Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-04-29
MAYFLowER 10 Try III AGAIN.
After Fifty Years the Smack Will
Make GOld-Hunting Voyage.

After Fifty Years the Smack VIII
Make Gold-Hunting Voyage.
A party of 20. young men from Bucks
port, Me-, and Orland have bought the
old fishing schooner Mayaower and will
fit her up for cruise to Alaska, whence
they propose to start overland for the
klondike gold fields. The Mayfiower
was built more than half century ago,
and though she has been to the Grand
Banks nearly hundred times after cod
and taken one trip to the coast OF Ice
land for halibut, she is still stanch and
seaworthy, and with average luck she
will find no trouble in making the voy-
age around Cape Horn. Sailormen who
believe in luck say the Mayfiower was
never made for a Grand Banker, and
declare she has never yielded any prof
it's to her owners since she started on q
memorable cruise for California in 1S49,
and turned back when near the equator
| because the officers in charge changed
their minds.
This cruise was the most remarkable
ever made by the Mayhower, and also
one of the strangest ever undertaken
by any vessel not engaged in piracy.
Early in June, 1s49, she sailed from
Bucksport fully equipped for long
trip to the Grand Banks. She carried
crew of 20 men, and was well supplied
with all kinds Of ships stores, includ-
ing salt, bait, provisions and clothing.
She also carried ~ barrels Of New Eng
land rum, which the captain bought for
the very low price of eight shillings
a gallon and was taking along to trade
with the other Bankers. 1t was raw
and blowy weather when they beat
down the bay, so the captain gave the
men a little rum to cheer their spirits.
Then he gave them little more, and
still little more, and the result was
that when they had worked out into
the open sea the captain and most of his
hands were royalty drunk.
] Stories of the great wealth which had
been found in the river beds of Califor-
MIA were familiar to every man on board
the schooner. At least half the hands
intended to cross the isthmus and make
their fortunes as soon as they returned
from the trip with money enough to
carry them to the diggings. No sooner
had they got away from the land and
felt the inspiring influence of the rum
than they wanted to abandon the banks
and take the Mayflower around to San
Francisco. They spoke to the captain
about it. He hesitated long enough to
take a few drinks, and then indorsed
| 1f,y IL 81 ho1 I, ;eo
Mayaower was brought about and head
ed southeast to catch the trade winds,
and for three weeks the crew did moth
ing but drink rum and throw over the
bait for which they no longer had any
use. 1t was glorious trip while the
wind held out. Every man felt himself
certain to come home rich inside Of two
! years. and all of them were going to re-
turn on the Mayfower, which would
sail into Bucksport harbor laden to the
| gunwales with gold dust.
| When some 500 miles off the coast of
Africa the rum barrels went dry, and
captain and crew began to regain their
senses. With many regrets for good
bait and valuable time wasted they
pointed the nose of the Mayfower for
the Grand Banks, where they begged
and borrowed food and bait enough to
supply their wants until they had made
a full fare of fish. After an unusually
long trip they returned to Bucksport
and found that the price of Goldfish had
doubled while they were away. AS the
men sailed on shares in those days every
one profted by the advance. AS soon
as they were paid off more than half
Of them started for California, where
some Of them got rich and others died.
Chicago Inter Ocean.