The Republican journal., 1885-02-12
A Maritime Picnic,

A PROTRACTED OCEAN SPREE THAT LASTED
THREE YEARS. THIRTY BARRELS OF NEW
ENGLAND RUM SWALLOWED AND $4,000
LOST.
In the spring of 1881 II. 0. Roberts. "a wealthy
shipowners. of Boston, Mass, having before
his eyes the vision of the profits to be gained in
the whaling fields of the North Pacific, QUILTED
the stanch A bark Emma G. Hartman. and
placed her under the command of Capt. Mar
TIM The Harriman's tonnage was 395 tons,
and she carried Il crew all told of thirty-sx
hands Previous to her new departure she had
been in the sugar trade, and carried her usual
cargo of sugar and rum. Had the owner been
as careful as our mining operators in stock
DEAL and cleaned her up closely, the future of
the Hartman might have been as respectable
even Boston Puritan could desire; but
there always is a but-part Of her former cargo
was left on board, and this was thirty barrels
of fine New England rum. 1t will be well to
bear this in mind, all the disasters arose
from this fact Well, the Hartman left Boston
in good shape; the owner went home to
dream of enormous sperm whales, with oc-
casionaly ton or two of amhergris thrown in,
all of which We're to be the prize of the Harri-
man.
Days rolled into months and months into
years, but nothing was heard of the vessel; the
owner was seriously considering the eNpedien-
cy of calling on the underwriters for his nsur-
ance. when rumors began to reach Boston that
a vessel resembling his was having grand pic
mic up and down the Pacific ocean: she was like
the flying Dutchman, always spoken of, but
never spoken to: she was described a. entering
a port and leaving between two days. This
was not what her owner sent her out for: her
object was whaling and while she in some
n4i.ts he hV nu Rab-
erts much wailing, still such cruises did not
pay, and Capt. Holmes was dispatched with
full powers TO hunt her up and get an eX plana-
ton from Capt. Martin. Capt. Holmes wentto
every port frequpnted by whalers. and discoy-
cred that the Hartman was still afoat and
could always be relied on being exactly where
Capt. Holmes was not.
Capt. Martin, on overhaGling his stores, dis
covered the New England rum bonanza. and
sampling it found it to be of quality. Turn
ing the matter over IN his mind he consulted
his officers. and found them also alive to the
good qualities of the liquor, and his proposal
that they should leave the sordid hunt after
whales wealth. for the owners alone and
turn the business into pleasure trip met with
the approval of all hands. \ grand. high Old
lime was determined on, and mother nip of
rum sert ed out. Every port of any pleasure
note WAS visited, and between visits hunt
after such whales is could be easily caught
took place. Success seemed to smile on their
pleasure trip; whales would come alongside
and beg to be harpooned-a request easily
granted by the captain After each whale
caught, move would be made to some con-
genial port, the oil sold, ID pro rata distribution
on the principle of every thing for the crew
and nothin" for the owners would take place
and some South American seaport would be
painted red by he whole outfit The grand
pleasure trip lasted for three wears, Capt.
Holmes followed on the trail like ''Old Sleuth.
the Whaling DetectiVe,' only to find that she
had left the day previous But he Kept up the
chase, and at last ran her to ground or 10 bay
iii the bay of ST. Thomas early in the present
year. Capt. Martin had nothing to show for
his cruise but the thirty empty barrels of New
England rum and as fine IA collection of rum
blossoms rs ever We're seen in AN orchid house
Capt, Holmes dispO>>eS>ed Capt. Martin of
hi, command and discharged the crew. Con
siderng 1t cheaper not 10 prosecute Capt. Mar
tin. he left him at St. Thomas to ruminate OF
the evil Influence of New England rum. In
justice TO Capt Martin it must be said that he
laid all the blame the rum being left on
board, and offered, if pard ned, to sign the
pledge and wear blue ribbon the rest of his
life. Mr. Roberts. the original owner. places
his loss for the three years pleasure trip of the
Hartman at $4,000. san Francisco UaIl.