San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-16
LOST AND RECOVERED.

III Une year 1903 WAS eUplOyeuH as SecOnu
mate on the ship Lady Bliss, which vOy-
aged between the Cape of Good Hope and
India ports. She was a stanch, tidy and
well found craft, and Capt Berry was part
owner. had made the trip from the cape
to Bombay twice when the adventures l
am about to relate had their beginning
The crew numbered twelve men, and as
is usually the case a fresh lot of men was
shipped for each voyage. alone had made
the three trips without change, and this
was because Capt. Berry had taken great
liking to me. | could have gone as first
mate. being perfectly competent to navi-
gate the ship, but had an operation per-
formed on one Of my eyes and did not dare
to risk the responsibilities of the position.
At each trip we had had new first mate
and a strange one came aboard at Bombay
TO go back TO the cape. He was introduced
to me as Mr.. Hall, but it isn't tall prob
able that that was his name. He was big,
strong fellow, thorough sailor and had
no reason to believe that we should not get
along together. The captain, too, seemed to
like him, and the crew as a whole was above
the average.
We had been out three days before |
found that Mr.. Hall was queer man. If
it was not familiar to the public. The
ideas advanced by the masses today were
then unheard of The mate began con-
versation which resulted in making me
suspicious of him The ship Belonged to
company which owned five others. Each
craft was known to be we'll found and well
manned, and could always have it's pick of
men for crew. ! was more than aston
| iSh nod fN oil hat fha
company was making too much money
and becoming too much of power in the
land They were building up, he declared,
at the expense of the sailor No man, firm
or corporation had any moral right to so
much wealth and power. God had design
eel that all should share alike; one man had
no right 20 roll in wealth while another
wanted for bread, and so forth, and so
forth. He took the same line which all the
we'll known anarchists and socialists hsss
adopted and followed since, and could
not doubt that no was deeply in earnest
While the conversation led me to believe
that he was holding dangerous views,
there was nothing for me to worry about
As for repeating his words to the captain.
the idea never entered my head.
1t wasn't long before Hall sought occa-
made the discovery that he had been tam
pering with the men. had not seen him
talking with them, but two or three of
them assumed snch an independent bear
ing that it was plain the seed had fallen on
fruitful soil The crew was made up of
rovers - English, American, Dutch and
Lascars Not more than two could claim
the same nationality When we had been
out five days, and during my watch in the
evening, overheard enough of CONVEX
sation between three of the men to satisfy
me that Hall had deliberately gone to work
to create dissatisfaction and mutinous
spirit. | had entire charge of the deck at
the time, and having given some necessary
order ! watched and saw it obeyed in
manner to prove that there was something
very wrong with the men-at least the
men in my watch. Sailors always growl
more or less, no matter how well situated,
but. unless on the point of mutiny, are
prompt to obey an order. In this case the
men lounged forward in an impudeut way,
each one growing below his breath, aud l
plainly caught the words of one of them as
he said:
Oh the company! We are just as
good men rs they are!'
did not let on that heard it, nor did
| reprove them for their want of prompt
ness Had been sure of Mr.. Hall it would
have been different. If he had been talk
ing to the crew as he talked to me then
had matter on hand to be handled very
carefully. was vexed and worried, but
decided to wait
Next day in my watch we had to break
out cask of beef from the hold Even
with the captain on deck smoking his cigar
the men Jagged and exhibited their inn
pudence When the tackle was let down
through the forehatch one of the men de-
scended to make it fast to the cask. He
fused around for five minutes, growing
and swearing and when swung myself
down and sharply reproved him for his
want of energy he ripped out at me:
"Oh, yes! We've got to break our backs
20 pile up the dollars for the nabobs ashOrei
They'd sell the hearts blood of every Jack
aboard for pound motel"
Acting under the regulations governing
any ship | should have knocked him down.
! passed his remarks without a word, feel
in my heart that the whole crew must be
dead ripe for mutiny. ] intended TO go to
the captain as soon rs my watch was over,
but | had waited too long. Just as we
hauled the cask on deck Hall came ont of
the cabin. His appearance was signal to
the men to knock off and crowd aft. Hall
walked over to the captain and calmly said:
Capt Berry, do you believe that one
man has right to grow rich at the ex-
pense of anotherg"
"W what do you mean, sirs"" gasped the
astonished captain.
Il mean that | am tired of watching,
working and shaving for the profit of
Others. The company is too rich and AFRO
Il kog -, FOO aaflnrsf