The Portland daily press., 1898-06-09
HOW PAINE TOOK COMMAND.
The Story Told of Naval Officer Who
Halls From Maine.


(Wm. Elroy Curtis in Chicago Record.
Lieutenant Commander Paine of the
Olympia, was my travelling companion
in China in 1895, and better fellow
never lived / had known him in Wash
ington for some years in casual way,
but never found out what good fellow
he was until we were thrown so intimate
Iy together. There was little incident
on the Journey that is worth telling.
While we were at Nagasaki, waiting for
the Pacific mail steamer for China, we
heard of % missionary massacre in Scez-
huan, which naturally made us both
eager to go as soon as possible, because I
wanted to get the news and Paine wanted
might be sent up into the country to
protect Americans.
Finding in the harbor an old British
tramp that was to sail for Shanghai that
night we decided to take her instead Of
waiting fol the regular steamer, and after
II pleasant dinner with DR.. Abercromb bic
at the American consulate, went on
board She was advertised to gleave at
sunset, but they told us the captain was
ashore and we sat on the deck waiting for
him until nearly midnight. Finally he
came aboard so drunk that he could
scarcely crawl up the ladder. Dropping
into chair he began in maudlin way
to praise DIR. Abercrombie, our consul,
and Capt Coffin of the Cruiser Charles
ton which was then in the harbor, and
condemn in most profane language the
British consul and the captain of a
British man-of-war that was also in port,
for they had wounded his vanity. s ss,
A British naval officer never addresses
the skipper of a merchant ship as leap
TAM He always calls him master, -
and it appeared that our tramp had met
the two consuls and the captains of the
two warships at the club. The AMERICANS
had shaken hands with him when they
were introduced and had called him
captain, the Britishers had declined to
shake hands and had called him mas
ter" This made him very angry and he
was going over and overasit again inco-
herently when the first mate came aft and
in deferential manner suggested that if
we were going to sail that night it would
be well to get under way at once and
staggered forward and we soon heard
preparations for departure. He was
screaming at the crew in a hoarse, pro-
fame voice and lurching and lunging upon
the bridge. I remarked to Paine that
did not like tn sail with drunken
man, but it was too late to go ashore.
"Yes,' he replied, feel as you do and
this Is a nasty harbor to get out Of. If
we were at sea it would be all right.
The quartermaster would have his course
set for him and there would be no
danger. / guess will go forward and
see if the captain will let ms take the
ship out for him. -
knowing a sailors sensitiveness, Mr..
Paine went first TO the mate and in a
diplomatic way inquired if the latter had
any objection to his asking permission to
was an officer of the United States navy
and had never handled a merchantmen
he felt great desire to do SO just for the
fun of the thing. The mate twigged the
situation, and evidently felt relieved
when few minutes later he found that
the captain had consented to take q nap
and let Commander Paine navigate his
vessel After we were fully underway
l cTept forward. The men had gone to
their quarters, the mate in the bow.
s''You've new man on the BRIDGE"
suggested. Yes" he replied, in an un-
dertone, land it's miracle that he is
there. He must have mesmeri zed the
captain, because when the old man is
drunk he gets very pigheaded."
did not see Commander Paine again
that night, but when turned in he was
pacing the bridge ard giving orders
quietly to the quartermaster in the
wheel house below. The next day he
told me that he had taken the ship out
OF the harbor and retained command of
her until the dog watch in the morning,
when the first mate relieved him. He
said he had no trouble with the captain
at all, except that the latter got very
atfeetionate and insisted upon EN- bracing
him three or four times before he would
lie down for his nap. Then he dropped
on lounge in the chartroom. and was
still sleeping like ia baby when Paine
turned in at daylight.