Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-06-04
A STRANGE YACHT.

| WHlklOR uOWn NaUdl btrttt On MS way 10
his place OF business he was accosted by q
wei appearing stranger, who spoke to him
as follows
"Mr. Anvergne, understand that your
| club Is TO have a regatta on the 27th of the
month. My name is Barnard-Oscar Bar.
Nard--of New York, and am anxious &C
enter my yacht-er-Alpha."
May ask, Mr.. Barnard, II you arc .
member of any OF the New York zach,
olubsf" queried Mr.. An7ergne.
| mo regret to r-y chat am not, an
swered Barnard, "hnt presume that 1t Is
| not essential"
| mo, 1t is not ESSENTIAL, " replied the SEQ.
retary, but IL makes IL necessary to have
your yacht inspected by our club measurer,
This, Of course, 10 merely a formality, and
| II you will advis. me at your convenience
come time before the regatta will bring
him on board the Alpha"
"InspectionY" quericd Barnard In n
nervous tone. What do you mean?'
Merely formality, my dear sir, 70
piled Anvergne. THE idea Is TO officially
check the correctness Of your vessels regis.
ter In regard to her beam, load water line
and length over all"
On the appointed day the inspection was
duly made, and everything being found in
| WltH TtElStct
| Barr rtss entry for the coming regatta
was duly accepted by Mr.. Anvergnc.
AS the eventful day drew near consider.
able interest was shown in the perform
ance OF Alpha Although her hull and
sail arHa 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 I'LL.
And SO IL was almost fCregone conclu-
sion that she would be victorious in the
| race, and the sole speculation was as TO
| the lead she wouiS have in the finish.
Judge. then of rne surprise Of all when
she Jagged behind during the first half Of
| the race and seemed the slowest boat OF
the feet. No mishap was noted on board;
her sails were tight as drumheads, her
| spars intact, and neither the captain at
| 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 A lpha
was fully half mile astern, but by this
time tho breeze seemed to have completely
| died away. The sails of the Alpha hung
| lump, and the main boom swung lazily to
and fro, but in n little while, although no
perceptible breeze could be noticed she
listed little to leeward and began to pillow
| tho glasslike surface of the water. AS she
nearcd the scattered yachts her speed per-
| ceptibly slac kcned, but she kept along To
| the emo D. the course ind was officially de-
slared the winner.
The commodore of the New Orleans
Yacht club, while presenting the cup to
| Mr. DarDnrd couId mt rpfrain frpIn pa
marking upon the peculiar nature of the
| phenomenon they had witnessed that aft
ornoon-a sailing yacht making good head
| way without any noticeable wind. But
Barnard although appearing somewhat
| discomposed, accepted the cup with 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
| 20, 1893. Among the contestants in the
| 20 rater class was the black sloop yacht
| Ladybird, with tho name OF John B. Trow-
| bridge of Now York, unattached, appear.
| ing on hor register as sole owner. AL
| though she was unable TO stand a club
.opsail in the prevailing breeze, she made
tremendous speed and won the race by
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, crumplcd envelope addressed
In an extremely illtcrate style. 1t read ~
follows:
DEERE SEKRETERY-You kepe yur l peeled fur
the bote with the kopr canun that gong TO bette
evry bOte in yur races j cant tell the cutler
shell he or rigid the same fur he is kuter than
I'D nick And changes her awl the time she
wuT "a wife soopo at EuorleCns lSOld the alpha
and black Slope at Elidelfy kold ladyburd and
she Is on dok stript now and what shell bc the
Ia Of the race 10 one nows but mister smith
4 am soor on him rs he has gon g. bounced
Yors to command
ONNEr SEEMAs.
Tho anonymous communication Of a
iisgruntled sailor would have usually been
promptly thrown IN the waste basket and
no further notice taken Of 1t but the coup
ling of the name with Ito mysterious
Alpha and wit the widely reported Lady
bird resulted In concerted action on the
part Of the officers OF the club.
Just rs the yachts were coming down to
tho starting line n little launch darted
hithor and thither among them and finally
ranged alongside of the white schooner
called WavewOrn that was said 10 be the
property of wealthy westerner by the
name of Burrows A little why man
climbed on board from the launch, and
CHANGING oarelessly at the little copper sig.
nal run thus accosrcd the owner:
MIR Burrows, am n Pinkerton detect
I've md am required by the regatta com
mittee 10 search your yacht for possible
propclling apparatus. II you are not will.
Ing to have me make tho survey, you are
forbidden TO compete I'm these races, and "a
photograph Of your boat, which l have
Just taken, will he sent to all other clubs
for their guidance. -
Mr.. Burrows, alias Trowbridgc, alias
Oscar Barnard, etc, absolutely declined
TO permit the search, and the detective re-
turning TO his launch, the WaveworD
turned about and retrcated from the scene
Very often on a perfectly calm day
yacht is sighted upon some part of the AT
lantic coast making good Roadway with