San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-08-04


sailed around the cape II sailed around
Cape Horn before the mast when was
l6 years DID," replied the California
senator, and he broke into 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 for
better weather before they could make a
trip was very entertaining to his col
leagues Mr.. Perkins, having first sailed
as mariner, in after life made the trip
in his own vessels He had also brought
vessels around for other people.
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 today will
be attended by loss of property and life,
to say nothing of the length of the trips.
Senator Perkins has several times
NIOSSCu bllC III anu mas
made extensive trips in the orient. All
of his seafaring life was not prosperous,
and when he went to California to re-
main and seek his fortune he worked his
passage to the port of San Francisco and
also his passage to the mines He began
his California career as a porter in a
store in Oreville, store that was then
doing business of 200 per month.
He soon got control of the business, and
it grew rapidly until it reached the
enormous amount of $500, 900 a year.
While he is prosperous business man
and engaged in immense affairs, he likes
to revert to the days of his early strug-
giles and is not ashamed to have it
known that he was sailor boy. One of
his interesting stories is of an adventure
he had in Christiania, the CAPITA of
Norway. He was the youngest of party
ON shore leave, and having ventured far
away from the beaten paths of sailors in
their efforts to see the city the men en-
tered the kings palace in the midst of
some grand fete then in progress They
were not discovered for some time, but
finally the older men of the party, hav-
ing imbibed too much wine, began soar
ing the American eagle and exploiting
their views in way that was far from
satisfactory to the Norsemen. They also
became too familiar with the rudy
checked Norsewomen, and this was
soon resented in a manner that looked
as if they would all be taken prisoners
or killed before they got out of the
hands Of the men who were ready to
fight like vikings.
Mr.. Perkins was the only man of the
party who had not been drinking, and
who had not given cause for umbrage,
but being with the other American sail
ors he was in for the same fate as his
companions. 1t was because he had kept
sober that escape was possible. He had
noticed side entrance, leading to a part
OF the palace grounds, which was not
thrown open to the crowds in the other
parts of the building. When in the
course of the scrimmage the Americans
reached this entrance, he induced his
companions to bolt through it. This they
successfully did, shaking off their assail-
ants and walking past sleepy sentinel
out into the park. The soldiers woke up
in time to parley with their pursuers,
and while this was going on the sailors
made a run through the park, scaled the
walls and found themselves in a strange
part of the town. After two or three
hours wandering they again got their
bearings and returned aboard ship. The
Chrlstiania authorities made every effort
to ascertain the identity of the sailors
who had created the disturbance, but
the silence of the ships officers, who did
not want any of their sailors detained,
and the bold declaration that no leaves
of absence had been granted any of the
crew the night of the disturbance prob
ably prevented an international compli-
cation which might have resulted in
confinement Of the future senator for
time in Norwegian prison.
No Sense Of Gratitude.
Representative Culberson of Texas,
one of the members of the international
monetary commission for the house, tells
an interesting story of his personal ex-
periences as a statesman in Washington
Say, do you know that fellow Hicks
that fellow that came here with ALI
gator boots and wanted me to get him
an Officer" began Mr.. Culberson in his
inimitable style. well, burned if he
amt going to run agen me for congress.
He came up here, you know, and insist
ed as how he'd done a heap for me in
the election and allowed that I'd oughter
get him fixed in some good government
job. His boots were great big things"
said Mr.. Culberson, measuring off about
three feet with his hands. "Well, took
him around to the departments with me
and did my level best 10 get him place
It'd be all right and we'd apparently be
getting along first rate with the officers
OF the departments and an office seemed
60 lNTN ,,.a,, IL.