The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-13
THE MAN WHO DID.
A story Of Years Ago with Its Share
OfPresent Interest.

ofPresent Interest.
From the New York Sun.
This is the story of man who did.
There were men at that time who
didn't, and they were as honest in their
actions. perhaps, as the others who did.
1t was more or less question of view
point. But this one man might have
turned the other way and been less
! Dlamable than many of his fellows.
| uncle Sam turns out each year now.
as he did fifty years ago, q lot of young
| fellows who swear allegiance to his
service and then go forth on sea and
plain to duties involving manliness,
! courage, and hardihood. To their
| glory, be ii said, there are no funkers.
! The service today is easier, however,
than 1t was back in 1860 and there is
not the strain of sectional feeling
among the officers that disrupted
many mess in that other time. The
worst that happens now is to get some
! priggish or unpopular chap about who
| upsets equanimities. But in 1860 feel
! ing was so strong that even the quar-
| ter deck was not free from suspicious
! or treason taint, and the "old man"
/ as the ships commander is irrever-
emily and affectionately called-was
! compelled to be diplomatic beyond Gus
toms to restrain the latent fires.
! 1t happened that a slow old tub of a
sloop-of-war lay in a French harbor
| awaiting orders to sail in some direc-
| ton or other, and her officers and men
| were looking for the next mail to
| gather news of what seemed to be an
! inevitable conflict between the North
| and South. The strain was rather a
| grave one. but the firmness and policy
| of the old man kept things in good
| form and outwardly poiteness and
| brotherhood regned. The days came
| and went, and one afternoon the ships
boat brought the mail bag aboard. In
short time every mans nose was
| buried in newspaper or a letter. and
an hour afterward the fires were more
| than smouldering in every heart.
That night the old mamie died an
admral-took counsel of himself and
decided that the most comfortable
place for him and his was the United
States; so at daylight he ordered
anchors up and all sail made for home
| Then began long, slow, dreary voy-
! age back, made almost unbeara BILE to
| the officers and men because of what
| might be happening while they were
dragging along, all unknowing. But the
| time went by as time has a sad habit
of doing, and the ship slipped by the
! Banks and pointed for Boston Harbor
A few hours later the pilot flag flew
at the fore, and not long after the pilot
| schooner was made out to windward
From that moment every man aboard
| was restrained, almost sullen, ami
| NAL. Duties were done. to be sure, but
| perfunctorily. News would soon be
theirs. and it was news they ached for
The pilots cockleshell boat was low
cred and it made for Uncle Sans tub
! The pilot made a grab at the ships
ladder, made it, and began to Chamber
! deckward. Once on board the weather.
! beaten guide found each man at his
station, every officer on deck, and the
whole crew carrying faces that were
| livid with suppressed emotion. Slowly
! he made his way to the old man, and,
pulling off his cap, scraped the deck.
! With deep clearing of his throat the
/ captain said:
well, pilot, what's the news?"
Your Boston pilot was in no more Of
! hurry i'm those days than he is now,
and he deliberated a moment before
| he answered:
"Sumter's fired on. and the United
| States has gone to hell"
Little by little the listening officers
! fell back and instinctively made two
/ groups the North and the South. The
! break had come; but, because of the
old mans shrewdness, 1t came at home
and not in foreign harbor.
/ With a very steady voice the cap
! tain said:
! "Mr. Pilot, put US into Boston as
soon as you can"
; Then lifting his hat he said:
THE flags servant and yours, gentle
| men," and went to his cabin.
! The groups, now knowing the worst,
| whispered apart, and one by one the
men disappeared. Late that night the
anchor chains hurting through the
hawse holes chanted Home again."
( In the early morning all the officers
| We're called together and their captain
said:
! Gentlemen, 1t is the parting Of the
ways. Some Of us will never meet
| again, and some of us will die in doing
what we believe is right. Uncle Sam
| has educated, fed, and clothed us, and
we have sworn to stand by him. Yet
no oath can bind a man beyond the
strength of his conscience, and changed
| conditions make a changed man. on
that table ! have written out the dear
old oath of allegiance and signed It.
J stay by the flag. Let each one of you
go TO his cabin and think 1t over; then
let him come back here and sign below
me or-let him go his way" And then
| he went on deck.
| One at time the officers came back,
| until nine names stood under that of
| the old man; the others were going the
other way. An hour later the captain
went down to his cabin and took the
| paper in his hands. AS he did so he
| looked up and saw the man who did.
young, tall, handsome midshipman
from Maryland was this man who did,
and the captains voice trembled as
| he said
| winnie, do you sign?"
| AYE, aye, sir. Same flag and same
Uncle Sam in Maryland as In Massa-
chusetts, y'know."
| God bless you, boy! Your father
and l fought side by side as lads in
1872, and, while there are some of us
who are not going away, preyed God
| your fathers son would stick 10 u.s."
This is the story of Captain Winfield
Scott schley, the man who did stick