The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-05-26
An Historic Vessel.


HIS YOUTH THE PINKY TIGER OF OLD
GLOUCESTER DAYS. TIE ADVENTURES
OF JAMES PATTILLO IN TIE TIGER.
As the journal Local one morning last
week was walking along the water front
OF our harhor. as has been his custom for
many years, on the lookout for anything
that would make an item, he noticed
an old vessel lying at Lane S wharf.
Her huh was battered from many years
butfetine with old ocean, her masts black
ened With age and neglect, her rigging
slack and on the whole the vessel present
ed dilapidated appearance. Nothing in
particular struck the nautical eye of the
newspaper man, until the name ''Tiger'
on each bow came to view. Thirty three
years ago. when the writer was but a lad
of thirteen years. he was cook of the
pinky Tiger, of North Haven Capt Rob
ert Ames. on bank fishing cruise. Can
this be the OLD Tiger" thought the scribe
An investigation was made, the captain
interviewed, and it proved to be indeed the
veritable and venerable Tiger of our youth.
We Immediately seized l.er by the bow
spirit and shook hands,
The Tiger is an historic vessel She
was built in Essex. Mass. in 1880. and
is consequently 81 years old. She was
built OF oak and is sound to-day. The YES
sci measures but 20 OF tons government
tonnage, but when new she was among the
largest and tieete>t OF the Gloucester fish
ING vessels More than forty wears ago the
vessel was sold to Can't. Robert Ames OF
North Haven. who owned her many years,
and made numerous fishing trips in her.
She WAS then sold to Deer Isle, where her
.inked stern, tail feathers. was taken
off and a square stem put on. After many
Wandelillgs from place to place, she now
halls from Castne and has been owned
four years 10y Capt. c. Gray, OF that town,
She has been a lucky vessel and has made
mint of money for her owners. The Tiger
was a crack sailer in her day and Capt.
Gray abiding to her said: Take her 10y
the wind and she will astonsh many of
them today
Marine architecture has undergone
many changes since the old Tiger first
embraced her destined element. The pres
ent models are much handsomer than
those OF the olden times, but better sea
boats and safer vessels never swan the
ocean than the old pinky craft of Glouces-
ter, in the early years of the present cen
fury. The new crack yachts of to-day in
many particulars resemble the pinky. The
old pinky mo one of the present day ever
saw new one) had round bow. retreat
ing stem. slanting sternpost, and a keel
laid at an angle Of forty-tive degrees. This
made them very shoal forward and deep
aft. precisely like the fin keel boats and
Gloriana yachts of the present. The full
moon bow Of the pinky has given way to
he sharp and clean cut bow OF the racer,
but the safety of the craft has not been en-
HANGED thereby
The Tiger from 1880 to 1910 was a noted
craft and at one time was commanded by
Capt. James Pattillo, of Gloucester, who
was own as a terror to the officials of
the British Provinces. In the Fishermen
Memorial and Record Book, is related the
following incident of Capt. Pattillo while
in command of this same Tiger:
In the year 1887 or '3S, (the skipper
could not exactly recolect which, it was
decided by Capt Giles, who owned the
pinky Tiger, to send her to Fortune
Bay, Newfoundland for a load of herring,
This was an entirely new voyage and
skipper Pattillo just the man to under
take it: He took with him five men and
black boy, and thinking there would be
some nice game in those regions, carried
five muskets and two kegs of powder.
They started on the 2Sth of November and
after arriving We're frozen up. Nothing
daunted at this, they cut holes in the ice
and succeeded in getting a load of herring,
but they could not get out. There they
were. hard and fast with miles of ice be-
tween them and clear water.
According to the old treaty. American
vessels had no right to catch herring, or
any other fish within an imaginary three
mile line from the shore; and some one in
formed a Custom House officer named
Gayden, that Yankee vessel was getting
herring, and he determined to seize and
make prize Of her. Now it SO happened |
that the Tiger was out of provisions. and
the Captain sent some of the crew a long