The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-08
SCHOONER JEFFERSON BORDEN.
A Vessel that Jack Thought was Haunted
Some "reminiscences Called Up by the
Death of One of the Mutineers.

~
The schooner Jefferson Borden. al
though long since wrecked, will not pass
from the minds of men. In one way or
another that schooner keeps coming up,
not exactly out of the ocean, but out for
the past, and is fast becoming a bad ira
dition.
The history of the famous mutlny mas
been reSold again of late, and has served
to revive recollections of the story OF ner
loss, and of the odd events to say the
least, connected Herewith.
While Captain Patterson insisted, and
the court and jury are agreed with nlm'
that he was forced to take life, IN order
to save his schooner, and the lives OF
innocent people, still sailors fought shy
of the Borden, and she became an opJect
OF terror to them. Her graceful lines
will be recalled by many who saw her
in this port. When loaded and deep
down in the water she presented rather
an odd appearance, her black sides con-
trasting with her white sails, and tall
masts always kept we'll scraped down.
Somebody after while suggested In an
evil hour for the owners, that she looked
like picture of craft in " The Pirates
own" or some book of that class, and
the idea took at once with the sons OF
the sea, and that was about the end OF
her as the Jefferson Borden.
Crews would be.shipped, and could make
the passage to the nearest port there to
desert. 1t was whispered that the blood
stains on her deck were as clear as on
the morning after the shooting OF the
sailors, the righteousness of which act
was abundantly demonstrated re Gently
by the widely published confession OF
one of the men.
10 be sure it was proven that the
planking had been .renewed, and that as
far as the deck went she was new
schooner. Jack isn't given to reasoning
out things, but he is, perhaps because
of his life on the ocean, much noted for
an ingrained belief in spirits, and in
mysteries generally, perhaps given, as
Carlyle would say, to unfathomable
dialogues with the ever moaning brine, "
any way having very firm faith in the
unreal, The blood stains on the deck OF
the Borden were not to be washed out
by the easy process of taking up the
planking, and SO they remained, lrvlsI-
BILE indeed to ordinary men, but Visible
enough to Jack, much to his discomfort,
and in the end resulting in sending him
ashore with his bag of clothes ii he
could get it, if not without it.
"She's haunted" was next whispered,
and strange stories were told by Jack
when ashore. and bit in liquor. 1t
was said that at high midnight, when
evil spirits have power, that three spirits
might be seen to leave the forecastle
or the deck, and then sor the masthead,
all of which being believed by deep
water Jack led him to decline to ship on
board craft plainly in the commission
of the evil one and quite likely to be
sent below at any time. Jack was rather
more than willing that she should 60
below, but be objected to going with
her.
Then the Jefferson Borden was with
drawn from the sea, to be repaired, ano
as the Jefferson Borden sailed the sea no
more, reappearing as the Arcadia, ano
az the Arcadia she should have had good
luck. but as matter of fact didn't, but
inst the reverse. Ill luck followed her,
and it was not long before the true state
of the case becoming known to Jack,
there was no such thing as getting a
crew of good sailors.
1t was at this time when Captain Pat
terson, doubtless good master, and q
| humane man, who, aside from the one
| sad night when he fought as brave
! man should for his life and ship, had even
| less than the ordinary trouble with his
men, it was at this time that he shipped
a crew here, but found that not man
would do duty. They didn't find any
fault with Captain Patterson, but they
| objected to sailing in haunted schooner
They were brought before Commission
er Rand, who tried to make them SCI
| that they must keep their contract. ano
| in the end ordered them Oh board, an6
| Can't. Patterson sailed.wi a crew of mer
who were firmly convinced that will
| them sailed shipmates whose names wer'
not to be found attached toLthe articles
but who were none the less present OF
board.
So Jack, holding Carlyle's "unfath
omable dialogues with the ever moaning
brine" concluded that when port wa
reached he would desert, and as mattel
| of fact every Jack did desert as soon al
port was reached. They had no com
plant to make against captain or mates
but who, reasoned Jack, would consent
to sail in vessel plainly and unmis
takably owned by the evil one, known
to Jack as Davy Jones. and of which h'
was likely at any time Ito take posses
sion? Certainly Jack wasn't the one sstt
do it.
And SO Jack having deserted, spread
the ill fame of the Arcadia abroad, ant
for long time no crew was obtained
but at last she reached this port again
| IA for tbo oct TINA smen admired he