The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-13
FUNNY BUT EXPENSIVE
The Queer Freak Of the Drunken Owner
Of an Elegant Yacht.
Somewhat Startling Yarn OF a Sailor
Who Did Not Get His Wages
Story Too Coco
to Keep.

WIFI tity u ufuiih, saiu tit'
last week, to New York Tribune
reporter. "are almost past belief some
times. l have seen So many of them that
IL takes something unusual, can tell you,
10 surprise me now But the very last
piece of devilment | took part in myself
was the most astonishing Of all I ever
heard of.
II was walking along this East River
front here in New York last November,
out of a job, when a wcll-drcsscd man
stopped me and asked me IL ! wanted To
sign articles for a cruise.
"'Whcrc to- says |.
"'Down into the tropics says he; no
where in particular. I'm going for my
health in my owu yacht. I'll be captain,
my wife will he cook, and you'll he mate
and man of all work, IL you're An ables sea-
man and know how To do your duty
"Well. ] signed articles with him and
went abroad his elegant yacht that very
night. He was a liberal fellow and the
grub was good, | tell you, hut he turned
out TO be m awful drinker, aud | soon
found that | had my hands full To sail the
vessel. My newly found captain was "a
big, powerful fellow. and as passionate as
a mad bull whan drunk, 50 that ! had To
obey orders no matter what they
N'fts ~ h''n VIZ ~ ~ w ~ w WI
our way Down the coast as far rs Florida.
The captain sobercd mp for a few days at
~. Augustine and was quite friendly with
me, treating me so literally tn liquor that
when we sailed from that ancient town |
was drunk as he was sober.
"He and his wife betwccen them sailed
the yacht for two or three days after that
dow h misunderstanding coast of Flori-
da. and then the captain opened more
liquor, got me and himself both wild
again, and then Informed me that he in
tended 10 wreck the yacht and claim the
insurance ON her. He offered me $500 of
the insurance 10 help him, or the alterna-
tive of being pitched overheard then and
there. Naturally ! preferred the SJD.
"The captain Informed me that the bar
rem sand-line ! could dimly see Ia the
westward was one OF the many uninhab-
tied keys, or islands, at the southern ex-
tremity of the peninsula of Florida. Here
he would beach the vessel, put "A tent on
shore with plenty of provisions, camp in
comfort, fly a signal of distress aud trust
To "A passing ship to rescue us. We were
To swear that we had been driven ashore
i'm a severe storm and had barely escaped
with our lives.
"In order Ia lend probability To our
story we cut the yachts mast half in two
and then broke il oil By, pulling ON a rope
with axes in the yachts bottom. after we
had heached her. No one but drunken
men would have supposed for an instant
that the marks Of the axe would not at
once arouse suspicion. But We were
very drunk.
after we had carried out the pro-
grammc fully and the pretty $500 yacht
lay dismasted and stranded on the beach,
and all her provisions, piano, furniture
/, and stores had been carefully housed in
the tent on shore, we started TO erect onr
signal 81 distress 10 passing vessels. For
fht2 xxla urt..l 4 Ia l.tls tl., lral..ta rsaaGf m.
RICH, in the sand. hut found il quite an
other thing from pulling il down. The
; captain struck me for not lifting harder
and we began to fight. Our quarrel was
interrupted 10y a voice saying:
Hello. strangers. what yer fightln'
I. about aud what yer doin' campin' ON my
! homestead anyway"
"Wc were both sober i'm AN instant.
Your homestead said the captain. turn.
ing angrily on the iall. jean covered
cracker who had come upon MS onob-
served, u do you mean, man? Home.
steads aren't recognized ou these God
f%orsaken islands. Where did YOU come
. from anyway"
, "'lslands,' said the man with a grin,
Yes somewhat out 81 yer i.ariu's. mister,
There is trevard county, Florida. and YET
squattin' on the eastern end Of my farm,
: which the western end OF IL faces the In
] dian river, and you nns II pay rent for
: the use 81 my property, or I'll know tho
reason why.
alt was too true. w. had wrecked th.
r yacht on the narrow strip ~ fertile land
which divides the Indian river from the
! Atlantic ocean, M some places not more
than 30 yards wide, and hundreds 81
miles long. We were IN "A thickly popu
lated spot. comparatively, and within 9
: days sail on the river If four or five thriv
9 ing towns. There had not been "A storm
along that coast for two weeks. and ON
drunken plot had failed. OF conrs. IL was
u bound To fail any way, for ] do not thinl
the captain would have tried to collect tn,
insurance ut all when hc got sober, hut II
had failed so ludiciously that we both got
drunken han ever and told the whole
story In tipsy confidence Ia our rescuer.
4 "Df course the story was too good e.
A keep and IL spread mp and down the river
We were made much of, as long as th'
' liquor lasted, by a horde Of mischieyou'
fellows who gathered about rs and ",
r we were finally persuaded to visit Titus
Vile, the county town, Ia get the proper
i tools Ia put the yacht ia ship-shapc again
d From there We sent the captains poor
wife home 10y rail. She was nearly out al
r her mind by this time with our behavior
and glad Ia get away. On returning To th'
beach we foundt that all our stores and
i even the tent had been stolen, and every
him movable about the yacht had beef
carried away.
n "Dur new found friends made a goo'
prptencc OF Indignation, but IL took
a great deal Of whiskey that night 20 silence
4 our wounded feelings. A big storm cam'
up while We slept and next day the yach
q lay high and dry, far up the beach, wher'
nothing but n real wreckiug outfit coiIl,
n do anything for her. The captain wa
persuaded, by the help Of more whiskcy
that the only thing To- do with her nov
Il was 10 end the spree wiai a jolly bonfire
So what was left OF the graceful cutie
went roaring down the wind in flame ana
smoke. As the captains liquor an
money too were all gone by this time. on
ability To- entertain our friends dcsertct
us. and the captain aud ! got out OF tn