The morning call., 1893-08-29
WHICH Is BOSS +?
Tits Between a Skipper
and Charterer.
THE CAPTAINS VICTORY.
The Master of the Schooner Prosper
Has Disheartening Voyage
From Alaska.
THE CAPTAINS v

The schooner Prosper. Captain Schroe-
der, arrived in yesterday, twenty-five days
from Naknek, Alaska, with $3.50 barrels of
salt salmon.
Commercially, barring one accident. and
eteorologically. the voyage was success,
but socially il was dismal failure, and
will doubt lead to lawsuits.
When she was boarded by Mr.. Fitzgerald,
the Merchants Exchange reporter. Cap
tain Schroeder asked him to send a police
man to the ship. Officer O'Malley was
sent. and on presenting himself to the
skipper was asked to stay aboard and pro-
tect him from violence at the hands of l..
A. Peterson, q passenger and owner Of the
cargo. Thereby hangs a tale of acIidness
and angry blood and threats and fear.
Captain Schroeder is part owner of The
Prosper, and Peterson, who owns a sailing
establishment at Naknek. chartered her for
the round voyage.
The subject for dispute during the entire
return voyage was whether the master or
the charterer of vessel should have COM
mand.
Peterson insisted that his voice in the
management OF the craft was supreme,
while Schroeder stood upon marine tradi-
tion, custom and law, and brought his
schooner safe TO port
On the voyage north Peterson, his BROTH
er and Joseph Rasmussen were passen-
gers. The first mate. William Banks. was
lazy. let everything take care of itself and
lost no opportunity 10 berate Captain
Schroeder's seamanship to Peterson. The
deekload of lumber and empty barrels was
badly slowed, and with every lurch shifted
from five to six inches, Still. she carried
lots OF canvas. and did not lose rope
yarn.
Entering Naknek River Captain Schroe-
der never having been there before), Pc
terson pointed out the channel. with the
result of running her ashore at low tide.
She lost her shoe, the anchor punched
hole in her starboard bow. the hatch
cembings were opened as we'll as planks of
her deck. also the cardboard streak. She
was floated off with a high tide.
On arrival at the fishing station the two
mates were discharged. After she had
taken in cargo aud was ready to sail Pc
tersOn announced that he had selected two
men for first and second mate. Captain
Schroeder retOrted that he would choose
his own officers. and appointed Ernest A.
Osterkamp and William Williams from
the forecastle 60 those positions. where
upon Peterson threatened to put Captain
Schroeder. his wife and the two mates on
the beach.
The only reason he did not attem pt to
put his threat into execution was tn at he
knew no more about navigation than the
proyerDial hog knows of Latin. and apart
from Captain Schroeder there was no one
aboard above the grade of able seaman.
He continued abusive to the captain and
his wife, and # he had had the element of
leadership would. perhaps, have succeeded
in raising a revolt. The cook, Fritz John
son. and his wife sided with Peterson, and
more than half the crew were ready to
join in the sport.
Captain Schroeder had not only himself.
but his wife also, to protect and his only
| allies were MS two mates. He did not fear
an open attack from Peterson in daylight,
but at night he took the precaution to have
one OF .he mates sleep on a lounge in
front of his cabin door The threats and
personal abuse were repeated late on tn G
voyage, and Schroeder feared violence
whenever the vessel should dock; hence
his call for police protection.
1t is believed, now that he has reached
shore, Peterson will attend to his own
business and will allow Captain Schroeder
the same privilege.
One of the men said TO CALL reporter
that Peterson would certainly have made
the attempt to take the ship away from
Captain Schroeder II there had been a COM
petent navigator aboard who would have
stood in with him.
Mr.. Peterson was seen by CALL man,
and said the first trouble arose over Cap
tain Schroeder's refusal to go ashore and
MoIk WHEN IhH VeSsel reacneQ Naknek
the same as the rest of the crew did that
he stayed aboard ship with his wife and
consumed provisions which were needed
for the return voyage; that he Peterson)
finally took the provisions ashore; that
Captain Schroeder went across the river
TO the Arctic Packing Company and
abused him like a piekDocket, and that
when they started on the return voyage
Captain Schroeder tried TO eject him from
the cabin, which he had occupied on the
trip north.
He admitted that there had been harsh
language on both sides, but he still main
tains the position he first held, namely:
that as charterer of the vessel he was su-
preme in command. He laughed at the
idea OF having threatened Schroeder, and
said he had high opinion of Schroeder's
ability. and that the only objection to him
is his insubordination.