The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-11-03
Our George at the Hub.

EDITOR JOURNAL: see by the last issue of the
| Journal, that am to tell your readers this week
| about the launching of the steamer Penobscot
| of the Sanford Line and what have seen up here
so will tie wet towel across my brow, and take
| dose of bromide, to steady my nerves. and try and
get my senses together, although expect my letter
will be as disjOinted the india rubber in the
| circus.
My present demoraliZed condition has been
brought about by the fearful condition of the water
| they have here. For man who has resided as
have, in land overlooking with springs of running
water to be obliged to drink this damned water, or
| switch Off on manufactured beverages has proved
| too much for me, and shall need all the mild and
| soothing influence of the Temperance element
! when return, to get me back to my normal condi
| ton. Scientific men have been investigating this
water question, and cannot make up their opinion
| as to what Is the matter 1t didn't take me two
| minutes | decided that it stunk like orphan
asylum, and tasted as if an Italian organ grinder
had taken a bath in it. They say here that it has
a cucumber taste. Cucumber! | should say so, but
the cucumber must have been last years one, and
been laying in the sun ever since. Cucumber,
whew pass me that bottle, no,I mean that other
one, and give me sandal wood fan for few min
ues! Well, taking water out of the list, had left
to quench thirst, whskeys, runs, brandies, wines,
beers and aes, and let you imagine in what con
diton they would be likely to leave Maine orphan
after he had wrestled with them week.
Last Monday stroled down to the Cambridge
when she came in at Belfast, and presented the let
ter of invitation to attend the launching with which
you had provided me- to my friend fsly Eaton
who silently folded me to his BOSOM and informed
| me that the Cambridge was mine, so to speak, and
for me to consider myself at home, which In state
room Al, | soon did. William is the gentemanly
clerk of the Cambridge. Heis built like these river
steamers, sort of fiat bottomed, and when he sits
| down in a chair, there is not much chance to put
any bundles in it, and when he pays six cents for
! seat in horse car, the company don't make much
money out of the waste room But he knows how
to sell tickets, and keep peace among the passen-
gers. 1t is wonderful how he can smile out through
the little window in his Office, and tell a man that
the state rooms all gone, and then proceed to
demonstrate to him that he can sleep better to lie
| right down on the freight between decks, than he
| can in the best room aboard, and make him believe
| 1t. Now and then he has little fracas with OBJ
| duratc pagan | heard the last chapter of little
| dispute he had with an irate, red headed man.
| got along Just in time to hear the man yell out
| "Wcli, who are you, anyway" ''l'm Eaton the
clerk said Billy, with smile "Well,' said the
belligerent individual, you may be eatin' the clerk
| but ! want you to understand that you can't eat
| me-" and then Congress adjourned for It few min
utes, and the alleged cannbal removed his cap, and
| wiped his brow and closed up his little window,
and gently caressed the pile of greenbacks before
! him. and for the nonce there was stiffness sufli
| cient to cover the desert of sahara
| Everyone who travels on the Cambridge knows
of the people he shakes hands with, and can then
| tell YOU just how many passengers there are
aboard. Everybody knows him, and they also know
that if they go Off to bed that he will look after mat
tiers just well It's if they sat up; and if the cellar
| drain gets clogged up he will he the first one to
know 1t, and have it attended to. He is one of
those fellows who can play every instrument in the
| band. He can be captain, mate or pilot, when he
wants to- to put it in a very erso sentence he is
| man who knows his biz.
| The launch took place at the ward of Smith and
Townsend at East Boston, on Tuesday, oct 25th,
| at 1913 z. NJ went over some little time before
the launch, and had good opportunity to look the
| new steamer over. James Littlefed the Superin-
tendant of the line there, and had his hands
| full of business. If he had been trpets, he would
have had all six hands full, He was distributing
|
launched on the steamer, and answering the ques-
| tons of the numerous reporters who swarme,l
about him like bees. | discovered how pleasant 1t
was to be interviewed, but as information must he
obtained, proceeded to grasp my pity for Mr. Lit
tle1eld by the throat and choke it and then to pul,
what | could out of him l succeeded in getting
| some additional information to what YOU have
already given your readers. You gave her cost at
| ! pX nf anl
1t should be sl5O000 exclusive of furniture and car
| pets. She will be little larger than the Cambridge,
and have more staterooms, but to the man who can
not get one when he wants it, but has to sit up all
night, and hold himself in chair with one hand,
and hold his supper down with the other it will not
make much difference whether there are 81 or ll6.
| Her boiler and engine, will together weigh a34
| tons, ami her coal and water ITO tons more. The
| boiler Is lue return tubular; is p feet long and
10 it. in diameter, and will weigh about s. 1t
| will be built by the Atlantic Works, and as they
have no shears of sufficient strength to put 1t on
| board, the holes will be plugged, and it will he
throwrrinto the dock, and owed to the Charlie ston
navy yard, when it will be placed in position with
| the Government shears, permission to them
| having been obtained through the Hon. Leopold
| Morse of Boston, the present Congressman. The
| steamer will also be provided with donkey engine
| forward, to be used for moving heavy freight and
| handling the anchor, which will be Il great saving
| Of time and labor. William NIckie was master
| builder, a man who knows the whole thing as far
| as his business is concerned The joiner work Is
| by William H. McI\e, 1t is expected that the
| steamer will come onto the route in April next.
after the ice is out of the river. She will be run
without metal and will then be given another thread
| of oakum, and heavy coat Of copper. | was I'M.
able TO learn who would command her, Mr. Little
field and others connected with the line showing a
| lamentable degree of Ignorance ON this point
| Did you ever see a steamboat high and dry on
the land? 1t is odd sight and it, appearance is
not at all like what 1t is in the At the time
| of the launch the stagings were all down. and the
| steamer was blocked up on the ways, and standing
| under her she had the appearance of huge wash
| boiler, more than anything else. Her bottom being
quite flat, and the guards forming the iangc of the
| boiler From all accounts of the steamer that
| have seen one would suppose that she was nearly
| completed, but such is not the All there Is
| completed is the shell of the hull The decks are
| in, and the sides of the wheel houses are up, but
| she is at present entirely unfinished
At u O'Clock the invited guests We're all on board,
| and the ladder taken down. The Union Jack was
set aft the stars and stripes forward while white
| dag with her name, Penobscot, hoated from the
wheel house. At 1870 exactly, she Slid into the
water without the least perceptiblc motion; those
on board scarcely knew she moving. Had a
| glass of water been setting on deck, hardly think
| it would have spilled. | know glass of Cochtuate
water would not, for that is strong enough to hold
| itself into tumbIer, without any assistance The
| launch was very successful the only sembance to
an accident being to young man ON the upper
deck, who after the launch all over, took occa-
! sion to come down onto the main deck, without the
! aid Of a ladder. He simply inverted himself, and
fell 10 feet landing on the rdgepoe of his silk
hat. The result was, that his head driven into
the attic of his hat the of which gently rested
| on his shoulders Capt Ingraham took in the stu
| alton, and after some little difficulty succeeded in
| removing the young mans hat with a boot.jack,
| when it was learned that the only damage he had