The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1886-03-25
Running the Blockade.

"Durin' the continuance of the war with the
Southern States," said gray-haired mariner
the other day, 81 made lot of stamps in the
blockade-runnin' business, and when l say
stamps, | means gold,- real, solid gold. counted
out on the capstan afore ever the anchor was
lifted; cause the only stamps there was, them
times, where we was, We're the Confedrit bills,
and you could buy hundred dollars worth of
them for two dollars and half of gold and
| we Sallor-men didn't want none of 'em in ourn
''As for the United States flimsv, that were
better. of course, but that weren't over and
| above good them times, and in Bermuda and
| Nassau there weren't much of it hoatin' roun'
| n0hoW; so as | has said, we got our wages in
| solid gold. which, to my mind, sir, has always
| been the prcttiest kind of money, silver ben
heavy to carry, if so be as you has much of it,
| which amt been my fortin from my 'arliest
| infancy.
| You'd think, mayhap, as it wusn't the right
thing for to do, me bein' nigh hand all my sea-
| farm days into American ships, for to 90
| blockade-runnin' but, to tell the truth sir, |
didn't look at it in that light, and when fust
| gifts into the Night Hawk | hadn't no choice,
| she benz bound to Bermuda Il peaceabe
| wage; and arter got there, offer of forty or
| fifty dollars for Il yya@e of not over Il month,
| were temptn enough for to have overcomed
| any Scruples of conscience. if Ed Il had any, and
| I'm free to c0nfes. | hadn't.
| ''lou see, fust off, the Confedrit Government
| wouldn't allow nothin' for to be fetched in but
| military stores: no uNuries of any kind,-no
! tea, no coffee, no whi>key, nor liquor of any
sort, and, of course, that Civ rise to good deal
of SlnugSlin' of those identical articles; a pres
| ent of Il demijohn of whiSkey to the command
| ant. and some bottles of the same judicously
| distributed among the smaller fry, maxim them
| blind as owls, and the landn of the contraband
| very easy.
'''rhc idce was, that if luXllries was allowed
| to come in, and be purchased, the resources of
| the country would be absorbed by sich and
| the country would he drained of gold and sill
| yer, or of cotton, which stood in stead of these
| here. they bein' aS short of hard cash them
! times as Il sailor arter a hard nights drift.
| Ahythin, however, that We're needed for to
| Keep up the army, they be to have, and the
more the better: so, under duty of fifteen or
twenty per cent, according to the article.
they'd let you fetch in medicines of all kinds;
all kinds of material for the >ocrs dunnagc,
and plain manufactured articles; but, if lady
wanted Il muf. or a tppet. or laccs. or silk for
to make her Il goWnd. it had for to he SNUG
gicd ITO her. and We're to some extent. though
| not much came: there didn't many of 'em have
money enough for to buy 'em. Some wimmin
will have >ich things, like sailor will have
grog, and all the acts Of Congress in the world
can't prevent it.
"AIl the runnin' We're done under contract
with the Confedrit Government, while | We're
in the business; though afore that it had been diff
fercnt: but they soon found that there We're
money in it, and so they weren't goin to allow
the Briti>hers to have all of it, and 50 made 'em
run their ships under these contracts; and the
fu>t ship run in, which, as | have said, We're
the Night Wd~h. We're run under Il contract
held by Confederate general and a colonel,
and | >upposes they be to Civ somethin' for it,
or else they was allowed il by havin' influence
swell, of course they didn't have no money
for to buy ships. OF goods for to load 'em WITH
and they would assign their interest into
this contract to the British merchant and. in
return, receive interest in the ships. The
government had the right, also, to ship
half of the outward cargo, payin' ii nominal
freight for it, and the other half the owners
had for themselves.
"Thc Government generally took all the mill
itary stores what was in the inward cargo,
layin for 'em in Confederate bonds. and them
could be sold tor triile in Bermuda and Mas
sau Il lot of Jews bein' in them places which
made a business of buyin' 'em and Shippn of
'cm of to Germany and other parts of Europe,
where ! has no doubt many of 'em are at this
identical minute.
1t weren't all profit, rllnnin' them ships
sir; in fact doubts if takin' the whole lot 10y
and large. there We're anythin' made on the
whole blockade-runnin' business; cause the
commissions to the houses as done the ships
business was very high, and what with the
| many lost and captured, there weren't much
left for the owners. as whole; but here and
tnelt Il iuthI snip NoUlu make Il lrolH lrtntn-
diou>. and that tempted others to 90 into the
business. 1t were just like game of cards,
the most plays loses; but some few wins,
| and that encourages the losers 10 try agin.
1.-The house what managed the ship got ) per
cent. on disbursements; > II per cent. on
nc@otiatin' bills of exchange; > II per cent.
for forwardn' goods from the islands; and )
per cent. Oh the freight money. SO. you see,
sir, these was the chaps AS took the lions share
Of the plumber, and the men in England, rs
had put their money into these venter>. frequent
got but a Flemish account for it at the end.
You see. the ships had for the most part to
be built for the business, and was of the finn
>ie>t description. filled chock full of machinery;
speed bein' the one thing necessary. They cost
a matter of tl5000 or 100000. and the en-
penscs of the v'ya"e added, made up the
| amount to about E30,000 by the time the cargo
of cotton was discharged in Bermuda and if
the ship We're lucky,-had no extra expense
for stress of weather. and got in and out all
right,-thc profit on the vyage We're ji>t about
| that, and the yards was square And, arter
| the second successful v'yawe, YOU could afford
for to lose her, stock and tiuke. and have a tidy
profit on the ventcr. Captain Coffin in out
inT for March.