Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-09-14
WHEN SAILS BEAT STEAM
TALK ABOUT THE GOOD Old TIMES
on THE HUDSON RivER

VHb11N 0HhhAD e1AH1
TALK AsouT THE COCO Old Times
on THE HUDSON RIVER
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rh-re are so0s = - Cd HndAn rivG
skippsA iefs. aid . vseGan riy~ enpe.h
- sxhsr dAy-ths skippnA 0aaa. g ~
nfling craft that I'D = ply ~ ard dovn
hsfore the steamers drove tAsn OFT q os-r
ssa They are grsas uhisSisra cd. axAngs
70 ~. the stick they vurt upoa always
surus into the modal a hoax h b cnrf
earels@ly whitfield models served 10 Uoh ~
Inns Of some very fasf sAiling craft
DEPARTURE HnoM OLD aULA
Ous notable instance II this kind b thas
q the once famous and sxnssdingiy ~ ail
ing schoonsr. tbs Isle Of Pins. which hAiisd
from Port Even. Ths senry gon that one
Saturday afternoon Morgan Eversou. an Old
end expert ship builder at Roudout uas ~
QUx On . 8LNck Oi tAkuGAI ~ ~ 0AAR -
Beside him at bis most intimate friend and
companion, Capt. Jim Cogswsll, = bsu1
and hearty IN Old skipper = ever sailed 10
North river. They were talking and Whit
ding at the sams TINA Evesson dnall ysAid:
Jim, I'm tired Of building vessels after The
old iineA believs that . departure from
The old rules In tbs way Of following cut
original ideas would benefit the trade and
produce faster sailing craft
Hum" aid Cogswel. Il dunno but wot
yer right, Morgan How would this do Tor .
modelf' at the same time holding up the modal
Of schooner witch be bad whitfield from
pine stick
That's my idea 70 . dot" aid Eversnn
''She Is sharp In the bow. broad In the waist,
and narrow in the stern, and will ride ths
toughest water on an even keel like duck
Not too much depth Of hold, but just sharp
enough in the keel to prevent drift in bad
weather She looks like q pirate, and III
gamble she could beat the Tom Powell"
That was the fastest steamboat on the North
river at that time.
After discussing the merits and dement's
Of the model for some time, Capt. Jim de-
cided 10 build y craft after it. lines The
vessel was built, but whether by Morgan
Everson or not ! do not know; hut the fact
that the predictions Of Everson were fulfilled
remains, as the Isle Of Pines was not only
the fastest sailing craft Of her class that ever
sailed the Hudson river. but the Atlantic
ocean as well The schooner was commanded
for many years by Capt. Cogswell's son-in-
law, Capt "Bilr" Southland, and made long
voyages to the West Indies and South Amer
lea, where she came very near being cast
away several times She became famous for
Der quick passagea
An amusing story b told about Capt. Ezra
Salter, who owned the famous old schooner
Macedonian, the first three master that ever
appeared on the river. Away back in the
thirties she lay tied up to the wharf In Hud-
son. Her crew were all ashore amusing
themselves, except the negro cook. Teneyck
Ticehurst. who was busy about the vessel
At that time a notorious character named
Jake Best lived on Diamond street, in Hud-
son, where he kept a disreputable resort
The sheriff was after him and his two sons,
one called Jockey and the other George. Tor
some petty offenses
To get away from the sheriff old Jake and
the boys, both Of whom were strapping young
fellows Of 10 or 20 years, boarded the Mace
donian, and after having locked the colored
cook In the forecastle they hoisted sail, and
cast of the lines, and set sail down the river
They were soon out Of sight. Some time
after Capt Salter came down to the dock
and found his vessel gone. He was told that
Jock Best and his old man had her and had
gone down the river.
PROFITABLE ALL AROUND
There was no fast mail or telegraph In
those days TO intercept them, as most Of the
intelligence was carried by mail coaches and
post riders or by steamboats, US slow as the
sailing craft on the river. If not slower. The
result Of Capt. Salter's visit 70 Hudson that
time was that the Bests took the Macedonian
and went on cruise with her to the West
Indies, being gone over eight months Being
beautifully supplied with money when they
ran away with the schooner, they ran into
Baltimore and took aboard cargo for trad
ing purposes After having made their trip
they wrote to Capt. Salter to meet them in
New York This he did, and having effected
a compromise with the authorities for tho
theft of the vessel, which had been reported
the Bests shared with Capt. Salter the profits
Of the voyage a. a remuneration for his lost
time and the use OF his vessel Capt Ealter
was often heard to say after that that it wa.
the most profitable voyage for him that the
Macedonian ever made After their settle
ment with Capt Salter, their scrlpe having
blown over, the Bests returned to III SON
The Macedonian and her master were after
ward cast away and lost in storm at iur
tune Island
In those days many Of the mails. all the
produce, and nearly all the passengers from
the landings along tile river were carried by
sailing vessels. A steamboat was looked upon
by the yeomanry Of the river towns a pro-
duction of Satan and thing to be avoided.
Whenever a farmer along the bank OF the
river wanted to take passage or ship freight,
he would watch for the first vessel coming
down the river and signal it by blowing u
horn. The vessel thus si.ynaled would haul
close inshore and take whatever he had to
offer. Sometimes races were sailed between
noted vessels all the way from Albany to
New York. A coming race would be alver.
tised for weeks in advance. On the day on
which the race was to come of the banks Of
heriver would he black with people, many
Of whom had come miles from the interior
towns to witness the race, and the interest
manifested In the possible success Of the favor
ite far exceeded that now seen at modern 70
gattas
Two Of the most famous racers Of the oh
time were the schooners Commodore Porter,
commanded by Capt Hiram Wilbur, and the
Jonathan Bowen, commanded by Capt Titus
Whitmore. These scbooners hailed from
Troy, and carried grain and other produce to
the New York market. They would gener-
ally leave Troy at the same hour on the same
day and race down the river full tilt all the
way to New York. Every skipper who saw
them coming under their cloud Of canvas
would immediately make tracks to get his
vessel out of the way, as they sailed like the
wind, nip and tuck. sometimes one leading,
sometimes the other. Whoever got in their
way was sure to be run down After they
had passed, every vessel going their way
would chase them, until have seen them sail
into port at New York with feet at their
heels that looked like the coming of an ar
NADIA New York Times