The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-01-09
A SEA HERO.
How Harry, the Cabin Boy,
Atoned for His Sin.

Everybody who knows anything
about Bath, Me-, and her ships must,
necessarily, know the Reaper. She is
one of those trim-looking craft that
Fenimore Cooper might naturally have
pictured for his Skinner of the Seas.
Bulky of hull, shaped like sword
fish, with wings of enormous spread,
there was a time when the Reaper had
more "quick work" about her frame
than the twenty periaguas built into
single craft" of which the great
American author used to tell.
Few who were anywhere near Bath
on certain day during the centen-
NAL year can ever forget with what en-
thusasm the Reaper was consigned to
her native element. She won distinc-
ton on the high seas from the very
start. and when it was not in winning
races or carrying notable cargoes it
was in rescuing some poor wretch cling
ing to piece of timber. 1t is only
fcw years since the Reaper arrived
here the winner of 15,OOO-mile race
around Cape Horn from Astoria, Ore.
Her competitor on this occasion was
the sturdy and speedy bark Western
Belle The sum of $1,000 was staked
on this event, and the Reaper took
the prize.
But the Reaper is now in trouble,
and her many friends will be glad to
learn that the marine doctor entertains
hopes of her recovery. She is at Port
land, where she arrived the other day
badly broken down in health and
spirits, after the longest and rough
est passage in her experience, from
ocean to ocean, and that is saying
great deal for craft that has doubled
the cape as many times as has the
Reaper.
Not only were her hull and wings
badly crippled, but she lost little
hero, and those who remained on the
battling craft were struggling, emaci-
ated, exhausted and starving lot when
the vessel finally reached the head of
the Columbia river. The story might
never have been known on this side had
not the nine-year-old daughter of Capt
Young, the master of the vessel, writ
ten briefly of the same to Mrs. Fl. w.
Morris, of Brooklyn. The little girls
name is Henrietta, and she accompan-
led her mother to the Pacific coast
in the Reaper. Henrietta is sea
nymph, if there ever was one. She
loves the sea as she loves her doll, and
not only can she spin yarn as we'll as
any of the fo'k'sle hands, but she can
write an interesting one, too.
There never was tougher lot
of ''hands" collected at the instance of
: any shipping master than that which
tumbled aboard the Reaper as she lay
in the stream off Liberty island last
, May. \
Hardly had the ship got off shore
!, from Sandy Hook when the mates dis
covered that half dozen of the sailors
who had been singed as A. BIS were as
green as the sheathing on the ships
bottom. Some masters believe in in
Producing capstan bar on occasions oi
this kind; but Capt. Young is a humane
man. and, with sigh, he simply logged
the men, and determined to put uI
with bad bargain.
The mess or cabin boy who went in
the ship was known to the officers as
Harry. He had never been to sea be
fore, although he told Capt Young
when he came on board that he hao
made deep water voyage in an Engllst
bark. He was good lad for time, ant
it was not necessary to ask any ques
= tions to discover that at one time he hat
4 felt the influences of a good mother''
hand. He was only Is years old, rather
: tall for his age, with full, open face
4 light curly hair and blue eyes tha
t rivaled the clearness of the sea itself
Somehow or other, he evinced fond
t ness for that little water sprite Hen
y rietta Immediately after she cam'
aboard. 1t was one of those attach
S ments that an older brother forms TO
!, his little sister. and at the beginning O
!. the passage he made frequent trips be
tween the cabin and the headquarter
of Charley Noble to get some dainty TO
q his little queen. But after the ship ha'
/, been at sea seven weeks it was notice'
9 that Harry was irregular in his habits
:, and that his devotion ''bo the littl
:, woman aft was not as marked as
. should be. The lad had had much oo
casion to associate with the men in tn
a usual course of events. and present.
! his conferences with the green hands be
- came so frequent and pronounced tina
is Capt. Young was obliged to reprov
>, him.
n 1t was like casting water on a duck
"a back, though. These men seemed t
= have some unknown power over the DO.
. but the extent of this power was nc
:. learned until the stewardess one da
~ discovered that somebody was stealth
i, the condensed milk. A watch wa
rs maintained. but still the milk continue
!. to disappear, and finally the butter b'
9 gan to take French leave. Then til
"A -four followed to keep it company, an
! was soon joined by the sugar. Thos
a. whose duties called them aft began
suspect one another. but never for
moment was thought given to tt
honesty of Harry. Little Henriet,
~ vouched for him. and that was enoug
n. He had told her repeatedly that his al
r. bition was to grow up good. bra'
er man that he might command maiest