The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-04-30
A LOAD on SALT.
How a Famous FilIbuster Took on Its Cargo
Perhaps for Cuba.

Among the several small vessels whose
| flibustering expeditions to Cuba have oc-
casioned this government so much annoy
| anee and expense, few have been the sub
| jeet OF as much watchfnlness, or kept GUS
toms collectors awake at night as fire.
| quently as the Woodall, writes M. w.
| Mount in Leslie's Weekly.
This trim little vessel has been intercept
ed and overhaued several times; her cargo
and clearance papers were subjected to
| the severest scrutiny, and though govern
ment officials knew, by a sort of intuition
acquired by customs officers backed By
floating rumors), that the woodall was not
the innocent craft she pretended to be,
nothing could ever be proved against her.
A story told by machinist anent an
escapade of the Woodall at a time when
her peculiar actions first attracted gov
eminent attention might throw consider
able light upon subject whose mystery
has baffied the wit of many a clever OIL
cial.
81 suppose you know all about the bayous
and inets running up from Vermillion bay
not far from the sale mines of Southern
Louisiana, where President Cleveland goes
hunting?" began the machinist. well, L
had been doing some work at the salt mines
when word come that a vessel was down in
the bay wanting all the men 1t could get to
load up ,4-
81 went with some other men. A few
were turned back, but most of us were put
on to the job of loading sacks of salt on
to the Woodall, which lay out In an arm
of the bay as close to shore as she could
get
ut was common enough for boats to run
up in the bays to take on salt or lumber,
but what ] thought queer was a lot of box
cars laying up in the woods on temporary
track. How they come there an what
they come for I wanted to know. 1t warn't
long till did.
1--WE hustled that salt on board lively, I
tell you 1t was hard work, but good pay.
Saturday the cap'n come along an says:
Boys, l got job for you to do an every
man that amt willing to swear he'll keep
his mouth shut can git
1--WE all swore.
See them box cars@ he says, pointing
to the track in the woods; want every
last one O. them car loads slowed in the
Woodall before Monday morning Kin you
do it,?
"Of course we could.
''Wel, sir, the first load we took out to
the Woodall sure was a surprise The
,Woodall had a false bottom as long an
near as wide an herself laying up there
ready for the cargo. uo
Salt Well should smile! Smelt mighty
like powder, an looked mighty like guns
an ammunition. We worked an sweated
all that night an all day Sunday an Sun
day night. We was nigh dead for sleep.
only snatching minutes rest now an
then an goin' at it again. We sprinkled
the empty box cars with salt, an, in fact,
we wasted good salt promiscuous around
there
!. Monday mornin' soon as they could git
to US down came the custom house officers.
Got wind about extra hands and rushed
job an they was bound to find out the
whole of it.
Down in the bottom of the bay lay
that cargo of powder an lead, an we was
loadin' the last few sacks of salt on to the
Woodall.
Steam was up an everything ready for
a start. The officers took look at tn
empty cars an then went on board an
overhauled the cargo. Nothin' but salt!
Eat last they went away, lookin' dissat-
isfied, an one of 'em says to me: Looks
like you fellows wasted a heap o. salt
around here
"'rwarn+ no time before the Wooda!i
had that false bottom up an in tow down
the bay.
Where was she goin'? Ask me some-
thin l know.