The Portland daily press., 1895-04-04
W. IL KNOWN SAILOR IN PORT
AGAIN.
William Lord and His Friend "Rufeo
Joy-A Quaint Welcome Home-Port-
land Fish Gone to Boston-The Schooner
Ada Ready to Proceed to Her Destina-
tfnp


again in town on vacation. Mr.. Lord
spent the winter at the Snug Harbor, New
York, hut is back again and was warmly
welcomed by the host of friends who still
insist that he is the best preserved specimen
Of The old time man-af-war's man this state
is likely to ever have. Mr.. lord is pic
tnresque character.and is a man who will be
remembered for long time after he passes
away, but that event is still in the dis
! tance.
81 be lieve I'm growing younger. really
do" said Mr. Lord yesterday I'm not so
very old anyway, only turning past eighty
five, and that's not so very cid. l thank
the good Loid that I'm here once more safe
and sound, an old craft but sound one,
and good fol many storm YETI
| Mr.. Lord met friend.a lawyer, this week,
and ne said to the veteran, Mr.. Lord, how
long do you expect to lve?''
II don't expect at ALL replied Mr.. Lord,
II leave that : matter with the grea, dis
poser of esents.''
| 1t was tho life long acquaintance Of Mr.
Lord with that queer character "Old Rufe
Joy'' that gave him much of his extensive
reputation years ago, and during tho last
years Of Joys life it was one Of the sights
/
walked out together. Mr.. Joy was some
what older than his friend and Mr.. Lords
remarkable vigor made him seem still
younger. and so Joy had an odd way Of re-
ferring 10 his friend and former shipmate,
COMMUNICATING him. THAT boy, old Bill
uord.s'
joys all round quaintness made his
friend seem sometimes to be what he was
| ~ Eo,, nj Il
| one long voyage at sea on board a man-of-
war. and found-bis friend Joy here.i The
latter was simply rejoiced when he heard
of his arrival, and actually got out and dis
tributed some dodgers ''Joy to the world,
| Bill Lord hath come," most irreyerent
parody on a well known Lynn. Some of the
boys of that distant time knew we'll
enough what it meant, and.where to find
the tw o friends, but others simply regard
ed it as another instance of the odd ways
of 'Rufe'' JOY. The old man clung to his
friend, THAT boy old Bill Lord to the last
| Mr.. Lord is man of some education,
and of much more than ordinary intelli-
gence, and bis wit is still as keen as ever.
At eighty live his one physical drawback is
the fact thar he is very hard of hearing.
out there is nothing in his appearance that
| WouN SuSSeSU q man OI Seventy. he is Il
frequent speaker at religious meetings, and
when addressing sailors is at his best.
| Everybody along the water front knows Mr.
Lord, and he was warmly greeted by his
| friends when he made the rounds yester-
day. He will do well to take the advice of
his friends, however, and keep out of the
way of the trains that are constantly pass
| ing through Commercial street.
The Portland fresh fish dealers made
something of blunder esday night.
TaEing advantage of good MAJ Ket they
sent their 6sh mostly to Boston. expecting
of course that yesterday morning would
see more fishermen in with fresh supply,
/ but not a single schooner came in, and
| the Portland market 'went broke.
| car load of organs, three car loads of
Maine apples and d train load of horses and
cattle arrived yesterday over the Grand
Trunk for the steamer La brador.
| The st. John schooner Ada. that put in
here several days ago with her ludder gone,
was ready yesterday afternoon to proceed
to her destination, Boston. with her cargo
of lumber.
| J. W. Trefethen received about 1000 lob
| sters yesterday. brought from the east by
| the skipper of a smack that has been along
the coast. Lobsters are still high, but arc
not held at the selling price of few weeks
ago. Even the small boat fishermen seemed
10 dislike the appearance of things outside
yesterday and preferred to remain in port.
| The shermen, however, were not idle,
| yesterday. but made it batting day, and
most of them will go out this morning.
| There are sorue schooners owned here and
| at other points along the coast to which
sailors apply = the term, "Betwixt and be-
tweens," and which are fast becoming use
| less. They are too large to be profita5ly
emploJed as coasters, and too small to be
| used in the lumber trade. the larger
| schooners being better adapted TO that
branch. They cannot be change over and
very few of them earn dollar for their
owners. OF course no more of THAT model
are built, but only a few years ago they
were all the rage, and there are too many
of them left for the comfort of their own
ers. They were built upon honor. and in
almost every instance they are still good
and sound. Mr.. j. III. Blake says that
| twenty years ago more than half of the
scbooners built were of this now almost
discarded class.
| Globes Value Proven.