The record-union., 1891-08-08
HOFFMAN'S LATEST.
He is Now Booming the Petrihed
Man Industry.
His Report of the Capture of the Itata
by the MISUNDERSTANDING Sea
Moss-Why He is studying the Span
ish Observation-Disclosures Soap in Ven
tura County.

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Charleston. / know it was thought that
I would go, and private dispatch in
forms me that the officers in command OF
that noble vessel were very much vexed
and disappointed. have always taken
a very great interest in the Charleston
since her Captain leaned over the rail at
San Diego and, carelessly scratching one
side of his nose with a marine glass, said
to the skipper of the Esmeralda, who
was engaged in filling the ships coal
bunkers with charred matches:
II intend to take the Itata, dead or
alive" To which the Esmeralda's fore
man replied: you'll have to sink the
EsmeraIda firstm This was only an in
cident. 1t never amounted to much. At
first the uninitiated craWled under their
beds and stopped up their ears when they
heard of it. They expected horrible
marine circus, with heavy reports,
shrieks, cries, groanS, red waves, blood
cooks lung hanging on the clicklmdoodle
of the m2inmast, with solid shot crash
ing through the smOke-stack.
But nothing occurred. The commander
of the Charleston went on scratching his
nose, and the commander OF the Esme-
ralda went on filling his empty coal
bunkers with burnt matches. Then the
Charleston steamed out Of the harbOr of
San Diego, and [ went back to my office
and wrote up a long telegraphic special,
with a double-leaded scare head, giving
the word Itata the regulation width Of
thirteen ems, and the foreman smoled
sweet and approving smile.
The pursuit of the Itata was quite
thing. Everybody remembers it. It
was extremely blood-curdling. For
some time the Charleston was out of sight
of land, and nobody knew what her tate
was. Grave rumOrs flew in from sea. \
dozen ships captains reported having
seen her lying hull down in the horizon,
but she always went off on another tack
as soon as they tried to approach
and signal her. She was reported
in a dozen different localities, going in
a dozen different directions at one and
the same time. Then came the news that
she had Overhauled the Itata and ter
rible fight had resulted, in which only
the lea-scupper of the Charleston and the
Starboard portfolio of the Itata had been
left to tell the tale.
The next report was from Chile. The
Charleston had arrived. Everything was
o. x. on board. There was no cholera
nor yellow fever nor small ooX; neither
We're there any flies on the Charleston.
One of the sailors had stubbed his toe
against a holy stone while scrubbing
decks, but he had tied chew
of tobacco on it and was doing
as well as could be expected. 1t
was, however, matter for doubt as to
whether the nail could be saved or no.
Not long afterward the Itata arrived at
her destination, sgnified her willingness
to surrender and the Charleston Sidled up
at once and captured her. She was then
brought back to San Diego, and the
Charleston was ordered to go forth from
one sea port to another and exhibit her
self.
This is, of course, my own version of
the affair. Other people may not agree
with me IN all the particulars ofthe chase
as have set them down. | have tried to
describe the thing in clear, simple and
comprehensive way. If have made any
mistakes the Secretary Of War is invited
TO inform me of them, and l will make
the necessary corrections.
a great many curious people went to
Santa Barbara to see this splendid new
cruiser, and the jam alongshore was fear
ful. 1t cost money, though. But every
thing costs money now. The time when
we could sneak IN under the fence, as it
were, and get good value for nothing, is
gone.
The sea moss season has opened along
the coast, and at every port one may see
all sorts Of people engaged in fishing out
the delicate filaments from the accompa-
nying masses of kelp.
Sea moss is a beautiful marine growth
1t smells like soap factory in a state of
excitement, but when washed, pressed
and made into Wreaths and other things,
1t is very attractive. A small crab, a
'lady's bonnet" or the dried up remains
of a shrimp. heaved in judiciously here
and there, adds to the effect.
/ gathered my first sea moss thirteen
years ago at Santa Cruz. Not having a
book or box TO put it in l tied it up in q
handkerchief and carried it in my hand
nntil / arrived at hotel in Marysville
Then l gave it to the porter, and he tied
- Il
Landlord marked paid after the names
of all his guests, squared up with his SER
wants and went down to the mud flats
along the Yuba River to breathe. The
Health Officer made an official visit to
the place, and notified the landlord that he
Pnust disinfect at once. But for some time
1t was not done. Finally the discharged
porter was found, and he, clad in divers
suit, and with a Sir Humphrey Davy
aantern in his hand, went in to inVesti-
gate. After a long search the cause of the
5rouble was located in the cellar, the por-
ferigave the signal and was dragged out
unconscious. But in his hand he held q
little package, and the crowd, when he
was drawn out, rushed pell nell in the
direction of Chinatown. The little pack
age was my budget of fresh sea moss
which I had forgotten.
That was thirteen years ago, but there
are yet a few faint traces of imported sea
air in Marysville. The hotel has changed
proprietors, and has been renovated and
remodeled, but they say'' that the ghost
of the porter, who died in great agony,
wanders there at night, stepping on the
potatoes and searching for something
tied up in dirty handkerchief
The hills of Ventura County are nat
ural soap mines. Not genuine soap, but
a sort of sticky clay abounds, which,
when rubbed between the hands with q
little water, forms lather and removes
the stains of labor as enectually as the
best olive article. II is not "rocll SOAP"
and has no grit whatever. 1t is of all
colors, that which is red being accepted
by the knowing ones as good evidence of
the presence of petroleum. Oil wells are
thlckly scattered throughout several sec
lions OF the county, and the industry is
constantly growing. But that is a sub
Ject OF which l shall write at some future
Ilme. AT present am interested in soap.
Soap is, l take it, one of the things
when only the greaser, who lives in the
mlust OF the greatest soap belt of the Pa
clnc Coast, can get along without. But
the greaser is not like other mortals. He
hath heard nothing of the old proverb
about soap and cleanliness being first
cousins TO godliness. On saints days he
vets his face and hands, and when he
registers VOW he swears that he viii ac-
compllSn his purpose or wash himself a
little on the back of the neck. But no
greaser ever was known to fail when he
made vow. With dogged persistency
NE keeps on striving to fulfill il until
Death lays finger on his pulse and stills
1t forever.
/ am studying Spanish now. Here. in
this dreamy old country, where the Dons
of old were wont to straddle about their
caSdS, with wide S0HlbreToS and sonorous
cdrdgoS, am rapidly acquiring the grand
old language of ancient CASTLE, mixed
with fne choice iQiOmS of fba r,raSan+