The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-07-01

4 Yn1e - T1aoeee DnyD-WOU -
Revanne cusssx Dha6ssek DS4n-t
cnseA - seAssoer Rssses-Kes1-
Anu1lng 4 DAssbe&ssns Grew N
O96ao Days.
Il vas hark IN she pi0neer days-she
sumrser Of fs6f--thak the stauncA IT.
fle schooner Potter. So sad from Port
Townsend. then the leaiing city Of
the sound. bound for Olympia she
presented an inspiring sppesrance n
she xpFead he- canvas 20 the wind
and bore awxy for NarrOwston< point.
On her derk was polished brass how
isxer. around shout were several kegs
Of powder and from her naAsts and
rigging the flags Of sii nations rers
|eoafing to the breeze- The circum-
stances that led up 70 this trip Of the
Potter. and the exciting incidents con-
neeted with IL. so familiar 20 the pio-
aeers on the sound. were these.
Twxnfy-four leading citizens had
been summoned TO Olympia - wit
ne~ses In an important government
land ease. The Old Eliza Anderson
was at that time the Only steamer ply
ing on the sossnd and her fare from
Port Townsend TO Olympia vas $lf 25-
Inasmsleh a there we're 80 many in
the party an application vas made for
hall fare rate, which was refused
This appeared 30 unjust to the couple
Of dozen who had to make the trip,
that the Potter was chartered at $40
per DAY and II vas resolved to make
the trip q memorable one.
The party consisted Of Capt. III. l..
Tfbbals, the best known captain on
the sound, Judge Briggs and J. F.
Shecifsu. at present, wei known citi-
zens OF Port Townsend. J. r. Damon,
then OF the same place, but nov OF
Seattle, and - others. some OF whom
have scattered to other sonnd cities
and many of whom have gone to the
great majority.
Capt. Tibbals was made o mmantser
and Before leaving he made them all
sign a set OF iron clad shipping arti-
c.e<. The captain got the howitzer 10
salute his friends with in the up sound
towns, borrowed the colors OF the old
revenue cutter JEFF. Davis. which we're
at the customs house, and dressed the
vessel with them from her trucks to
the gaff ends.
The Potter had scarcely got out OF
sight when the collector OF customs,
Victor Smith, was notified that she
had left flying q revenue pennant, then
as now. q serious offense, and especial
ly 30 regarded at that time. the war
spirit being 80 strong. Orders were
Immediately given the cutter Shu-
brick. who opportunity came into
port. to follow the Potter, seize the
yesse. and arrest all ON board for yio-
lation OF the revenue laws. The meet
ing of the Shubrick and the Potter
and other incidents of the voyage are
told by one of the survivors of the
party a follows. The Potter was
tanning along a about four miles an
hours of Foulweather bluff. the
weather being thick and hazy, when a
| light was observed on the starboard
quarter, aud il was surmisei that il
might be a stern chaser. Captain lib
bals was ON deck while the Others were
in the wariroom mess amusing them
selves at whist and other games. As
the strange craft approached very
close the captain ordered all hands on
deck and the order was obeyed with
aIacrity. as under the articles oniy two
seconds in good weather and five Sec
onds in bad, were allowed to- obey this
command Meantime the brass how
itzer hal been loaded and run up 10
the starboard waist. The captain was
closely watching the approaching
craft. and as she was about abeam on
the starboard beam and very close, he
said he considered her piraticai
craft and gave the order to FIRE. Ii
was promptly obeyed and was follow
ed by the order to run in and reload.
Immediately after the gun was fired
the other vessel slowed down and
stopped, extingai-hed her lights and
| laid TO, but by this time being 80 close
that the conversation on her decks
could be heard by the crew OF the
Potter. Just then Capt. +. 5. Fowler,
who was one of the party. grasped
Captain Tibbais by the shoulder an!
said: Great heavens, captain, do
you know what you have done? That
Is the revenue cutter Shubriek.'
The response came in laundering
tones: Il Know X is the Shubrick |
have hove her to, and her, if
we get any closer viii sink her along
side The warlike and clarion ring OF
the captains voice evidently struck
terror to the hearts of Uncle Sans
brave men on the shu5rick, as she
quickly steamed away. They, OF
course, didn't know that there was
none but blank cartridges on board the
Potter. We saw no more of the Shu-
brick until the following day, when,
as We approached Fort Steilacoom, we
noticed her laying alongside of Baleh
and Webber's wharf. The Potter was
again dressed with the flags of all ma
tons, the gun run over 10 the port
side, and "a We passed the Shubrick on
that tack, the commander gave orders
| 10 stand by the stays; ready about,
and as we ranged up saiuted her with
another gun from the port waist. and
a We stood of on the port tack, Cap
tain Pease. of the Shubrick, dipped
his eolors and saluted in return.
We arrived in Olympia without
further incident ON the following day.
| fired a salute of q guns by permission
of his excellency, Gov. Pickering, and
our visit is fresh in the minds OF the
cider citizens TO this day.
The Potter was sent back 10 Town
send few days afterwards. the party
concluding 60 90 down on the Ander-
son. When two days out, the Potter
was seized by the Shubrick. and. on
our return, everyone of US was arrest
ed. Ii was a trial that attracted wide
spread attention.
Wha. was the resuit2 Oh, all were
acquitted, for. you see. whether OF not
that was a revenue pennant when the
Potter started. won II say. bat it was
a merchant marine pennant when the
| trial came OIL, Tor il had no bars.
What were the incidents .: the yoy-
age? Innumerahlc. Perhaps the keel
hauling OF disohedient seamen will be
the longest remembered. Sou see,
the crew did net realize what they
we're doing when they signed Captain
Iibhal's articles ami he made US all
toe the mark | remember that Fred
Wilson, afterwards collector OF Gus
| toms at Port Townsend. was the first
| one keei-hauied. lie refused to pull
in calm, and the captain quickly
caiie. all hands, rove of a gan.ing
from the main masthead leading
down through the sky-hgh; on the
poop deck, gave orders to bend on the
reIactory seamen's s,arboard leg, rove
the gantiipg through the lead box and
he was s<son going alofi in fire shape
and ready tor duty when he came
down. Find capt. Tibhals and he Will
spin yeu a hundred yarns about it, =