davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05

But a few months later l went on a
Malanga up to Tununga, where, you
know, there are several stores. | had
some business there, for 1 was buying up
tobacco, but l thought l would make a
bit OF a pleasure trip OF it we'll. So l
went along By easy stages, stopping
several nights at villages on the way.
And, the last night before l got to Tun-
unga, 1 found a white man living in
Samoan house. His name was Johnston,
he said. he was blacksmith by trade.
and had been making some ironwork for
man who was building schooner near
by. But now the job was finished aid he
was just living on among the Samoans,
wait ny for something else TO turn up. I
couldn't help thinking that there wasn't
much chance of getting work in that
place, but he didn't seem to mind. He
was free and easy old fellow and l soon
made myself quite at home with him.
BY and by he prod uced bottle OF gin,
rare thing i'll those parts, and We were
soon friendly enough. He had native
wife, a good-looking young girl, and he
eemed reconciled to his lot and to be in
no hurry TO go out and look for work
where he might have had a chance OF
finding it.
He was very talkat tive and told me
lot about himself and his family, and soon
L began to suspect something. 1t wasn't
the name-that was common enough.
But when he said that he had been in Sa-
moa twenty years before and had only re-
turned few months ago, it dawned upon
me.
Were you married when you first
came here?' l asked.
"Oh, yes, he replied, carelesslv. Il
had native wife, but never thought any
more about her after 1 went away
"'Apd child, too2'
"'Oh, yes, there was a boy born inst he.
fore lett. He's grown upnow into fine
young fellow and getting a good salary at
So-and-so's store. Gut he won't have any,
thing to say to his old father; much too
great swell for that
Il thought the old ia Their deserved all
the treatment he had got, but, of course,
it would not have been polite to say So
Then the fellow told me more OF his
family history and confided 10 me that he
had come TO Samoa after his business in
Au tralia failed in the hope of setting up
a blacksmith shop. But he had gone on
the spree en- lie arrived and soon spent
the little money he brought with him.
Now he d dat see how to send for his
wife and children, much less how TO keep
hem when they got here.
"'Children. did you savp l exclaimed,
thinking of young jimmy and the Sa-
moan woman, with her unchanging
fidelity.
"Oh, yes said The old man, quite una
Dashed, 'Ive wife and six kids in Aus
trelia. And hey We got a aood education
too, for was we'll off then Look here
HE went TO a battered old sea chest,
which appeared to be his whole personal
luggage, and from under layer of rag
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05

notice, but just then the door was roughly
pushed OPEN and fat, middle-aged man
came in. He didn't look a very respect
able party; his face was flushed, and he
rolled in his walk as if he had been drink
ing, and be wore a ragged suit of clothes
which would have disgraced a beach
com Der. But mother knew him, and like
a flush she had her arms round his neck
and was hugging and kissing him. Here's
your father come back knew he would,
waited long. but now he is mere"
"'Ths man seemed dazed by this sud- en-
display of affec ton, and said nothing for
while. [ sat quietly at the table. Won
derinG what would happen next.
Then mother took the man by the
hand and pointed me OUT
"'''There's our boy, Siami," she said, as
well as her tears would let her. ~ have
cared for him well. Look at him, is he
not fine papalangi gentleman
the man seemed sort of dazed. He
passed his hand over his forehead and
then he recovered himself. "Oh, yes, l
remember now; there was a kid when
went away. Blessed if l hadn'; forgotten
all about it. l never thought it would
live; il seemed such sickly little thing.
But what did yer want to 20 and
make gentleman of the boy for,
Mele? What 1 wants is rood hard
working boy, with a trade at his fingers
ends who can be help to mis- father in
his old age"
Mother was terribly disappointed, l
could see, thoug b she tried to hide the
tears which would fall. Still, she replied
If he is gentleman, he's steady hard
working lad, and he's getting SIS week
at the store"
wv hen the old man heard this his
bleared eyes frightened. "Oh, all right
then, Jimmy, my son; here's nv band
and L hope you'll be good son to your
dad who's come all this way TO seek Won
out"
But wouldn't take his dirty hand.
He might be my father, so lar as l knew
but wasn't going TO have anything to do
with him. So L left the house. and 7
haven't been back SINCE I've tried RI
persuade mother to come away, too. hut
she will stick to him, though he's the
drum kenest old loafer on the beach. Eve-v
penny he can sQueeze out OF her goes in
drink. and ne tried the same game on mo
but l turned him out of the store nm ck
enough
What's he be n doing all this time p
asked.
:" oh, he's been in Australia, and from
what l hear. he did pretty we'll at his
trade for while. But lately he failed
altogether, and then, when he found the
colonies played out, he thought he would
run down to Samoa and see what he could
do here. Pve told mother again and
again not TO give h m any money, SO as 10
make him go TO work; but it's no use,
she's TOO fond of him.
This YVES all j mmy's tale and mex
day he went his way in the boat, and
heard no more of the matter for a while
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05

