The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-30

M IsaaO Allorton struck American ahoat one
dirty night beat clean over the reof and
sank in i've fathonaa Of water. You mus!
know that there were no lights on ths rect
q that time. .or d least none that Uncle
Sam paid for,a and the aun-burnt veteran
smiled from ear 70 ear 40 he drained hia
glasa. !.
inR the town 70 have 4 slap At tho pickings.
The wreck was about fifteen miles from the
Key. which made il convenient for all
hands. We got to work ON tho cargo. the
Conohes. az usual, eating IN their nne
work. Do you know what . Conch is? Well,
he Ia \ Bahamian, a native OF Nassau and \
genuine good specimen Of the land shark.
He got the name Conch from a flag that
they once carried bearing upon the fold .
representation of a conch shell. This in
George, but the nickname has stuck to
them through thick and thin. Ihe Conches
Fare wonderfully handy fellows in the water
and with the aid of long poles having steel
points they located boxes and balea With
unsrring precision. Then overheard one
would 60. a pair Of stout can't hooks in his
hand, by which the cargo Of the Allerton
was eventually rescued from ita coral bed.
What do You suppose were the last artl-
Giles to come to the surfacoY You have
seen the New Orleans custom house.
missed . big sight, for it is the biggest
custom house in the world. II was begun
in 1648, and over thirty years rolled by
before II was finished. II ie built Of
Quincv granite, while the interior 10 I'm
the dome is forty-nine. feet square, and the
total cost of the building was 100000.
In the Allerton's lower hold. Rtowed along
side her keel, were five cases, each one
containing q marble image Of q woman.
They we're intended to fill up inches in the
/ Auofpvo houco o~A von -i1I 400 than, khArn
to this day. They were defaced by the
punches they got from the Conches' steel
prods, but Unole Sam thought enough OF
them to pay $1,000 salvage, and that was
about the last bill that was paid for the
completion of that big house.
What became of the box Of jswelry? I
nearly forgot to tell you about that. Well,
sir, it disappeared and no one could ac-
count for il. There was an awful row
kicked up, which resulted in ita coming to
OF the schooner was working for. He had
the manifest, but / don't know that that
had anything to do with it. Call around
again when you drift this way snd maybe
I'll have another yarn for you. So long"
Every Key Wester should be by nature q
wrecker, for he il born and raised amid the
whistlinR Of gales and lullsd by booming
breakers. From infancy his sharp restless
eyes have been accustomed to fine plated
lamps. richly paneled doors, carved and
gilt work. with swinging mahogany shelves
and polished brass racks. All were taken
cabins and saloons; the lamps were swung
from huge glass skyliRhts. while the front
steps leading to the piazza, finished with
choice ships planks, had once performed
duty in some vessels companionway.
Chairs, ratings and furnishings generally
all smacked Of the salt, salt sea. having a
tendency to develop and promote the as
pirations Of the young Key Wester anxious
follow in the wake of his worthy sire.
The long. low, reefy islets which fringe
the coast of Florida in the most inextric-
able manner, leading on either side the
p%eninsular to the terminal point Of Key
West and the Tortugas, seem laid there as
trap to catch unwary mariners. But the
plundering days of the old-time wreoker,
like the ferooious b%ucoanesr, have passed
away forever, and even the Florida reefs,
By the fostering power Of the government,
have been rendered as far as possible harm
to the storm-tossed sailor. Every dan
gerous point along the Florida reefs, from
Key. West to Jupiter inlet. has been
marked by q lighthouse. and it must
S sa an runs Exceptionally s osaty ;1R1 t,o Navigator Or
to the system of lights and
maintained by the government, a
Of revenue cutters, constantly NOV
ln2 from point to point, and threading the
tortuous channels, keep watch
reefs. They keep a viQilant eye
tho movements of tho wrecking fleet,
and have been the means of resouing many
an unfortunate mariner from the rapacious
grasp of the marine jackal. Many a bale
If rich goods and package of valuable
have been guarded and saved to the
and ths owner by the efficiency
ind zeal pf the revenue-outter service. The
vreckers have a wholesome dread of the on
'ign, and when an armed boats crew land
the coral shore of the Key to look after
merchandise. although black looks
md low muttersd curses may be indulged
great care is taken to give the trim coast
.uardsmen all the room they require.-New
FORK Commercial Advertiser.