The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-16

Ahe' ' ous company was formed,
Win Jonn Leary at the head, for the
purpose otpidding for this mail contract and
Wnen the time came for examining the bids
the PacihcEoast Steamship Company was sur
prised to ind that il had lost the plum. The
steamship company then went to work and
chartered or subsidized nearly every available
ooat ON the coast so the new contractors were
at loss Tor vessel to put on the route to
carry out their contract. They finally sue
eeeueo In purchasing a steamer named the
faquina at Portland, which was owned by Can
tam Hatch. She was loaded with lime when
they oonght her, and was to be brought around
TO Seattle and delivered to them as soon as dis
charged, but the night after the purchase was
made she took fire and was completely de-
stroyed The new company was determined to
carry out its contract, however and induced
Ludlow TO cut his boat, then almost
ready to launch, in two in the middle. and make
her twenty feet longer, and put her on the
Alaska route instead of using her as a gospel
ship. Ludlow returned all the contributions re-
ceiyed from church organizations, as far as he
could when he decided to divert the boat from
the original object in view. Her name Eyangel.
meaning good news, had already been selected
and was suggested by the name ''Good Tidings,'
which Mr.. Ludlow was advised to call her.
When the boat was ready to launch inyisa-
tlons were sseEt out to all the churches and
church societies in the surrounding country re-
questing their members to be present and wit
ness the ceremony. Nearly everybody in the
city and the surrounding country and towns
was present on the occasion. Instead of break
Ing the usual bottle of wine over the bow,
little girl dressed in white was
stationed on the bow, and the vessel slid
uown the ways into the water the child scat
tered religious tracts in profusion, which fell
Ike snowhakes. A number of old steamboat
men who witnessed the affair prophesied that
the vessel would be ill-fated on account of the
unusual manner of conducting the ceremonies
OF launching her.
"hen the steamer was on her way to Alaska
on the first trip, the sheet-crown of her boilder
burned out when short distance north of Vic.
toria, ana she had to return to Seattle for re-
pairs. This laid her up several weeks, and in
consequence OF the delay and the general
Ill luck, the new company gave up the
mail contract and it reverted to the Pacific
coast steamship Company. There was some
suspicion that the engineer had been bribed to
cripple the vessel. Just before she started out
on the trip Ludlow was offered $4,000 for her,
out ne refused. The object of making the offer
was to keep her off the route.
by the time the boat was put in condition
again she had cost Ludlow so much that he
found IT necessary to put her to work carrying
ireignt ana passengers on the Sound in order
to save himself from financial ruin. Captain
Tart. Ludlow's son-in-law, was placed in COM
mand OF her. AMI Rev. Karnes, a broken-down
minister, was deck hand ON her. The rest of
her crew was made up OF some of the fore
most members OF the Baptist church of Seattle
karnes finally became disgusted with his lot
as steamboat roustabout, and settled a
ranch near Green lake and in time became
quite wealthy. Business for the steamer was
dull, and she was not successful. After dragging
along for two or three years, she chartered by
Herbert r. Beecher, of Port Townsend, son of
the noted divine. Beecher ran her about a
year, but evidently was not very sue
cessful, as he never paid the charter
money, though suit was brought for the
amount Ludlow became disgusted with steam
boating, as 1t had about ruined him financially,
SO he sold the gospel ship to Morgan & Hastings,
of Port Townsend. This firm afterward dissolved
and Morgan took the boat and sold a half-inter-
est in her to Captain Winn Mann, of Port Towns
end, and those two gentlemen owned her at the
time of the accident, and were running her be-
tween Port Townsend and Whatcom.
AS originally designed, she was a neat little
craft with ample machinery. but when length
ened out 1t made her too large for her power
and this, no doubt, has had much to do with
her ill luck, though she was regarded as very
substantial and safe boat
Ludlow is now in Japan doing missionary
work. He is described as a very eccentric man.
He hated tooacco, and when a man en-
tered hh office smoking he would throw
open every window and door. His
younger son was named Pilgrim Stranger Lud-
low, the father giving reason for the odd
name that he wanted the boy to be constantly
reminded that he was pilgrim and a stranger
ON earth whose only home was in heaven.