Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-04-10
A STRANGE YACHT.

| walking down Canal street on his way I'D
| his place Of business he was accosted by
well appearing stranger, who spoke To him
IA follows
"Mr. \nvergne, l understand that your
| club l. ~ have regatta on the Gth oil the
month My name l. Burnard-Oscar Bar
uard-of New York, and l am anxious 10
enter my yacht-er-Alpha'
May | ask. Mr. Barnard, If you are
| member Of any of the New York yacht
clubsY" queried Mr.. Anvergne.
ono, / regret 10 say that am not an
swered Barnard, but l presume that IL Is
| not essential
mo, il is not essential replied the sec
rotary, "but il makes IL necessary to have
your Yacht inspected 10y our club measurer.
! This of course il merely formality, ana
! if you will advis, me at your convenience
some time before the regatta VIII bring
! him on board the Alpha
! Inspect ion?" quer!ed Barnard In
nervous tone What do you mean
Merely formality my dear sir, re-
piled Anvcrgne The idea is 10 officially
| check he correctness of your vessel ; regis
! ter in regard 10 her beam, load water line
| and length over all.
On the appointed day the inspection was
duly made and everything being found in
accordance with the yacht 5 official register
| Barnard's entry for the coming regatta
was duly accepted by Mr. Anvergne.
As the evcntful day drew near consider
! able interest was shown in the perform
ance of Alpha Although her hull and
sail area presented no special novelty her
! speed WAS truly exceptional Even In
comparatively light breeze she almost
seemed TO run away from the other boats
! in her company, and although spreading
less canvas in "a stiff wind than any OF her
rivals she easily passed them all.
! And SO ii was almost foregone conclu-
sion that she would be victorious in the
race, and thu sole speculation was as to
the lead she would have in the finish.
Judge then, of the surprise Of all when
She Jagged behind during the first half II
the race and seemed the slowest boat of
the feet No mishap was noted on board;
Der sails were tight AS drumheads, he:
spars intact, and neither the captain ut
the wheel nor the crew clustered along the
weather rail gave any indication of any
thing being the matter. When the leading
yacht turned the stakeboat, the Alpha
was fully half "a mile astern, but by this
time the breeze seemed 10 have completely
died away The sails of the Alpha hung
limp, and the main boom swung lazily 10
and fro but in Il little while, although no
perceptible breeze could be noticed, she
listed "a little To lccward and began To plOw
the glassiikc surface of the water. AS she
reared the scattered yachts her speed per-
ceptiby siackcned, but she kept along TO
the end Of the course and was officially de-
clared the winner.
The commodore of the New Orleans
Yacht club, while presenting the cup TO
Mr.. Barnard, could not refrain from re-
marking upon the peculiar nature of the
phenomenon they had witnessed that aft
ernoon-a sailing yacht making good head
way without any noticeable wind But
Barnard, although appearing somewhat
discomposed, accepted the cup with a few
short, hesitating words of thanks, and the
Alpha and her skipper sailed away from
New Orleans that night.
The regatta of the Philadelphia Yacht
club was held in Chesapeake bay on June
90 1898. Among the contestants in the
40 rater class was the black sloop yacht
Lady bird, with the name of John Is. Trow-
bridge of New York, unattached, appear
ing on her register sole owner. AL
though she was unable to stand a club
topsail in the prevailing breeze, she made
/ tremendous speed and won the race by 2
minutes and 36 seconds and above all time
allowance.
Among the piles of letters that were
laid upon the desk of the secretary of the
New York Yacht club some few days be-
/ fore the date set for the annual regatta
was a soiled crumpled envelope addressed
IN an extremely illiterate style. 1t read as
follows:
DERE SEKRETERy-You kepe yur peeled fur
the bote with the kopr canun that gong to bette
L fpl he emil
shell be RIGID the same fur he Is kuter than
old nick And changes her awl the time She
wur wife Slope ut Nuorleens kold the alpha
and black Slope at filidelfy kold ladyburd and
she Is on dok stript now and what she ! be the
da of the race no one nows but mister smith
& am soor on him as he has gon q bounced
Yors to command
ONNEsT SEEMAH
The anonymous communication of n
iisgruntled sailor would have usually been
promptly.t thrown in the waste basket and
no further notice taken Of it, but the coup
ling Of the name with the mysterious
Alpha and with the widely reported Lady
bird resulted in concerted action on the
part of the officers of the club
just as the yachts were coming down TO
the starting line little launch darted
hithcr and thither among them and finally
ranged alongside of the white schooner
called WavewOrn that was said To be the
property Of "a wealthy westerner by the
name of Burrows \ little why man
climbed on board from the launch, and
glancing o.relessly at the little copper sig
nal gun thus accUstcd the owner:
Mr.. Burrows am "a Pinkerton detect
i've and am required by the regatta com
mittec 10 search your yacht for possible
propelling apparatus. If you are not will.
ing to have me make the survey you are
forbidden 10 compete in these races, and "a
photograph of your boat, which | have
just taken, will Ice sent To all other clubs
iOr their guidance
Mr burrows alias Trowbridgc, alias
Oscar barnard, etc, absolutely declined
to permit the search, and the detective re-
turning 10 his launch, the MaVcworn
turned about ana retrcated from the scene
Very often on perfectly calm day a
yacht is sighted upon some pant of the At
lantic coast making good Roadway with