The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-27
A REFORMED YACHTSMAN.
CHARTED a COURSE FOR THE
STORE AND WENT To THE
RACES.

The Delegates in the Hold Get IN "A
Rumpus, and the Subsequent Pro-
ceedings Lost All Interest for Him.
From the Washington Post.
Their was no doubt about It: Mr..
Wheeler was born surcharged with a
strong sporting instinct Had he lived in
those far-off days he would have been one
OF the leading spirits in such enterprises
as the Roman coliseum and the Olym-
plan games He would have patronized
gladiators in a genuine sincere way:
and woe to the fake gladiator who app
pealed to the thumb Of Wheeler for safe
" when down in the arena the other fell
low was towering bitterly over him.
awaiting the thumb-conveyed instructions
or the grand stand TO take or spare his
lie. Under such conditions nc sham or
un-horn gladiator need have applied TO
wheeler. He would have thumbed the
other gladiator to kill him on the spot
Business enwraps Wheeler to the eyes,
and until lately his bent for vigorous and
athletic sports has. per necessity, been
confined to base ball. He took time. how
ever. in base bah. to attend every game,
To be sure there were occasions when
Wheeler. consumed by base ball, on ece-
ing some grave wrong committed bv the
umpire against the home team. came
away from the game I'M a state of wrath
anu terment which did his health no
s1ou indeed, on one outrageous day
Wien the umpire-clearly a born villain,
TINS umpire was-struck out the third
man Tor the home team when the bases
We're tull, and so disappointed Wheeler.
Ha fIA 70 h..
ahche OF runs which We're clearly coming
70 them, he did not scrupe to arise pub
hcly and endeavor by elouence and
promises of reward to enlist a force to
Whlp the umpire, and otherwise deal with
that despised person as his dement's de-
served.
on the whole. however. the diversion
OF base ball toned up the nerves of Wheel
er and contributed nightly to his bod
lly ana mental veal
IL was not until within, perhaps, a
month taste for aquatics began to spring
ana grow In the breast of Mr.. Wheeler.
Coming of a Viking ancestry-as wit
ness his yellow hair and gray eyes-an-
cestors who had yearned for sport on
the water mat they pulled an oar all the
long way from Norway TO Paris for the
privilege OF scrapping the Parisians to a
nnish for fun, it was easy. indeed for
Wheeler to become uneasy and eager when
the stories Of the Nalkyrie and Defender
began tirst to swarm the papers six weeks
ago The boat instinct was powerful in
wheeler; only II had been asleep for seven
or eight centuries.
Perhaps II was a week after Wheeler
nrst began to read of the coming contest
between the cup yachts that he gave
had begun 10 include the ocean in its
bill Of fare.
Wheeler first gave way to a yachting
cap three days later he was overcome
by nautical coat and trousers He also
TOOK on slight roll as he walked: conf
uehtly referred to- the starboard side Of
the s5treet1which he pronounced STA
board'-and spoke OF the fore" and ''af-
ter" part Of his place of business.
When he called for a first drink IN the
morning he described 1t as Setting a
staySl, and once when rehearsing the
doings, Of man whq got drunk and per-
formed badly-as most drunken men do
wheeler recording in his story how that
me nero took tenth drink, said: AT
TINS point ne began breaking out his spin
maker"
Altogether Wheeler. now that the old
Morse water spirit was aroused in him
by these yacht articles, surprised his best
friends by the flavor of salt and tar which
his conversation took on. He talked in
deed like sea king and Neptune might
nave discussed affairs with Wheeler and
made profit.
When the Valkyrie and Defender began
to get together Wheeler yelled to the old
sea voice, within him and determined to
witness the races.
TN coil down my business affairs. -
Wheeler remarked to his WIFE "and clear
my decks and get everything shipshape
fore and aft, and tack over 10 New York
mean my managers all right; knows
my business allow and alOft and I'll
chart his course for him for a week ahead
and leave orders at the wheel and he'll
hold her all right for the little time I'm
away. Whatever leeway he makes Wen
easily overhaul as soon as l come aboard
OF the store after the races"
on such a showing, Of course, Mrs
Wheeler was crazy to have him 60 And
he went.
Wheeler put up at a Broadway hotel
when he got to New York 1t was, so
Wheeler said In writing home loaded to
the gunnels with yachtsmen," come TO see
the race 1t pleased Wheeler as he stood
in the hotel office to Overhear a stranger
as he pointed Wheeler out to a friend as
a great yachtsmen and the owner of a
famous yacht that could go like ghost
A friend had craved the company of
Wheeler aboard his steam yacht to the
end that he might attend the Valkyrie
and Defender throughout the SAIL and so
witness the great contest TO best advan-
tage.
Bright and early-say II o'clock-Wheeler
was at the place appointed for emDarka-
ton. Accompanied by his friend, Wheeler
walked out and waited on a floating dock
for the steam yacht to put in its appear
ance. They were on the floating dock
perhaps ten minutes. The motion of the
dock as 1t rose and fell with the waters
brought about funny feeling In Wheel
ers Interior
He mentioned nothing at the time.
though since in describing the sensation
ne said it felt like the preliminary organ.
ization of a returning board IN his stom-
ach.
But Wheeler did not have long to study
over the matter. His friends yacht came
putting up, a little boat put off to them.
and Wheeler and his friend were taken
aboard
on the way to the yacht Wheeler VINO
was closely considering the situation re-
marked that the dingy had more of an up
and down motion than the floating dock
Incidentally, albeit Wheeler said nothing
on that point, his stomach passed from
the returning board stage and felt more
like a democratic convention with a CON
test over delegations.
Just as they stepped from the dingy to
the steam yacht Wheeler noted something
in his interior which seemed to be rapping
for order while the greatest uproar pre-
vailed among the delegates.
The steam yacht lost no time in putting
TO sea. His friend made efforts to poinf
out to Wheeler the Valkyrie and Defender.
but among the hundreds of craft Wheeler
could not distinguish the racers. However
he did not care, his mind had begun to
fill with other things, and his interest in
the great cup racer was now only sec
ondary.
Wheeler began to feel very strangely
The convention raging In hts stonacn.
seemed to have seated the wrong delega-
ton; an appeal from the chair, too, was in
progress.
Wheeler, after spending fifteen minutes
on deck, complained to his friend that the
va fet- looked STRANGE tn him