The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-11

tune. He was one of the best men in the
world, so when he told me his plans /
offered no objections.
Katie was years old when we reached
San Francisco, and Mr.. Morgan at nnce
commenced 20 look around Tor farm that
he could buy with the money he got for the
one we sold in the East. Somehow.
though, things were not as he anticipated.
Then he commenced to worry because our
money was getting lower II The time, and
at last he was taken sick. His illness
lasted, of and on, Tor year or two, when
ne died. leaving me with only hundred
dollars after his funeral expenses were
paid.
Then followed several years of the
hardest kind of life. 1t makes me shud-
der when / think of it. l found work in a
small factory at miserable wages, and
managed to keep myself and Katie alive
by working almost day and night. But it
was there met Mr.. Dwight You see. he
was engaged in this trading business for
years, and it happened that he once came
to our factory on business. AS soon as be
saw me he seemed TO take fancy to me,
and in a few weeks we we're married.
Katie and / gave up our miserable room
and went to live on his boat, which was
large schooner.
THAT was about seven years ago." said
Mrs. Dwight, after few moments of deep
thought. land for over four years while
Katie was growing up we lived very hap
PLY. going from place to place all over the
bay:
"The life was new 10 Katie and nae and
we enjoyed il. / taught her all / knew,
and we boil learned to be good sailors, so
that in short while Mr.. Dwight did not
need any Olher help but ours. But it was
too good to last. One day Mr.. Dwight was
taken i'll and before / knew what was the
matter with HIM he dieG.
"a dootor at Martinez oama ohoard &c
soon as could get there and said it was
pneumonia, but that was no consolation to
us, and il was long time before Katie
ana i could make up our minds what to
do. We couldn't sail the schooner our
selves, and of course couldn't have a
stranger aboard. 1t was also necessary
that we make our living. so in the end we
sold the schooner and bought this sloop
from a man in Oakland. He had used it
for pleasure yacht and it was named The
Rosa something. Anyway, that was about
two years ago an6 Katie and / have sailed
it all alone ever since and never bad any
trouble. AS soon as we got it we changed
the name TO Ella"
Both women seemed quite contented
with their business. They said they were
the only people on the bay who did trad
ing of that sort and hoped to stay at it
long enough to lay aside enough to live on.
"Or until Katie gets married." said Mrs.
Dwight. looking up at the girl, who
blushed deeply.
Their system of working is to lay in at
San Francisco supply of tinware, medi-
cines, notions. a few canned delicacies,
etc. These were all stored Systematically
in the after cabin, which was arranged
with boxes, shelves and various compart-
ments. so that there would be no danger of
shifting the cargo" in some OF the heavy
gales that are common on the bay.
The two women know just exactly what
the people who live along the bay want
and they try TO make a circuit of the bay
every two months.
The owners of nearlysevery ranch on the
bay are regular customers of the little
sloOD and no prelimnaries are necessary
before coming 10 business. The vessel
comes to anchor in front of a ranch and in
a few minutes small boat puts out from
shore bearing the purchasers. They meet
like ola friends, but waste no time In for
malitiss. Sometimes the people pay money
for what they get from the owners of the
Ella, but more frequently it is system of
exchange.
The old women and the ranchers put in
their spare time at knitting wooden socks
and making clothes for sailors, such al
cannot be bought every day. These are
exchanged for what yer there is board OF
equal value. Perishable vegetab les and
fruit are also taken for tinware or other
articles The people who live in arks
good customers and even the Chinese
fishermen occasionally buy things.
The goods obtained in exchange are dis
posed of In various ways. The wooden
goods and fruit are generally sold to men
on board ships and schoonprs lying in the
stream. What is not disposed of in this
way is taken to San Francisco and sold 10
regular dealers.
I'VE d. all our cooking right on board
here" said Katie. opening sort of closet
in the side of the cabin. You see that il
a line stove with the tank on deck, so
there is no danger of fire. and beng in
closet this way the odors do not get into
the cabin except" she added. mournfuily,
I'm bad weather. There is no need of our
ever going ashore" she said, as she closed
the doors, because we can get all the
fresh vegetables, eggs. chickens and meat
from the people we trade with"
''Our hours tn board are just as regular
as can be-" said Mrs. Dwight. 1--WE get
up at 6 o'clock, when one of us reads a
chapter from the Bible and then get break
fast. If the weather is good we do eur
trading. and if it isn't we sit in the cabin
aud read while the waves rock our boat
about like cork. After coming to anchor