The award of the Paris tribunal was the first
check to his career, but it left to recent
events to mark the final passing OF the fur seal
hunters in the water OF the North Pacific.
1t is not the luoberly landsman who on the
rookeries hits a sturdy but harmle less bull seal over
the head with q club that is spoken Of, but far
more picturesque individual, the hunter OF the
pelagc sealing schooner.
His was calling that arose and hourished ex-
c.usvely on the Pacific Coast was in Its heyday
;bout five years ago and is now becoming his
tory. His was life teeming with danger and
adventure, demanding Drawn and brain and
daring; arduous perilous and exciting. Al
though unsung in verse and unrecorded in prose
save in the brief marine news dispatches his
will ever be honored by those who 60
down to the in ships, for they appreciate
what he was and what glory he deserves.
Pelagic sealing and seal poaching all one
TO the average reader of newspapers. Seal
poachers' is the term hurled at the fur seal
hunters by those journalists who know not of
what they write but think that 10 be patriotic
they must condemn that to which the United
States Government is opposed.
Whatever the merits OF the controversy be-
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05
Learning to Ride.
(THE END.)

never recall my first attempt to ride a
Whee4 without experiencing a thrill of
pleasure to think that l am still alive.
With the aid OF two experienced riders
L had managed TO mount wheel.
Handy had l taken a firm grip on the
handle-bars than the Two accompIices re-
leased their hold and left me alone to the
wild mercies of an unmanageable bike.
/ knew well that every thing depended
upon my GOODNESS, so held the handle.
bars with still tirmer grip and endeav-
ored to balance my body 10 the move
ments of the wheel, which was now shy
ing desperately from one side of the road
to the other. Already l realized that [
was in a hopeless pos ton, and, as the
wheel struck the curling at this moment,
1 hastily dismounted. Perhaps l did not
get off in a very graceful manner, never
theIess l struck the sidewalk with force
and enthusiasm that won the applause of
the ohiookers.
By the end of free weeks I was able n
Law aside my crutches. remove the snlints
from my arm and lake the pledge against
beef lea. For time l cared not TO ride
so we'll satisfied was l in being able IN
walk; but in an unguarded moment 7
again fell victim 10 the pernicious habit.
This time 1 was more successful, and be-
came so well satisfied with my success
that l determined to visit young Iadv
acquaintance.
1t was not until 1 was about to leave
that l realized my inability to mountl
The very thought made me turn pale, and
by the time l reached the gate cold bea n
o. prrspiration were standing on nv 10
head. Alter making several unsuece ssfnI
attempt to mount, the young iady came
10 my assist nee; the ne ghSors also came
out to encourage US by b IS OF advice and
kindly suggestions. With each fa;ure
uec1me more excited, my wheel became
more unmanageab e, until in sheer des.
peration l started off leading the bike.
and praying that some friendly comet
wou strike the earth in my immediate
Vlclnlty. NICK BoWDEN.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05

