The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-31
THE MORNING NEWS: MONDAY, AUGUST 81. 1891.
BARON DE sEpa's BLEsTERs.
The Story of Young French Noble
mans Folly.

Iuon 3 POiy.
Baron Paul de Sede, with blisters on his
hands and tears in his eyes, sat patiently on
a hard bench in the office of the Compagnie
Generate Transatlantique. 8 Bowling Green,
Friday. says the New York Times, waiting
to see the agent Of the steamship line. The
baron wore a blue knit shirt and dark blue
flannel coat and trousers. His shoes were
muddy. his sunburned face unshorn, and he
twirled between his fingers a pulled cap
such as sailors wear on the Red Star steam
ship line from Antwerp.
The baron was at the steamship office as
the result Of a little bet he made early il
May with friend at Cannes, France, where
he was sojourning on his racing cutter Leon
tine.
"You think you like the sea- said the
friend, "but III bet you 5000 francs you
wouldn't like to be sailor. II you were
on big steamer you would become tired
before you had gone from Cannes to Nice. u
There was more talk until finally the
baron put up 5000 francs and agreed to
ship, incognito, as a sailor on a trans
atlantic steamship. Not wishing to ac-
quaint his wife and family with bis pur-
pose. he weut to his home, near Boulogne,
and left word that he was going to Ports
and would then travel to Scotland to see a
friend.
Instead of this the baron posted to Ant
Werp, disposed of his monev and good
clothes, bought blue flannel suit of clothes
and black bag, and secured employment
as q sailor on the Red Star line steamship
Noordland, which sailed for America on
Saturday, Aug. Ii. He was TO receive %
francs for the round trip
ia first nicrb nnff 40 fnpnp0ffn
got a taste of seafa-lng life that ne did not
relish. With the other sailors, he was or
dered to sweep the deck. They gave him a
big stiff broom and made him sweep till his
hands we're blistered. But that was moth
ing. The next day he was ordered TO pull
at the ropes, and he pulled IA more rops
than he had ever seen before. He was sent
to the top of the rigging to keep lookout.
That night they made him scrub the deck
after the first -class passengers had retired
to their soft hunks. ScrGhbing the deck
was an occupation the baron had not bar
gained for, tut there was nothing for him
to do but scrub, and he got down on his
baronlal knees and scrubbed and scrubbed
till his backbone felt like one of those two
foot rules that fold up in three sections.
Scrubbing and sweeping, sweeping and
scrubbirg, that was the baron's lot. Dur
ing the day he did everything that u sailor
can do, and at night he sweeps and scrubbed,
Heavy weather was encountered and the
voya was somewhat longer than usual,
which afforded the baron more time TO
scrub. When two days from New York he
revealed his identity TO First Ulfic3r box
rud, aud declared that he had had enough
OF being a steamship sailor.
He did not ask to be relieved of his duties,
however, and was sailor to the last. When
the steamship arrived at her pier in Jersey
NaHnaQnnU QftnrOnnn haF
who had been known as Paul Clement to
the other sailors and on the books of the
company, hastened on land TO find a substi
tute. After some trouble he found one and
paid him $50 to make the return trip to
Antwerp. This transaction relieved the
baron of almost ell his cash, and it was
therefore with emotions of hope and anxiety
that he made his way on Thursday to the
pier Of the Compagnie Generate Transit
lantique, where he expected to find a trunk
containing clothes, which was to have come
from friend on the other side by the steam.
ship La Champagne, which arrived last
Sunday.
The trunk was not there, and although
the officials went over all The lists ther(
was no trace of it.
The baron was in a quandary. He had NJ
money, no clothes in which to "see thu
town." and ne couldn't telegraph to his wife
because he didu't want her to know his
whereabouts. That night the baron slept
on board the Noordland, aud yesterday be
saw the French consul general and laid the
sad state of affairs before him. The consul
general sent him to the agent of the Com
pagnie General Transatlantique, and saw
the agent himself later, and fixed il so that
the baron could return to France on the
La Champagne to-day if he so desired and
pay his fare when he reached home The
baron was highly nleased when ha racaivad
this information.
A Times reporter saw the baron while he
was waiting to see the ageat. and he looked
lugubrious.
"Ze bleestersl See 20 blcestersI" he ex-
claimed, opening the palms Of his chubby
hands.
There were two dozen of them carefully
arranged on various portions Of the surface
of the skin.
II am baron" he said, in broken En-
glish, land live near Boulogne. My father
was secretary general OF the prefecture
under the empire. All my ancestors were
in the army, and am an officer in the re-
serve'
The baron said that he would sail for
home to-day on La Champagne unless he
received his money aud clothing in the
meantime. Before sailing he would secure
from the captain of the Noordland csrtif-
cate to the effect that he had served as a
sailor on the voyage from Antwerp to New
York.
He showed the reporter the diary kept by
him on the steamship. 1t recorded his i'm
pressions, one of which was to the effect
that tae officers of transatlantic steamers
got all the work possible out Of the sailors.
The baron showed the French consul gen.
eral papers to prove that he'was a second
lieutenant of the reserve.