Evening journal., 1889-10-24
WHEN SAILS BEAT STEAM.
TALK ABOUT THE GOOD OLD TIMES
ON THE HUDSON RIVER.

sxow the Model of the Isle of Pines Was
Whitfield Ont and Adopted-The Bests
Stole a Schooner and Sailed a Prosperous
Voyage with Her.
There are some Of the old Hudson river
shippers left, said a veteran river captain
the other day-the skippers, ! mean, Of the
sailing craft that used to ply up and down
before the steamers drove them out Of busi-
ness. They are great whittlers, and, strange
TO say, the stick they work upon always
turns into the model OF boat 1t is a curl
GUS fact that in the old days many Of these
carelessly whitfield models served to mold the
lines of some very fast sailing craft.
DEPARTURE FROM OLD RULES
One notable instance Of this kind is that
Of the once famous and exceedingly fast sail
ing schooner, the Isle of Pines, which hailed
from Port Even. The story goes that one
Saturday afternoon Morgan Evsrson, an old
and expert ship builder at Rondout, was sit
ting on a stick Of timber in his ship yard
Beside him sat his most intimate friend and
companion Capt. "Jim" Cogswell rs bluT
and hearty an old skipper as ever sailed the
North river. They were talking and whit
tling at the same time Everson fnall ysaid:
"Jim, I'm tired Of building vessels after the
old lines. believe that a departure from
the old rules in the way of following out
original ideas would benefit the trade and
produce faster sailing craft"
Hum" said Cogswell, Il dunno but wot
yer right, Morgan How would this do for a
modelgn at the same time holding up the model
Of a schooner which he had whitfield from
pine stick.
That's my idea 10 a dot said Everson.
and narrow in tho stern, and viii ride the
roughest 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 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 to build a craft after It's lines. The
vessel was built, but whether by Morgan
| Everson or not | do not know; but 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. Cogswells son-in-
law, Capt. "Billn Southard, aud 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
her quick passages.
An amusing story is 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, foI
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 coloree
cook in the forecastle they hoisted sail, anC
cast Off the lines, and set sail down the river
They were soon out Of sight. Some tim
after Capt Salter came down to the docl
and found his vessel gone He was told thai
Jock Best and his old man had her and haC
gone down the river.
PROFITABLE ALL AROUND
There was no fast mail or telegraph il
those days to intercept them, as most OF th,
intelligence was carried by mail coaches anC
post riders or by steamboats, as slow as tn,
sailing craft on the river, IL not slower Til,
result of Capt, Salter's visit TO Hudson thai
time was that the Bests took the Macedonian
and went on a cruise with her to the Yves
Indies, being gone over eight months Beinl
plentifully supplied with money when thel
ran away with the schooner, they ran int
Baltimore and took aboard a cargo for trad
ing purposes. After having made their tril
they wrote to Capt. Salter to meet them ii
New York. This he did, and having effecteC
a compromise with the authorities for thl
theft Of the vessel, which had been reported
the Bests shared with Capt. Salter the profit
of the voyage as a remuneration for his los
time and the use Of his vessel Capt Salte
was often heard to say after that that it wa,
the most profitable voyage for him that thl
Macedonian ever made After their settle
ment with Capt SaIter, their scrape havin,
blown over, the Bests returned to Hudson
The Macedonian and her master were after
ward cast away and lost in a storm at For
tune Island.
In those days many Of the mails, all tn
produce, and nearly all the passengers iron
the landings along the river were carried b.
sailing vessels A steamboat was looked upoi
by the yeomanry Of the river towns as a pro
duction of Satan and thing TO be avoided
Whenever farmer along the bank of th
river wanted to take passage OF ship freight
he would watch for the first vessel comm
down the river and signal it by blowing
horn. The vessel thus signaled would hau
close inshore and take whatever be had Z
offer. Sometimes races were sailed betweel
noted vessels all the way from Albany 3
: New York. A coming race would be adver
3 tised for weeks in advance. On the day o.
2 which the race was TO come off the hanks o
2 the river would be black with people. man
Q OF whom had come miles from the irterio
towns TO witness the race, aud the irtereS
{ manifested in the possible success Of the favui
7 ite far exceeded that now seen at modern re
, gattas.
d Two Of the most famous racers OF the Oh
I time were the schooners Commodore Porter
y commanded by Capt Hiram Wilbur, and IN
e Jonathan Bowen, commanded by Capt Titu
s | Whitmore. These schooners hailed frOr
e Troy, and carried grain and other produce {
I the New York market. They would genel
I ally leave Troy at the same hour on the sam
day and race down the river full tilt all th
way 70 New York Every skipper who sal
them coming under their cloud Of canvl
d would Immediately make tracks to get h
}. vessel out Of the way, as they sailed like th
e wind nip and tuck, sometimes one leadin,
?. sometimes the other. Whoever got in the
way was sure 70 be run down After the
had passed, every vessel going their wa
J. would chase them, until have seen them 81
!. into port at New York with fleet az the
a.. 90