The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-07-09

| famous Veesei WAS tnO GA
ner Antarctic. constructed oY
Mr.. Bergh for a Captain Morrel,
who proposed to 60 to one OF the
Islands of the Antarctic OCeaA for a
cargo of beche lamere, fish for which
there was great demand. Her history
was romantic. On arriving at tee
(: place of destination the captain began
| to catch and cure his fish under the
ewes of the barbarian inhabitants,
whose friendship he believed be had
secured, but who one day suddenly
made q descent upon, him. and butch
cred all but three or four of the crew.
The survivors hurriedly took to 8
boat. rowed to their vessel, weighed
anchor. sailed to Manila, restoeked
at great expense with men NUM-
tons of war, and returned to the hos
tile islanders, who, in great fear, sent
out q canoe with an embassy OF
peace. Captain Morrell was about to
fire on the oanoeists, when one of
them called in good English, Don't
shoot, captain" He vas q relic OF
the captains old crew. and during
the treacherous assault OF the natives
had saved himself by creeping into
the bushes, where the king of the
island, on a promenade. found him,
and after striking the unlucky fellow
on the head so hard as to lay bis
scalp open, and pouring sand and
sea- water into the wound, made a
slave of him. Morrell brought the
sailor home. and with him a cargo Of
seal-skins that fetched 8 handsome
price. He published a volume, 10
which be recorded some valuable dis
coveries that are noW ID be found on
the maritime charts.
In the neighborhoOd of SCANNED
aud Henry streets Mr.. Bergh's tall
commanding figure (he stood six feet
six 10 his stockings), his blue frook.
coat, blue trousers, broad -brimmed
high hat, and white neckcloth which
no collar ever creased, are still re-
membered by a few old residents.
The old gentleman's popularity
caused him to be respected by the
politicians, and many time did he
preside with grace and dignity in
Eammany Hall ION the site of the
present Sun building), though stead
lastly refusing to run for Office. His
honesty was proverbisl, his dislike of
debt a passion. In his last illness
the one thing uppermoss ia his mind
was that his physicians bill had not
been paid. To the reply that the bill
was not yet presented and not yet
due, he said to his aon; Henry, 1
wish you would have a check made
out" On being assured that the mat
ter would be attended to, he neverthe-
less repeated the request, and finally,
in order to quiet him, his son filled
out a check for his signature. which,
with a trembling hand, was affixed.
In few days the honest old demo-
era. was dead. His handsome pro-
perty was divided among his three
children, Edwin (Who died on the 4th
of May. 1876. at Henry Bergh's
houss, No. 429 Fifth Avenue), Henry,
and daughter. Aenry's share was
the old homestead-a tWostory frame
house, with attic, at the northeast
corner OF SCANNED and Water streets,
where his fathers office was, in an
excellent eigh5oihood, old Colonel
Rutgers, @ osbys, and Henry
Eckiord living near by. The property
extended north to Grand Street, and
among the trees In its orchard was
an ox-heart cherry-tree the like OF
which the Bergh children never saw
elsewhere. Henry who had just re-
turned from Europe, built ten FIVE.
story tenement houses on the site OF
the homestead. the first in New York
city to give to each family q floor to
itself. Fire.escapes and other phil
anthropic conveniences we're not
wanting, and to-day these buildings
are still models OF their kind. Chris
tan Bergh would not consent to have
portrait OF himself taken; be had an
impression that to do 80 would be-
token a certain a-istocratie vanity
as if be considereded himself OF SUI
ficient Importance to make arrange
ments for the preservation of his
verisimilitude after death. "Henry,
what do you want picture of me
for?" he once asked Of his son:
merely to be put up into the garnet
some day or other, and covered with
dust?"
1t is remembered 10 the honor of
Christian Bergh that be was the frat
ship-builder who had the courage to
employ colored meu.-Ha1psr's Nag