Il am afraid some of the Apia trades
men, being not altogether hard hearted
men, failed 10 put on profit when they
supplied the poor woman with the dainty
articles. But she never knew it, bless
you. She was so independent that she
would not have dealt at a store If she had
thought she was being favored at all. Sac
even tried 10 learn English SO that she
might talk TO her son in what she Gee med
to be his proper language, bat [ am afraid
she was not very successful at that. Her
tongue could not manage our barbarous
consonants, and 'Siami kea kume hele
was her nearest approach 10 calling the
boy to her in English.
Every night, when the days work and
play were over, she would dress the boy up
carefully in his best coat and trou. ers,
light the lamp and seat him before
a colored picture-book which some kind
.ady had given her. at the one table their
little hut possessed. Ever thing was neat
and clean, the floor properly swept, the
little bits of furniture polished till you
could zee your face in them, and there was
nothing to ind icate that the home might
not have belonged to some English
woman in humble circum stances.
MANY night have 1 dropped in and
found the couple sitting there, little
Jimmy laughing at his pictures and the
woman busy over her needlework. His
father might come back at any minute
she would explain in her simple way; he
would like to find his boy a papaiangI
gentleman and not 4 common Samoan
child.
For herself the poor soul had never a
thought, her whole being cen iere round
the boy. And when he got big enough
the good fathers took him IN at the con-
vent chool, and he was educated with the
white children, so that he crew up speak
ing English perfectly. Thoueh they never
admitted it / am sure that the kindly
priests stretched o point in the mother S
favor. or else the poor woman would never
have been able to pay the fees for her
sons education.
LAS long as l was in A2ia never lost
sight Of this interesting couple, but after
a few years, you know, | got married N.Y.
self. Then went away trading in NV
Bri ain. and so for time l heard nothing
of the mother and her son.
when / did come back to the Nayi.
gators 1 found Jimmy quite grown-up
Iad-a general favorite throu bout the
whole town. His education was finished
and he could read and write better than
The majority of white men on the beach.
let alone the balf-castes. His mothers
friends, and she had many, had got him
good position in one OF the largest stores.
He was already able to help her little
and promised TO do well for himself In
life. The good woman was still single, She
lived confidently in the hope that one
day Siami would return and find that his
son had been well brought up and was
really papalangi. This was her one con-
ISOLATION, poor woman, and she had held
TO the idea SO long that at last she had
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05
BY J. F. ROSE SOLEY.

else it was the drink, or some other cause,
for after he had been there a year he
cleared out, leaving his young wife with
a ba by a few months old in her arms. He
left no money or anything else behind for
her support, and when he was gone no
one troubled more about him.
at would have been easy enough for the
woman to have got another husband, a
native this time, to whom the baby
would have been no obstacle. But no,
Siami, as she called him, meaning Jim,
would one DAY come back to her, and in the
meantime there was Siami the younger,
named after his father, to look after and
bring up in white mans style, so that
when her husband returned he might
have no reason to be ashamed of their
child.
This one idea stuck to her right
through. Siami must be brought up as q
papalangi, as viii e mans son. and not
as Samoan. Therefore, she refused to
go back and live with her people in the
native style. though of course, being kind
to their relations. as all Samoans are,
they would have been glad to keep her.
"She knew that if she took her BOY into
a naive house she could not prevent his
learning native habits and growing up
like brown skinned youth. So she did
brave thing for an island woman,
though it mightn't seem mucl 10 you,
being accustomed to the ways OF Euro
peans. Sac cut herself adrist from her
family altogether and took her few sticks
of furniture into a small ~eatherboard
house, which she rented at the back of
the town. 1t was only a miserable little
place, hardly more than a hut, but she
made home Ct it for her boy.
''She got washing from the ships. and
the people of Apia, knowing her sad
story and admiring her Independence .
gave her odd jobs Of ma making and
needle-work, az which she was very
clever. So she Just managed to exist, but
as for the boy, he Jared like rich mans
child. The mother would live on taro or
bananas or any native food she could
pick up, but the boy must have every
luxury. The mother might wear an old
cotton lava-Iava for her sole garment, but
the child must always be dressed in tile
daintiest little clothes the Apia stores
could furnish.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05

