Evening star., 1897-07-31
The Remarkable Experiences Of Brave
Captain Harendeen.
HAS MADE TEE CIRCUIT OF EWORLD
Now Anchored as Doorkeeper at
the Smithsonian Institution.
NATIVE OF NEW BEDFORD

One OF the greatest attractions at the
Smithsonian Institute has no label or sign
to designate 1T. The thousands of persons
VINO have passed this real feature of the
place have done so unconsciously, and per-
maps with no more than glance, wholly
unaware that they were in the presence OF
not exactly the greatest feature, but of
one of the most interesting objects of the
institution.
Many of those who have passed the door
keeper at the main north entrance have
doubtless remarked his gigantic propor-
tons. mild manner and evident wish to
accommodate. This man, or rather giant,
for he Is Of herculean proportions, who
guards the door. has had experiences
which few men might have passed through
and lived to tell the story, and yet he is as
hale and hearty as he ever was. A careful
scrutiny OF his figure will impress one that
ne is no ordinary man, and he is not
The massive features are framed with a
neavy beard. while a pair of kindly blue
eyes peer sharply out from underneath
shaggy eyebrows. The head is covered
with luxuriant mass of hair, which might
belong to a man of fifty years, but which
in reality 1t took sixty years or more of
most exposed life to whften.
His Varied Career.
Capt. Edward P. Herendeen, for that is
the name of the doorkeeper, has a remark
able history. He is too modest a man to
relate 1t himself in detail, but it was gath
cred from his lips almost without his
knowledge, bit by bit, by The Star re-
porter, and it is worthy of narration in
every particular. Capt. Herendeen, form er-
ly whaling master. of New Bedford, Mass.
has chummed with the Esquimaux in their
frozen huts in the north; he Gas thrown
the harpoon at the leviathan of the deep
sea; has dug deep down in the bowels of
the New Zealand mother earth and Cali
fornfa, too, for the yellow metal; has kill
ed the seal and walruS, hunted the polar
bear, fought starvation and disease on an
isolated island in the Indian ocean; has
kept sharp watch for pirates in the China
sea; has tasted the salt water when he
thought it would enguf him forever, ard
has passed through as many adventures.
or more. than are In the ordinary course of
events allotted to dozen men.
Now that it is all behind him like a show
that is gone, Capt. Herendeen guards the
front entrance to the institute and gazes
as placidly out on the green expanse as if
his eyes had never traced the course of
the harpoon-maddened whale or tracked
the polar bear to its lair.
Capt. Herendeen was born sixty-seven
years ago. come September. in New Bed
ford Mass, where his "forbears'' had fol-
lowed the sea for generations. Since then
he has been around the world several times
and has spent between five and six years
in Alaska.
His Remarkable Title.
1t was on an expedition there that he re-
ceived unusual title, in this wise: He
was a member Of the interpoar expedition
of 1881 under Lieut.. Ray, which went to
Point Borrow. He was put down on the
roll as interpreter, quartermaster, and SO
FORTH" Since that he has had the title of
Capt. So Forth" applied to him. He speaks
Esquimau almost like a native and is
deemed invaluable as an interpreter of the
language.
The captain modestly narrated some of
his adventures today to The Star reporter.
He said
Il think 1T was in 1916 or 1S47, just about
fifty years ago, when 1 was prentice boy
on a sailing vessel, that l had my first
glimpse into Davy Jones' locker, and l
thought l was bound for it for good and all
time. We were going around Cape Horn, in
a heavy gale, when 1 went overheard. AS
1t happened, 1 caught my ankle in a blight
of rope, which was the only thing that
water by this, more dead than alive, choked
with water and almost frozen. 1 could not
have survived for more than a minute or
so longer in that water.
II happened to be in California, from
Callao, having sailed from Nantucket, when
the gold fever broke out in 1919, and 1 was
infected by it. I spent some time in the
mines, and finally left, after doing fairly
well. 1 also dug for gold in New Zealand,
but was not successful
A narrowing Experience.
One of the most narrowing experiences