Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-20

AAS-How He FIRST P1AYRp xxoyrrp-rux
| SnE-AwAKEs IN 1900 TRIP rr TER JAMES
| AND TIE DIFFICULTY IN sxrURxxs.
THE EARLY PART OF 1850 AND
shortly after my shipwreck, Of which /
| "ro'e TIE STAR some time ago, one Of the own
ess OF the Inflated vessel, in g spirit of condo
fence at my misfortune remarked: ssNou, il
you we're only an engineer, could give yon q
posiuon. To this readily replied that
could fill the bill
Ahe iaet vas had filed several positions in
.ne hre room, and even a. . boy knew some
thins about steam engines
| LUIS reminds me OF my FIRST experience in
! engineering. On this occasion / was firing
sooafu steam tug. companion, q few
years my senior, was a hand on the same boat
Az the dock, after our days work was done
ana In the early morning, before starting out
my companion and were often wont TO play
| s'eamboating" He In the pilot house-ny-
sell In the engine room-wouN send down the
peiis ana would respond to them. In this
| way, TOT long months, We kept il up till Null
ana felt ourselves full fledged, and were
! scope.
Alas! We were challenged.
One nne morning. while gong through our
driii we were hailed: Tug, ahoy." Looking
10 the stream We deserted a vessel flying "a sig
nal for n tug
Equal to the occasion, We cast OF lines and
| packed out and in shor: time the hate was
alongside the vessel with salutation from
| "1apt Null to the skipper" of the latter
! where do you wantto go. captain
Inc destination being fixed and the price
mutually agreed upon the anchor move up
| and the Kate Went tagging away the wharf
| being duly reached and the vessel docked and
mot an egg broken" The next thing was tor
us 10 return to our wharf and make the Kate
| snug ana last at her accustomed place ere our
| captain and engineer put III an appearance.
Imagine our forebodinSs-Mulla at the wheel
Ike at the throttie-when We beheld both OF
! those gentlemen in waiting on the wharf The
| hitter gave us familiar smile, while the for
mer greeted us With
where have you rascals been?'
As there was ' in the job We had hoped for
kindly recognition from our enraged skip
per on rendering the same, but me er a smile
| smiled be-"
You can dot it down as a fact that that was
the last of Null and practicing steamboating
! Bht to go back. was duly installed in the
| position offered me engineer and filled il to
/ the satisfaction of my employers We were
| some thirty miles from New York. on the Jersey
coast, ard during the memorable Lincoln
campaign" l joined the ''Widea wakes ranks.
Night after night the boys went marching
through the streets OF the adjacen: towns, VIZ:
Newark, Elizabeth, halfway and New Bruins
wick--whlie the cir was rent with the musical
strains OF our accompanying bauds. tell Won
We boys had lots of fun playing soldier. Then
came election day. Twas nv first vote-and
1t Teht for Uncle Abe" Important as that
first vote sec med to il ID strange that IL WAS
my last-but such is the fact.
In the course OF events | acquired the COM
mand of vessel. On the Attn of March. 81.
Lincoln's inauguration, 1 remember our ship
was lying at West Philadelphia. L. was cold.
blustery day and We were loading a cargo for
Richmond, Va. We set sail and in due time
| reached thar port, to realize that war was not
a thing spoken OF merely, but in actual
progress.
At Richmond at that time and unde- the ex-
istipg circumstances 1t was even dangerous to
be safe During our stay in port mum had
been The word with our crew. Nv Inaic, an
odd sea dog, always on the alert had been
keeping an eye to windward and more than
once he had said. Captain, we're not going TO
get away from here"
We finally discharged our cargo and business
matters we're arranged for our departure. Our
vessel was well up ut the head OF the basin"
We oil lines and started on our way entering
the locks at the Rockets, and the gates we're
closed after us by the lock-tender. ALI bid fair
for the l.. Headley and crew to soon he fairly
under way toward home; place more con-
genial to our sentiments
Bur- to the contrary, We soon found the lock-
tender surrounded by mob. Then the wick
| cts were closed. At this juncture demanded
to know the meaning of all this.
| rather consequential looking sort of a
somebodystepped forward as the spokesman for
the gang and said: We have seized your vessel
You cannot leave here" asked: who are
| We. and by what authority do you do tLs?'
| Pulling q large document out of his naeket
| he asserted: In the name Of the southern
| confedcgacy."
Said I: What about the crew?' To which
he replied: 1.-The h with them, it's the vessel
| We want"
The fact was our craft was rather attractive,
| something OF sailor, and her spars and gem
| erai makeup gave her much the appearance of
cutter. rather than that of a merchant
| vessel.
| Realizing that we we're Gagged, for the time
| being, at least, left the vessel in charge of
| my mate anu crew. giving them positive orders
not to surrender or abandon the vessel in my
absence.
| Remembering that my father was viryiuian
! and knowing that in my consignee | had a
good friend, at once repaired to the latter,
! and soon We were pulling wires that reached
| the ears OF Gov. Wise. effecting our release
In this happening there was y ather singular
coincidence: my father at the same time was
| at Norfolk with his vessel. He was captured
by the .'rebs" and his craft about to be scuttied
| with other vessels as a means of biockading
| the harbor, when his release was consummateS
| through the efforts Of our mutual benefactor
| Gov. Wise. Upon obtaining the release of INV
vessel lost no time in joining my mate and
| crew, who were in anxious waiting and soon
| our craft was on her way down the James
Meantime my mate and seif discussed the
| problem as to our destination. The fact was
| our charter called for the delivery of q certain
! cargo at Richmond. thence to proceed to a
| point on the Chickahominy river for cargo OF
wood for New York.
Ordinarily the close call We had Just expe-
| rienced at Richmond was enough to Intimidate
| us from entering another hot bed, " and moth
| ing but our recent good fortune rather than
| pluck and fighting qualities was the incentive
| that enabled US to carry out our prescribed
charter. Even at the best my mate and crew
were not in harmony with \ stop anywhere
| within range of the enemy's guns. so that our
| stay on the river was deciledly uncomfortable
| and attended with numerous forebodipes.
During the loading of our cargo my mate was
persistent in believing that a watch was Kent
| over us continually. He said "thst we never
should get away from there" However.
we finally fnished taking in our cargo
and abiding y favorable opportunity made
good our escape GUARD or no guard and pro
| ceeded down to the mouth of the james river.
| It vas just our luck to strike an eastcrly smell
of weather, and weeks were spent ere We had
favorable weather to proceed to seq.
OSTRICH FARMING IN CAPE COLONY.
South Africa Exported ssO,ooe,o 0e Worth Of
| Plunss In Thirty XearH
| From the American AQriculturist