grown 20 believe in it. l did not see much
of her then, though. for soon after | got
back to Apia l bought this store, and
moved out of town altogether.
The old man paused and wiped his fore
head. Talking always made him perspire,
he said. And Silei, who seemed by some
kind OF instinct to understand that he
had been conversing about women of her
own race, beamed with her most engaging
smile IS she handed him the bowl of kava.
But did Jimmy never come back?"
asked, when l saw that he had recovered
his energy.
"Oh, yes; that's the second and saddest
act in the drama. He did come back;
worse luck.
at was about two years ago and l was
living quietly enough down here. l
hadn't seen m Oh of the young haIi-caste
or his mother for some time. since it was
seldom went to Apia, place where one
only spends money and does no good to
ones self. But had heard that the boy
had shown great business aptitude, and
had been advanced to a responsible posi-
ton in the firm, so that he was able to
keep his old mother in comfort. To do
him Justice, he was not like most young
people who, once they are grown up and
able to SHIFT for themselves, think no more
of their parents. Naturally, though, he
didn't admire his father much when he
saw him.
"He told me all about it himself. was
sitting here when 1 was surprised to see
him turn up in grand style, with large
whale boat and a big crew of natives. His
firm was short of copra, he said, to com
plete the cargo of a ship they were load
ing, and had sent him round the islands
to buy up all he could get He offered a
good price, so orr business was soon salts
factorily settled. and then, as it was get
ting late in the afternoon, and it was a
long way 10 the next station, / persuaded
him to spend the night When we were
settled down comfortably over our kava,
he said, Il suppose you know fathers
come back2
what and / whistIed with surprise
at the happening of the long expected,
you don't mean 10 say, Jimmy, that the
old mans turned up againP'
"'Yes, ms true enough, Jimmy replied,
and a nice handful we've found him.
"'Teli me all about it
"'You know Jimmy went on, that
mother always had habit of getting
everything ready in the evening for faith
er's return. When I was little child she
used to dress me for the occasion, an d,
now I'm grown up, try to humor her as
much as | can. So, whenever there's
nothing special going on l sit with her in
the evenings and put on nv best coat,
just to keep her company. Well, about a
fortnight ago We were there, quietly
enough, when suddenly mother looked
up from her work and said:
60 "Y our father will come back tonight,
Siami"
"'She had said the same thing many
times before, so l didn't take any special
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05
I [ L.

III.
We'll, then" started the old man,
when first came to pia l was young
man, with no wife to look after me, and
don't know but that | was better off for
my loneliness, though I've been happy
enough since. Now I'm alone again. and
he heaved sigh, for reference TO his own
marital experiences always made hun
heavy hearted.
But TO come back to my story" be
continued, being alone like that, | nat
uraly wanted some one to do my wash
ing, and the very first day l landed lit
lie half-casle boy came to me. He was
not more than five or six, should think,
with light curly hair, and skin which
showed only touch of the tar brush. He
seemed a fine, manly little chap, and in
terested me from tae first, especially as
couldn't understand a word of Samoan,
and he spoke English. So he acted as my
Interpreter.
Please, sir, will you let mother do your
washing2' was the first remark he made
to me.
land who's mother2 I asked.
"'Ob, mother Samoan. She washes
for a lot OF the sailors and men who come
here. She does The things well, 100. Only
81 week
q But where's your father?'
L don't know And his blue eyes
filled with tears. But I'm white, ! am.
Mother says so, and / go to school with
the white boys at the priests, and FL
fcht any boy who says l am a Samoan.'
II was interested IN thls curious tropi-
cal product, and, of course, gave the
mother my washing to do. She seemed
a decent kind Of woman when she came
for the clothes-not exactly pretty, but
with an honest, faithful face. And she
WIS fond of the boy, too; no mistake
about that
by and by. when l got to know the m
better, learned all about their life his
tory, though the little drama was then
only al its commencement. But after
ward-many years afterward-I saw the
last scene played out.
"Some half dozen years before a dis
solute young man, by trade blacksmith,
had come to Apia, and, as matter of
course, had taken native wife. But he
found the climate too hot for his work, or
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05

ged clothing extracted package carefully
wrapped up in brown paper. 1t turnad
out to contain cabinet Photographic
family group representing q comelv mid.
dle-aged mother and six weII-dressed
children.
There's the family said Johnston.
There's Johnny. the eldest; he's a real
clever boy; he's going to be a greatarcbf-
tect some day; he's in good Sydney Of
fee And there's Polly; she plavs the
piano fine
THUS the old man ran over the little
accomplishments of his white Children
listened in silence. but l couldn't baIn
thinking all the time of the plain, brown
skinned woman sitting 50 patientlv with
her little boy and waiting for Siami ~
come back"
1.-THE FND0
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05
Seaers Boarding the Supply Steamer to Get Mail,
First News From Home in Five Months.

