The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-03-05
A Modern Cru1oA

A few days ago, says New York de-
spatch, man about 60 years of age
with the appearance of an old farmer
and very taciturn, registered at the Sin.
clair House, corner of Broadway and
Eighth street, under Che name 81 Ezri
". Forman, Nomora,, Pleiades group
Pacific Ocean. Conversation Shove
him to be a. very intelligent man: HI
tells a wonderful tale, which has every
appearance Of truth. He says in sub
stance that in. the year 1s47 the shil
Ocmulgee Of Wareham was homeware
bound with, full load, tryworks over.
hoard, and kegs of oil slowed in ever
top. After leaving Lahains, S. l., 90
tober 7th, with $50 barrels of sperm,
$3.50 barrels whale oil, and 41,OW
pounds bone, she was never heard from
Forman was boat steerer. he claim,
he is the sole survivor, and states tha.
the ship was wrecked ON Nomors, al
island in the Pleiades group, ant
gives the following romantic story of TIN
wreck:
"The Ocmulgee went ashore on No
mora, in December, 1s47, and all hand,
were drowned excepting myself, Martir
the cook, and an Hawaiian sailor named
Waihee. All the oil casks were stove:
and the ship gradually hove over Che
reef, until finally the survivors could
walk around her at low water. Through
the Hawaiian I was enabled to talk
with the chief of the island. I explain
ed the uses that might be made of thu
various articles, and, assisted by ma,
tives, got everything out of the ship, in
GLIDING the bone, and then broke up thu
ship, saving planks, nails, anchors
chains, and whaling gear. We WERE
given houses, lands and wives, accept
ed our position and determined to make
the best of it, and, except that we were
exiles from home and friends, we're eon-
tent and happy. taught the nativef
many of the ruder arts and they pros
pered greatly. But the natives feared t.
lose us, and when a ship came in sight
hurried us away into the interior until
the foreign vessels had passed on"
Later my two companions died and
I was left alone. Surrounded by my
children and grandchildren, I was final
~ acknowledged to be their ruler, and
my word was their law. I told them ]
must 60 to my friends, but had to swear
by their gods that I would return.
Finally sandal wood trader touched
there, embarked in her, was landed at
Sidney, and made my way here after
much trouble and time"
Such is Forman's story. He savs
that the whalebone is in its prime con-
dition, and from the time of its wreck
to the present day, a native has always
been on guard over it, and that regular
~ once q week its position has been
shifted to save it from rats and mold.
Forman says that his two companions
left a number of children, who are all
big and healthy, and that he has % sons
and daughters, and sixty grandchi1-
dren. Some Philadelphia merchants
have taken stock in Forman's story,
have advanced him $1,000 worth OF
goods, chartered steamer, and she
will soon leave New York for the Plei-
AIDES, to carry out this modern Alexan-
der Selkirk and bring back the bone,
estimated to be worth now from $780,
900 to $4,000.
The story is romantic one and the
appearance of Forman carries the truth
with it; but Nantucket gentleman tc
whom the tale has been submitted, who
is conversant on whaling matters,
doubts it from first to last, and advises
the merchants responsible ones, by the
way, to examine Forman and his story
very carefully before accepting the
truth. The gentleman who has advised
on the matter saws there never was
ship Ocmulgee of Wareham in the wha-
ling business that was lost. The only
whaler Of that name was owned in
Holmc- Hole, and sailed repeatedly
from that port from 1914 until, in 1865.
she was burned by the confederate cruis-
er Alabama. There ara also other ser
ious discrepancies in Forman's state
ment, among which is the proportion Of
oil taken, and although his yarn is in
geniously twisted, yet is full of flaws
and apt to strand on examination, and
the inference is, unless he can recon-
struct his story with new name for the
ship that is acceptable, he is crank OF
q cheat of the worst Sort