The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-04-10
PURSER WATKINS.
4 PI;IZE STORY.

There was fierce competition on Pu-i
oct Sound between two rival lines Of
steamers Fer II long time one company
had controlled the traffic between Vic
toria and Tacoma, but when some enter
prsing men started an opposition line,
there was sharp struggle between the
twO.
1 obtained u position as assistant en-
pinecr on one OF these opposition boats.
She was n steamer called the Occident,
brought from San Francisco, where she
had been used about the Bay.
me yriivN ",.S,,>.-~ named George
Starr He was agrim, elderly man, who
never spoke unless he was addressed, and
then replied in the fcwcst words posi-
bic. lie was II good mechanic, and kept
| the machinery in as good working order
| as il was possible to keep it.
The Occidcnt's engine was probably
| IN" mos, complicated aud un,rustworthy
piece of machinery ailoat. Sometimes
the steamer would make excellent time,
easily disinncing any steamer CD the
Sound. At other times she could, only
with tho greatest difficulty, be made to
move at the rate Of eight miles an hour.
Ordinarily the trip from Victoria to
Tacoma. t0uchinw al Port Townsend and
seattle, occupied about twenty hours;
sometimes We would 'lo il IN seventeen,
and again wC would be twenty-five or
thirty hours on the trip. Once, TO our
"rca, cha"riu, We were forty hours on
the way.
Our orders were to make time at all
hazards. Tie travelling public on Puget
Sound cnrca N,N" m those days for
safety, ;ud great deal for arriving ut
their destination in The shortest possible
,imc.
The Captain knew every foot Of the
Sound hy day OF night. He never tied
up for storm, FOG or darkness, but drove
] the OCcidcut To her destination. IrHr!
of exposure iu the rains and fog had
given him II disease of the lungs. often
he stood in the pilot house al night when
he sLcui have been in bed, but hc had
ian lily dependent upon him, and must
| keep ,uir!c.
The purSrr was II young man who had
been educated to tn" business on tn,
Columbia River lie was bright, dappcr,
energetic, wide awake, rcd haired and
red .moustachcd. Ills obliying disposi.
tion made him II great iavoriic ON the
Sound. He was, too, always looking out
for the interests Of his employers.
/, The steamers Of both lines lett the
fares and freights to very low iirurc
and the rush Of business was trcmrpd
GUS. guy lower deck was crowded M
every fipwiih freight and Cinnamon,
Whi'c every state room was occupied, anG
The saloon floor often covered with maj
trcSScS.
AS ihG'hour for departure approached
there were crowds shouting, pushing ana
struggling on the docks freight was be-
ng rapidly run on board, and carrinres
ana Wagons were in seemingly ncxtrica-
Bile confusion.
'h iEcSc occasions Harry Watkins.
cur rurSrr, seemed to he everywhere at
once, securing business for his Lont Nv
means that were extraordinary and offer
Comical.
'ne evening We lay ut Tacoma. pre
parin% for the trip north. Th, bour oI
starting was ten O'Clock, and it lackcd
nut twenty minutes OF the time. Oul
"i' Gown had been the fastest on record;
n"' "'S'n""c" our competitor b,
more Than t"ur hours, and taken III,
'
"nd Seattle
was IN good spirits, and even Gcorg,
o'ii %tIm lace relaxed little when il,
,'"h'd over the machinery, which, after
,m,' ,, , M''N' we ""d S""c"''!"'! iii getting
"n'" l,aNSanlc shape
We ""n hcAi our own record thi.
mTi; S"''' ''Am""rInS down aftc'
H"'"' con" pI,Iaird repairs, 'H'n
,,N,., Wy ''''''''
ION f' l'" sure sad Starr.
'N"S lew moments {" spare,
""' !" INC Gln%Wal of the boat anr
=: .'' ""'' u was coid. drippins |
i"' log was 5" dcnSc that the
lanterns on the dock made little points
"' yellow light, revealing nothing.
Trucks loaicd with freight were com.
my clown the gang plank with crash
amt Il rattle.
was Just turning away wien lIarr,