The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-17
THE CAPTAINS WOES.
Long Swim of the Vines Mate
to Get Ashore.
SAILING WITH A SHORT CREW.
Interference by the Union Denied by
One of its Officers-The Heytian
Republics Passengers.

Captain Burns, of the schooner Vine,
evidently did not end his troubles by go
ing to Port Townsend for crew, for on
reaching there the mate. II. Alberts, whom
he would not allow to go ashore in boat,
swan ashore and forced the captain to pay
him q. ne rate Of So per day for the whole
time he had been on the vessel.
Alberts returned TO Seattle yesterday
morning, and to a PosT-INTELLIGEScEE
reporter told the following story:
81 went TO work on the vessel just after
she came here" said he, land there must
have been as many as 500 men hired on
her while she was unloading and loading
here. They would hire and work a
few hours, and then the union
men would succeed in getting
them to quit. As result Of this had to
do the bulk of the work. Then Captain
Burns contemplated making the trip down
without full crew and told him unless
he got full crew / would not go. He
told me to wait until he got ready 10 start
and he would let me go ashore. / got my
clothes all ready, but when the tug came
alongside and We began raising the
anchor I saw Captain Burns get into a
boat and the steward pulled him ashore,
as he is not going down himself, but
placed the vessel in charge OF Captain
Raymond, who came up with him as
second mate. He instructed the steward
to let no one else 90 ashore in the boat
when we reached Port Townsend
yesterday morning Captain Burns met
the vessel there and went aboard.
demanded my money and wanted to go
ashore, having signed no articles for the
trip. He told me | must make the trip
and he would not let me go ashore. | was
determined not TO make the trip without
full crew, 50 | took piece Of plank and
jumped overheard and swan almost two
miles to Port Townsend. / went to the
courtroom, but found no one there /
then started TO hunt up United States
marshal. but failed So the next best
thing thought of was to see a lawyer. |
found young lawyer who took my case.
He went out somewhere and / went TO a
saloon to get drink, for was all wet and
very cold
while / was in the saloon, Captain
Burns came To me and wanted TO
settle, but / referred him to my
lawyer. We both went to see the lawyer
and he insisted on payment at the rate Of
50 per day for every day | was on the ves-
sci, Sundays and all. / had a sort of an
agreement that was 10 get $50 per month,
but had signed no articles you see, so the
lawyer knew we had the best of il and in
sisted on s. a day. After considerable pro-
testing Captain Burns paid it, every cent.
i gave the lawyer $40 and took the balance
and came to Seattle. The vessel was still
lying there when | left. | do not know
whether he will succeed in getting a crew
or not. l know several seamen offered to
make the run down with him for $75. but
this is too nigh price for him.
My reason for refusing to go was solely
because he was going without a
full crew and / knew the work.
would be very hard. 1 am confident
the mate he lost coming up was drowned
through the inefficiency of the crew, and
l do not propose to take similar chances"
Regarding the story of Captain Burns
about his crew having been taken away
Saturday night at the points of revolvers,
Mr.. Alberts said: II was aboard at the
time and never heard the slightest noise.
Only four men left the vessel and three of
those were 'longshoremen, there being but
one member of the crew. One of the
longshoremen came back for his paw the
next day and told the story about hay
ing been forced off by i've men with
revolvers. He may have told the truth or
lied for all | know. l do not see for what
reason they would have taken the long
shoremen off unless they supposed they
belonged to the crew" When asked if he
belonged to the union, Mr.. Alberts said he
did not
Agent Dahlquist of the union brands
the story OF the men having been forced
oil the vessel as untrue. He also SAYS
that the statement of Captain Burns to
the effect that he Oahlquisp told him the
vessel would never leave here with a nom
union crew is untrue
Why" said Mr.. Dahlquist, II have
never spoken 10 Captain Burns / spoke
To his son, bat never made a threat of any
kind To him. The whole trouble with
Captain Burns is that we have not inter-
fered with him at all. and yet he has had
such poor success with non-union men
that he wants To blame us i'm some way.
We knew things were going against him
and therefore had no reason to bother
with him. even if we had the desire We
could not have made 1t any worse than
1t was"