Evening journal., 1893-06-02
HOBBS AND HIS FLAG.
AN EPISODE OF WAR DAYS IN THE
HARBoR OF HONG-KONG.

During tho greater part Of tho war
said the retired skipper, "thore were a
large number Of American clippers stall
ed in Hong-Kong harbor, having orders
to remain there from their owners, who
feared the Alabama. This arrangement
did not at all please the captains and
officers. as many of rs were anxious to
go home and ship in the navy, but orders
were 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, as 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 q continual
and concerted growl going up from our
little band Of Yankee shippers. and old
Hobbs was the star growler Of us AL.
"His ship was the Humming Bird, a
brand new clipper hailing from Boston
The trip ont 10 Hong-Kong had been her
maiden ono. 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
seamansmp. he was more than anxious
10 put to sea and let Semmes catch him
if he could; but, like tho 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 a complicated process in
volving fathoms Of red tape and very Of
ten fell through just when everything
seemed favorable IL 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 the patriotism Of
the owners, the agents, the officials, and
even the Chinese crew. He was so in
tensely patriotic that to see n good Yam
kee craft sail under false colors would
keep him boiling for n week.
"You can SEQ what his feelings were
when ono day he was ordered to proceed
to Sumatra under the British flag. He
1 fumed, ranted and swoFe and the1
nmed. ranted and swore over again
with a fow extra choice nautical anath
emas thrown in for emphasis. This nee
essary operation over, he sent ashore e
the nntive sailmaker's for a British fas
l the smallest 20 bo had. When 10 cam'
aboard-it was about ty feet In siz
Hobbs looked al II aekaneo and or
dsrcd It TO be put ont Of sight until sail
ing day.
''Sailing day arrived, and the British
Gag was seen fiuttering quietly from it
proper place ON the Humming Bird. l
attracted mighty little attention, how
ever, for the Alabama was entering In
harbor. She foated slowly along ant
dropped anchor exceedingly close to th
Humming Bird. About this time tn
harbor master was seen In his boat be
ing rowed rapidly toward Hobbs ship
and huge bundle Of bunting about tn
size of an old shellback's sea chest wa
rapidly hauled to the maintop of tn
Humming Bird.
"Tho harbor master pulled up along
side the Humming Bird and yelied 70
tho captain. Il could be seen that b
was angry about something. Hobb
| came to tho rail in his plug hat and lon
, tailed bottle green coat, tho customar
uniform Of a skipper In those days
| | and asked tho harbor master what h
, could do.
~ want you to take down that ia
, instantly, sir, said the harbor master.
"'Guess not, said Hobbs.
a "'Its a disgrace. sir, and an insult
= hoist such n flag as thatp
a WHATS tho matter with the flag
Z said Hobbs, surprised.
y "'It's all wrong, sir; the proportion
nee all wrong. The fold Is too long e,
1 | It's width, and the rest Of il is too wide {,
is length. The crosses are wrongly q
4 ranged, sir, and it is q vile carioaturo
x an honored flag, sirl Remove it imm
a diatelyr
= "Guess not, said Hobbs again. 'Thi
dag was bought in a British port al
made by British subject, He was
Chinaman, but that is neither hero III
IT there. don't care il it is the flag
Dc Patagonia, so long as it was sold TO II
10 for that Of England. Good morningr
IA Tho harbor master had nothing to S.
IN to this and started back, but he had ]
IA sooner done so than the main halliar
III were pulled, the bundle at the pc
~ | broke out, and in n second the stars al
10 stripes were waving before the asto
ne ished eyes Of the harbor master, the Y0
a kee shippers and Captain Semmes Of {
ne Alabama. Indeed. SO large was q
le Glory in this particular case that it
ID most brushed the Alabama's decks, {
mt vessels being sonear together. The hu
~ flag had been presented TO the ship
IT. her launching and to the excited sp,
tators ON this occasion seemed larg
than the ship herself.
1.-The harbor master put about, angri
Of than before, and demanded explanation
10. "'What does that flag mean, sir? So
CO be.
; "'That's my house flag said Hobl
as the trademark of my owners. l do Il
know whether that red rag up there
* humpbacked and clubfooted or not, Z
or you can't give me any points on the CO
ad struction of that article up there w
the stripes on it. / propose to hy Il
flag how please, when l please q
where / please. whether it be I'm HOi