The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-15
IS A PROFITABLE VENTURE
Success Of the New Providence Schooner
A. T. StOWell.
PAST COMMERCIAL INTERESTS.
The Schooner Recalls the Glovies OF De-
parted Days and shows h Provi-
dencs Enterprise Can DO when Prop
eriy Directed Voyages Made.

As a hint OF what the commercial
| gone by and what can be lone now IL
capitalists were willing to invest. the
schooner A. Il. Stowell, which was re-
Gently built, but whose voyages have
been most successful, is a good example.
The great merchant marine in which
Providence gloried Is a thing of the past.
but the return from the investment
made by the owners or the schooner
mentioned has given rise To the belief
that q mercantile business far greater
than that OF the city during the first half
of this century can be built.
The A. L. Stowell is owned mainly by
the stockholders OF The Providence Ma
rine Railway and Dry Dock company and
by her captain. Caleb Il Kelly She was
built In 1891 at the yard of the Dry Dock
company.
The project of building a schooner and
sending her from this port was consid-
cred rather hazardous, principally be-
cause of the small numDer Of vessels
claiming to hail from Providence. But
the work was carried on, and when COM
pleted the owners found that they had a
trim three-masted schooner drawing
eleven feet when loaded, aud OF about
400 tons burden. The cost was S31, 900.
Captain Kelly found a crew o. eli ght
men and the Stowell sailed for Phila-
delphia. There. b C luse Of her light
draught aud consequent ability to sail
up small streams, she was chosen from
among a number of vessels to carry a
cargo OF Pullman palace cars to Rio
Grande do Sui, Brazil.
Lighters Have to BE Used.
Many vessels running to South Amer
lean cities fave to anchor a distance
away from their objective point because
Of the ~shallowness of the water, a n
their car goes are carried the remainder
Of the distance by lighters. This causes
considerable expense and trouble.
The ell Of course met with none
Of this difficulty. She discharged her
cargo and sailed to Boston with hides.
From there she came to this city. Sac
left PhtladelDhia January Ii Of last year
and arrived at Providence the latter part
of September. Her owners real. zed
about s 5000 from her eight months voy-
age--a very large p rcentage.
In this city the SCowell went on the
dry dock aad underwent repairs. Then,
in October, she sailed to New York and
carried a general cargo TO a port on the
A valuable ergo Of hard wood was
rougnt back TO New York from the
Gulf.
On Her 1hird Voyage.
The Stowell is now on her third trip.
She carried a general cargo to Galveston,
Texas, and from there went to Maracay-
DO, Venezuela. Then she started for
Mexico. for which country she is now
bound.
The second trip of the Stowell was
anu IL nothing happens the third will be
as successful as the first. She has been
an exceedingly profitable investm mt,
and shows what Providence cap tai and
enterprise can do.
The Stowell is not the only vessel
whose home port is Providence, but II
may, perhaps, be said that she is more
Identified with this city than any other.
Providence parties are interested in
the Governor Ames, but she halls from
Fall River. There are people here who
are also interested in outside vessels, or
those which do a small coasting bust
ness But the Stowell is about the only
Que which is used in any ext nsive for
eign trade, and is owned almost wholly
by Providence people.
The great success Of the Stowell has
created interest, and may eau sc u stir
that will result in the building Of other
vessels Tor foreign trade.
But this remains to be seen.