Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-08-04

with the whole sailing business and
had had enough Of the sea. Perkins
agreed to get them off and away. He
chose time when the tide was coming
in and the current was very strong.
The tide rises Is feet at ST John, high
er than at any other port of the world.
He got the three boys in boat and
was about to let go when one of them
refused to go unless his chest was car
riei along as we'll This was impossible
and the boy clambered out. leaving Per-
6ins and the other two in the boat. \
long line was attached to the painter of
the boat. and they slipped away from
the ship as if they were merely having
a little frolic on the tide But the rope
soon parted. as Perkins knew it would,
and the boat sped away on the tide like
an arrow. The boys were taken to
place of safety, and on the ebb tide Per-
kins returned. OF course it was an ac-
cident. and he was not large enough TO
bring back two boys as nearly as large
as himself. The fact that he returned
was evidence Of his good faith and
neither he nor any member of the crew
was punished for mutiny. The ship
was repaired and made an uneventful
voyage. The boys he helped to get
away shipped on a brig to Providence,
and he lost sight Of them.
Last year a big fellow walked into
Mr.. Perkins Office in Oakland and ask
ed him if his name was George Glenn
ents. He said Yes for that was the
name he went by in his seafaring days.
Well responded the big fellow, Il
am one of those boys you helped get
away from the Lizzie Thompson in ST.
John harbOr" lie soon proved his
truthfulness by mentioning incidents
which none but he could know He had}
had quite a varied experience. having
been through the entire war; and after
it was over settled in San Jose, Cal. He
did not know that the prominent ship
owner and merchant, George c. Per-
kius. was once his shipmate, and it was
only after Mr. Perkins was elected to
the Senate. when some of his early his
tory was published as well as the fact
that he was in his younger days known
as George Clements, that it occurred
TO him that his bOyhOOd friend and the
Senator were the same person. Both
had seen much of life since they parted
on the St. Johns tide.
once when Mr. Perkins was making
a speech in the Senate in favor of the
Nicaragua canal bill another Senator
interrupted him as he was telling about
the difficulties of shipment by way of
Cape Horn and asked if he had ever
sailed around the cape. Il sailed around
Cane Horn before the mast when l wash
rs years Old" replied the California
Senator. and he broke into a carefully
prepared speech TO tell something Of
what navigation around the Horn was.
His description of the waves running
mountain high, the difficulty expert
enced whether ships went by way Of
Magellan strait or on the outer course
and how they often had TO turn and run
before the wind and wait for weeks I'D
better weather before they could make
= trip was very entertaining TO his col
leagues. Mr.. Perkins, having first sail
Cd rs mariner. in after life made the
Trim in his own vessels. He had also
brought vessels around for other PEG
pie.
He admits now that he has no han
kering for trip by the way Of Cape
Horn and SAYS that shipping that way
in the best built vessels of to-day will
be attended by loss of property and
life. TO say nothing Of the length of tho