rich old buffer as had took passage in the
ship and had slipped his wind along with
the rest of 'em, and our old man offered
her passage in the Westmorland if so
be as how she wanted for to quit the
Fairy Queen, but Billy Edwards were a
fine lookin' chap and she and him had
been alone together for about week
afore we fell in with 'ems and she had got
to KNOWN and trustin' him, and so she
said she'd stay where she were, in which
she were right, for no one could have
treated her with more respect or took
better care OF her than Billy Edwards
did. The ship had two cabins, and the
after one were Civ up entirely to her use,
Billy never goin' near it and, of course
never allowin' anybody else for to do so.
carter the boat got back on board the
Westmoreland she filled away and pro.
ceeded, all hands givin' us three cheers
which we returned. Then we turned tc
and set the courses, jib and spanker, and
turned two reefs out of each topsail, set.
! tin the to'galiant sails over 'em, and
, was soon jumpin' along arter our ole
ship and goin' as fast as she were.
Chilly spun us the yarn of his trip artel
we got all to rights, maxim kind o. free
with us on account of knowin' some Of
us before. He said: when we left New
Orleans there we're twenty of us afore the
; mast, the skipper, two mates, carpen
t ter, cook and steward, and three passen
, gers, this Mr.. Hammond and his daugh
, ter, and a cotton broker of the name O.
, Williams. The sickness broke out aft
, this passenger Williams bein' took fus
, and dyIn' the day we left the bar. Tit
disease must have been In the ship, as
} understands she had nearly everybody dit
9 aboard of her the previous year; for afort
f the next night there were six new cases
r the old man and steward oeing among
EN-. The wind were extremely ligh
| from southeast, and we were maxim
) scarce any way, and in three days Sc
a many of us was dead and sick that tn,
! mate had to put the ship under shor
sail for fear as there wouldn't be enough
/ of us left for to handle her canvass. 81,
thought some of tryin' to GO back, but h,
know'd if we could git down into th,
E trades we'd git better, while to go bacl
a would be running into the disease.
t "'On the fifth day out the wind shiftet
l to the north ard, and all of us that wa
e Leland there was but four-managet
| to 1ond tho yroafo borl ~