and then the schooners would go on for the
mainder of the season. They would cruise
about he entrance to the sea for straggers or
would strike westward to the Asiatic coast to
pick up the seals that had migrated rorthward
on the Japanese ana Siberian coasts. Sometimes
a schooner would be rash enough to get within
Siberian waters and would promptly be pounced
upon by Russian gun boat, seized and her crew
hurried off TO Petropa ulovski to be either sent 10
prison or allowed. after several months confne-
ment, 20 return Eome-if they could get there
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05

that purpose TO notify the boats of her presence.
With all that, however, boats often failed to get
back. There have been many cases where the
three men comprising the crew OF a hunting
craft have gone off in the morning from the
schooner far out TO sea, and have never returned
or been heard from. There are other cases
where such crews have been picked up nearly
dead from starvation and exposure days after
they lost their home craft.
The danger of sudden gales and storms at sea
was another one the sealer had to face. That il
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05

who were hunting seals from British vessel
were Am ricans, and not few of the British
vessels were British in name and register only,
owners and crew being Americans.
With the Paris award prohibiting the use of
firearms in pelagc sealing, and with the COM
bined effort now seemingly being made TO stop
such hunting, the seal hunter Will soon be a
thing of the past. He goes, but he leaves an
honorable record behind him. May some writer
who loves to weave stories of danger and daring
study him as he was and render him immortal
in a tale of the North Pacific.
AsHMUN N Brown.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05

tween the nations to pelagic or open
sealing outside of protected encircing
the Boring Sea rookerias it is misnomer TO
term those brave and hardy men who hunted
the seal the bosom of the broad Pacific
poacbers. poacher is whom thorough
SPORTSMAN detests; peiagic seal hunter is one
whom all sportsmen must admire.
To know what a pelagic seal-hunter
must know something of how pelaclc sealing
carried on. For over 100 years it has been
known that annually, about February, the fur
seals be found in larger smaller
schools, moving northward, off the Pacific Coast
on their annual pilgrimage the Boring Sea
rookeries. Off the vicinity of Coos Bay, Oregon,
is where the seals usually first appear.
They move leisurely northward, scattered
over a wide of While their movement
is general it must not be supposed that large
numbers to be found in company. About
July they pass through the channels of the
AIeutian Is and enter Boring Sea, soon to
haul themselves out on the rookeri S. Yea
after year they have pursued the same course
varying hardly more than TWO or three days in
entering the sea.
By reason of the fact that the United States
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05

at lis height, there we're
ninety-five schooners in the
fleet. All but twelve or if
teen floated the British flag.
1t was the practice of the
schc oners 10 get to sea in
February and endeavor to
fall in with the seals as
speedily as posi- bic. Each
schooner carried from tour
10 eight hunters. For each
hunter there were two boat
puilers. In addition tc these
the crew o! the average
schooner was made up of a
captain, a mate, a COOK and
a boy.
Weather permitting, the
boats would take leave of the
schooner every morning and
scatter about on the ocean,
looking for seals. Sometimes
the schooner and her little
feet of boats would be 400
or 500 miles off shore wnen
at work. The boats would
range away from the vessel
10 a distance of ten or fifteen
miles. And here came in one
of the dam ers of the life. In
the North Pacific Ocean fogs
have q nnnsf denra. sing and
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05

annoying habit OF shutting down on the water
scare without moments warning They are
thick and cIammy, and 10 a sealer possess hor-
rors untold. With such fog shutting IF
view of the schooner from the hunters the latter
were in a dangerous predicament. They all car
ried compasses, and often water and small
amount of food.
On the appearance OF a fog the schooner would
commence discharging Il small cannon kept for