The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-06-14
HOBBS AND HIS FLAG.
AN EPISODE OF WAR DAYS IN THE
tARBOR OF HONG-KoNG.

An Impatient Yankee skipper who Had
Confidence In His Ship and Who Dared
the eAiabama-Flying Two Flags In Neu-
tral watcrs-How the Escape Was Made.
During the greater part of the war"
said the retired skipper, "there were
ed in Hong-Kong harbor, having orders
to remain there from their owners, who
feared the Alabama. This arrangement
did not Mt all please the captains and
officers. as many of us were anxious to
go home and ship in the navy, but orders
We're orders. We could not leave the
ships, and the frequent visits of the Ala
bama herself to the harbor, forcing her
self into our midst us the saying goes,
were very vivid reminders that neutral
waters were pretty good sort of an in
vention.
Although we passed the long weeks
and months as pleasantly as we could,
with all kinds of arrangements for kill
ing time. both on shipboard and on
shore, there was of course a continual
and concerted growl going up from our
little band of Yankee shippers, and old
Hobbs was the star growler of us all.
"His ship was the Humming Bird, a
brand new clipper hailing from Boston.
The trip out to Hong-Kong had been her
maiden one. and it was chatting to Hobbs
not very smooth temper to have her lie
idle so early in her career. Having great
faith in the ships speed and in his own
seamanship, he was more than anxious
to put to sea and let Semmes catch him
If he could; but, like the rest Of us. his
orders to remain were positive.
Occasionally a ship would manage to
clear by sailing under some foreign flag,
but as it was complicated process in
volving fathoms of red tape and very Of
ten fell through just when everything
seemed favorable it was not resorted to
very often. When it was tried, however,
old Hobbs would go on his beam ends
with wrath. He would fume and rant,
casting aspersions on tho patriotism of
the owners, the agents, the officials, and
even the Chinese crew. He was so in
tensely patriotic that to see a good Yam
kee craft sail under false colors would
keep him boiling for week.
"You can see what his feelings were
when one day he was ordered to proceed
to Sumatra under the British flag. He
fumed, ranted and swore and then
fumed, ranted and swore over again,
with few extra choice nautical anath-
emas thrown in for emphasis This nee
essary operation over, he sent ashore to
the native sailmaker's for British flag
the smallest to be had. When it came
aboard-it was about by A feet in size
Hobbs looked at it askance and or
dered it to be put out of sight until sail
ing day.
Sailing day arrived, and the British
flag was seen fiuttering quietly from its
proper place ON the Humming Bird. 1t
attracted mighty little attention, how
ever, for the Alabama was entering the
harbor. She foated slowly along and
dropped anchor exceedingly close to the
Humming Bird. About this time the
harbor master was seen in his boat be-
ing rowed rapidly toward Hobbs ship,
and 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 along
side the Humming Bird and yelled for
the captain. 1t could be seen that he
was angry about something. Hobbs
came to the rail in his plug hat and long
tailed bottle green coat, the customary
uniform of a skipper in those days,
and asked the harbor master what he
could do.
"T want you to take down that flag
instantly, sir said the harbor master.
"'Guess not said Hobbs.
"It's disgrace, sir, and an insult to
! hoist such o flag a. thatl'