Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-05-07
STOOD BY HIS COLoRS,
DID SKIPPER HOBBS OF THE
RUNNING BIRD
With The pfiyalser Alabama Lying AlOOssIds
OF His ship-A Tale OF a Retired
Sea Captain.


anxious 10 go home and ship in the navy:
but orders were orders. We could nor
leave the ships. and the frequent visits
Of the Alabama herself 10 the harbor.
forcing herself into our midst, as the
saying goes, were very vivid reminders
that neutral waters were Il pretty good
sort of an invention.
although we passed the long weeks
and months as pleasantly as we could
with all kinds OF arrangements for
killing time, both on shlpboard aud on
shore. there was, of course. a continual
and concerted Eroyvl going up FROM our
little band of Yankee shippers; and old
Hobbs was the star grOwler Of us all.
Now. to attain that distinction among
sailors u man must growl at the slight
est provocation, vehemcDtly and with
highly artistic feeling-not to mention
a generous finvoring Of profanity. So
you can Imagine the effect when Hobbs
opened out at something that displeased
him.
His ship was the Humming BIRD, a
brand new clipper hnilmg from Boston,
The trip out 10 Hong Kong had been
her maiden one. and II was chatting TO
Hobbs not very smooth temper TO have
her lie idle 50 early ia her career Huv-
ing great faith in the ships speed and
in his own seamanship. he was more
than anxious to put her 10 sea and let
Semmes catch him II he could; but, like
the rest of us, his orders TO remain were
positive
Occasionally ship would manage
to clear by sailing under some foreign
flag; but MS IL wns Il complicated pro.
cfass involving fathoms of red tape, and
very often fell through just when every
thing seemed favorable, it was not re-
sorted to very often. When IL was tried.
however. old Hobbs would 20 on his
beam ends with wrath He would fune
and rant. casting aspcrsiOns on the pa
triotisn of the Owuers, the agents, the
officers and even the Chinese crew. He
was so Intensely patriotic that TO see
good Yankee craft sail under false col
Ors would keep him boiling for week.
You can see, then. what his feelings
were vixen one day he was ordered to
proceed to Sumatra under the British
flag. He fumed. rauted and swOre aud
tlcn fulncd, ranted and swOre over again
with few extra choice nautical ana
themas thrown in for emphasis This
necessary operation over. he sent ashore
10 the native sailmaker's for British
flag, the smallest to be had When il came
aboar1--it was about 2X4 feet In size
Hobbs looked at il askance, and ordered
1t put out Of sight until sailing d,g.
Sailing day arrived and the British
flag was, seen futterieS quietly from It's
proper place on the Humning Bird. 1t
attracted mighty little attention, how
ever for the Alabama was entering the
harbor. She fioated slowly along. aud
dropped anchor exceedingly close to the
Humming Bird. About this time the
harbor master was seen In his boat being
rowed rapidly toward Hobbs ship, and Il
huge bundle of bunting, about the size Of
an old shellback's sea chest, was rapidly
hauled to the maintop of the Humming
Bird.
The harbor master pulled up alongside
the Humming Bird and yelled for the
captain. Ii could be seen that he was
fngry about something. Hobbs cafl1 to.
the rail in his plug hat and longtdilcd
bottle-qeen coat, the customary uniform
Of skipper la those days, and asked
the harb0r master what he could do.
II want you TO take down that flag
instantly, SIR said the harbof master.
"'Guess not, said Hobbs.
ITS a disgrace sir, and an insult to
hoist such dag Us thatH
WHATS the matter with the fagY
said Hobbs. surprised.
Its an wror g, sir: the proportions
are all wrong. The field Is too long for
lis width, and the rest Of ii is too wide
for it's length. The crosses are wrongly
arranged, sir, and it Is a vile caricaturr
OF an honored ilsg, sirl Remove it i'm
mediately!
Guess NOT said Hobbs again. THAT
flag was bought in u British port and
made by British subject He was II
Ahllllllllls Dul lllbt ~ utlllltI Dtlf lOA
there. 1 don't care ii II Is the flag of
Patagonia, so long as IL was sold to me
for that of England. Good morningr
The hArbOr master had nothing TO
say TO this and started back; but he
had no sooner done so than the main
hulliards were pulled, the bundle at
the peak broke out, and In second the
stars and Stripes were waving before
the astonished eyes of the harbor mas
ter. the Yankee skipper, and Captain
Semmes of the Alabama. Indeed, so
large was Old Glory in this particular
case that It almost brushed the Alaba-
mas decks, the vessels being so near
togther The huge nag had been pre-
scented to the ship at her launching,
and, TO the eIS1d spectators on this
occasion, seemed larger than the ship
herself.
The harbor master put about, an
grier than before, and demanded expla-
What does that aag mean sirT
siaid he.
That's my house Gag, you
said Hobbs. the trade mark Of my
owners. | do not know whether that
red rag up there is hnmpbacked and
clubfooted or not; but You can't give me
any points on the construction of that
article up there with the stripes on il.
/ propose to fly that flag how | please;
when | please aud where L please,
whether 1t be In Hong Kong or in hell!
For the second time. good morning.
and Hobbs went below.
THE house flag being technically
merely the insignia OF the line or own
ers. the harbor master could carry the
argument no further. Semmes, how
ever. was so angry at having the Stars
and Stripes Haunted in his face that he
swore to blow the Humming Bird out
Of the water If he ever caught her out,
side, no matter what ilag. she sailed
under. He never did II, however, as
this voyage hung fire as so many others
did, and, as shortly after this the Ala
bama exchanged with the hearsarge
certain little civilities we all know about,
his blowing days were over
DRESSlNG-R0OM DON'T.