The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-06-25
From London TRUTH
THE LADY BLANCHE LIFEBOAT,

He was drunk as usual on his watch
though there was a big gale blowing out
at sea, with gathering signs of storm
overhead; and it might be that the life.
boat would have some work to do before
morning.
But what did Peter Pencorrow care
about the hfeboat, except for the salary
of 81 week which he drew as it's Gus
todian? Nobody in the village of Pol
loot had looked with kindly eye on the
arrival of this foolish boat-as they
called (which was to take the char
yesting" out of their mouths. For the
population were wreckers to q man and
woman, and they termed it "harvest-
ing when some well-freighted ship was
driven on to the great Needle rock of
their coast and went to pieces.
Such accidents happened too rarely
Tor them-Once year or thereabOuts,
and the booty was often miserably small.
But there had been years within the
memory of some of the inhabitants,
who were not yet old, when dozen yes
sells OF all sizes had foundered in a sin
gle winter, and when the luck of the
wreckers had been large 1t was in a
winter of this kind that old Peter Pen
cOrrow had made his fortune. He was
young then, and it was said that he had
picked up package of diamonds from
the Brazil as his share of the spoils.
Anyhow, he disappeared from Polloot,
and went to live in London, like q gen.
tleman, as some supposed; though
others affirmed that he ran through his
money pretty fast, and went through a
multitude of queer adventures after
wards. Twenty-Five years after his de-
parture he returned to the village with a
boy of sixteen and girl one year young
er; and soon afterwards he was appointed
custodian of the lifeboat Lady Blanche,
which had been presented to Polloot by
the rich and good Cornish earl, and
christened after his favorite daughter.
Peter Pencorrow was not liked at Pol
loot. It was said that he had "blown
the gaff" He was accused of having,
while steward on board an ocean steam
er, told number of ugly stories to the
Earl and Lady Blanche, who were re-
turning home from tour IN America
insomuch that my lord and his daughter
had made VOW to dedicate a lifeboat at
once to the salvation of human life.
There was some talk of blasting the
Needle Rock, and erecting lighthouse
on that dangerous part of the coast.
Engineers had come to take soundiugs,
and their operations had been watched
with sullen wrath. Harold Trecorpe,
the biggest, most scowling fisherman in
the village-a fellow whose face looked
murder, and whose mouth never opened
without a curse-had sworn that if he
hanged for it Pencorrow should never
live to see a life saved by his boat, nor
vessel warned off danger by the beacon
of a lighthouse. Before long, however
Peter Pencorrow ceased to be so mucl
hated. He was a worthless scamp, al
ways drunk, and his chosen companion
came to be Harold Trecorpe, who hat
several times threatened his life
| Drunken men are not dangerous. excep
/ to themselves, at least such is the popu
i lar idea, and Harold used to laugh al
| odd, mocking laugh when anybody talk
ed of what things the Lady Blanche
would do with her signals, her rockets
and all her costly and complete apparatus
| for salvage the first time that vesse
stood in peril of touching on that dan
gerous Needle.
Three years passed, and the lifeboa
did nothing. They happened to be ex
ceptionally disastrous years from tn,
| Pollooters' point of view, for though
wrecks enough took place on other partl
of the coast. no craft of any consequence,
| foundered on the Needle. BY this tim,
Harold TreCorpe was captain of the life
boats crew. He aud seven other mel
received twelve pounds year apiec,
/ from the earl to go out practicing some
/ times with the boat, and to hold them
/ selves in readiness at any time whel
their services might be wanted. If the,
saved lives, they were to have each
I bounty of one pound on every human
| head rescued. Nay, they were to hav,
! fifteen shillings. too, for every deat
/ human body they brought to- shore
Thus had the earl and his daughter trie,
to enlist the cupidity of these men on tn
side of humanity, hoping, may be, tina
some higher agencies would work too 70
the retaining of population as bar
barous and debased as any in these isles
Peter Pencorrow lived in a prett,
house which his patron had built 70
him near the large white shed where tb,
lifeboat was kept There was a phar
macy in the place, with two rooms hold
ing three beds each, which were to h,
reserved for half-droNned men an,
women who might be drawn out of tn,
sea: and there were a great number O
useful appliances for restoring lives tina
might be Just Pickering out. Sometime