Evening journal., 1898-12-23
WAYFlRER'S S NOTE BOOK
Things, Pleasant and Uupless'
ant, Caught on the Way.
sKITs ON PERSONS AND THINGS
IF fur READ rHEM BEFORE SUP
PER THEY WILL AID YOUR D1
GEsTIoN. BUT THERE rs NUTH-
ING PUT IN THEN TO LULL YOU
TO SLEEP.
CHASED by THE ALABAMA

CHASED BY THE ALABAMA.
While walking up Market street yes
terday the WAyGarer met Captain
Thiip Reyboid and a friend, whom he
introduced as A. G. Emerson, Of the |
Anchor Line Steamship Company, an
old seafarlng friend as Well as a chum
of boyhood days. The Whyfarer as
certaincd that Mr.. Emerson was OF
Delaware BIRTH being son Of Rev d. |
H. Emerson, up to the time OF his
death. which occurred many years ago, |
pastor Of the Presbyterian Church at
StiGeorges, in Red Lion hundred
II see that you have Senator Cor
don, of Georgia, here 20 lecture on
The First Days Of the Confsderacy,
he remarked"
Eyes" responded the Wayfarer, who
took the remark as one prompted by
commonplace observation.
1T reminds me of my experience In
the first days cf the Conferedacy," he
said.
"Tel me about it," suggested the
Whyfarer.
AT the time OF the breaking out Of
tine war we We're trading on the East.
bique and Aden," he said. 1T never
came to our knowledge that the war of
the rebellion had begun. We were on
the bark Persia, a pretty smart craft,
end sold cotton goods to the natives
for the making of breech cloths, that
being the extent OF their indulgence
in dresH We got the cotton fabric in
large quantities and sold II at retail
The trade wRs, as you may imagine
quite r, nrnerative. AT that time ilie
slave trade was In fun blast and Great
Britain was doing all in her power 10
suppress IT, Her cruisers policed tho
African waters thoroughly and it had
70 be a pretty smart craft and skipper
70 elude their vigilance While we
never engaged in the traffic no craft
but a cruiser WIS above suspicion and
yet no skipper wished to be compelled
TO heave 10, and submit to the deten.
tion and scrutiny OF the Britishers.
These cruisers would net always stop
yeeecl. they could run alongside 400
or 500 yards on on the leoward side
and smell the slaves II they were
aboard In Tact. with a good breeze
the odor could be detected half a mile
IN contact with II can imagine the
stencil which arises from a cargo Of
several hundred Saves. Well, We left
the east coast OF Africa for Salem
MISS, loaded with the products OF tae
dark continent. Just when We were
fairy between Madagascar and the
east coast OF Africa we deserted black
smoke on the horizon astern. In those
days steamships were not common AMI
when the smoke Of bitumen was seer
il was safe to assume that there WAC
a cruiser of some kind underneath it.
1T was about five belle-4.SO in the
morning. when we sighted the smok,
and before We los. sight of Il we knew
that she was the Alabama and that sh,
was after us. Well. TO make a Ions
story short, she sighted us and CAV,
chase. II was a stern one and we ha,
a good s.art. All that day she chase,
MS. We had every rag set and draw
ing and yet she gained inch by inch
Nighfal was to be our only salvation
The Alabama whs painted black from
her funnell down. The wind was Oh
our port quarter. three points on tn
beam Our captain told the back cool
20 serve greg TO the men to stiffei
their courage At sundown the Ala
hama was pretty close to lis, but tn
weather was threatening and the win.
blowing almost a gale. We held on
own. Then night set in and with
the rain began TO fall and the win
blew harder and harder. IL was a
black as pitch. The distance betwee
MS and the Confederate cruiser was bu
three miles. No lights were burne
aboard us. We were immersed /
darkness. The captain gave the orde
Wear ship! We obeyed with alacrit
and our course wis changed NeS
morning the Alabama was nowhere s
sight, and have never seen her frol
that day TO this. She flew the Star
and Bars, new flag to us, but whe
we reached Salem, Mass, we kne
what 1t meant and what a narrow e.
cape We had experienced. After N
landed we all entered the FEEDER,
naval service. was aboard the Oc,
ola and-Juniata, and was at the storm
ing Of Fort Fisher. After being wit
the Gulf squadron until the end of N
-- war. I entered the Anchor Line Sc.
vice.
He had a cigar in his hand and whi
he was talking it went out.
I'm tell YOU how to tell a Hnvar
cigar he said, Light the weed. IA
il down and if. when you return to
it- is burned 10 ashes, YOU may lxno
that 1t is Havana. If It goes out Will
: cut reducing itself TO ashes, it is an il
ferior article"
T1T~T Il ~ Nrr-trr =. A ..r,.r o.,
A day or two ago the Wayfarer m,