Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-08-22

E~
SENATOR GEORGE c. PERKINS,.
land, Wales, Franco, Germany, Spain and
the countries bordering on the Mcditerra-
mean sea He has had aIA cntures too, and
when in the mood ho can entertain his fell
low senators with romancrs of the sea that
equal tho tales of Marryat.
one story of the romantic side Of a sail
or's life is told by the California senator,
Il story which shows that truth is indeed
stranger than fiction. He shipped with "A
brig loaded with lumber from II. john
~ b., bound for Dublin Among the crew
were three boys younger than himself.
The brig Lizzie Thompson had never been
to sea, and She was found TO be unsea-
worthy after "A few Days ont. The crew, in
Guiding the boys, consisted of but l3
hands. Tho boys got sick and did not
want to 20 any farther after the brig he
gan to leak. The mon did not like the
looks Of things and mutinicd. They refused
to work tn" pumps and insisted that the
vessel should be put back, and the captain
was finally compelled to yield.
That he was wild about being forced to
do something against his will by the mu-
tiny OF the crew those who know the ma
ture OF the average sea captain of 40 years
ago will easily imagine.
They came back to st. John and an
chorcd awaiting the action Of the authori-
ties. The three boys We're disguised with
the whole sailing business and had had
enough of the sea. Perkins agreed to get
them off and away. He chose a time when
the tide was coming in and the current
was very strong. The tide rises IS feet at
st. John, higher than AZ any other port in
the world He got the three boys in boat
and was about 10 let go when one of them
refused to go unless his chest was carried
along as well This was impossible, and
the boy clambcrcd out leaving Perkins
and the othertwo in the boat A long line
was attached to the painter of the boat,
and they slipped away from the ship as if
they We're merely having IA little frolic on
the tide. But the rope soon parted, as Per
kins knew ii would, and the boat sped
away ON the tide like an arrow. The boys
We're taken to a place of safety, and on the
ebb tide Perkins returned. OF course it was
an accident and he was not large enough
to bring back two boys 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 uncycntful voyage The boys he
helped TO gcr away shipped on - brig TO
Providence and he lost sight Of them.
Last year a big fellow walked into Mr.
Perkins office in Oakland and asked him
If his name was George Clements. II said
Yes for that was the name he vent by
in his scafaring days. "Well, - responded
the big follow, Il am one of those boys
you helped get away from the Lizzie
Thompson in st. John harbur.' He soon
proved his truthfulncss by mentioning in
cidents which none but he could know
lie had had quite a varied experience hay-
ing been through the entire war, and after
ii was over settled in san Jose, Cal He
did not know that the prominent shipOwn-
cr and merchant George c. Perkins, was
once his shipmatc and it was only after
Mr.. Perkins was elected to the senate
when some of his early hist2r, was pub
lishcd as we'll As :he fact that ne was in
his younger days Known as &c &c Glenn
cuts, that it occurred to MIN mat his
boyhood friend and tie senator were the
same person. Both had seen much of life
since they parted ON the st. John, tide
once when Mr.. Perkins was making a
speech in the senate in favor OF tho Mica
ugua canal bill another senator interrupt
ed him as he was telling about the diff
cultieS of shipment Icy way Of Cape Horn
and asked if lac had ever sailed around the
cape Il sailed around Cape Horn before
the mast when was Ii years Old replied
the California senator, and ne broke into {,
carefully prepared speech 10 tell something
of what navigation around the Horn was.
His description of the waves running
mountain high, the difficulty experienced
Wlpt her Sims went bV way 1f biuppllAu