The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-25
Is Seeing the World on a British
Merchantmen.
is ANXIOUS TO RETURN
Has lac Some Interesting Adventures
Since He Was Shanghaied in Ia
coma-Coasting Around the
British Isles.

lllIn ItGtnilAs WHICH SAdNtu lldL ne - "a
sailor in the British merchant marine
and is seeing much of the world. 1t
will be remembered that Will left here
for Alaska nearly a year ago. and was
shanghaied at Tacoma and taken to
Swansea, Wales. against his will. 1t
was on that voyage that he learned the
art of handling sails. and he is now reg
ularly employed as "A sailor. He has
made several voyages and is well and
strong. but is anxious to return to
America, and promises to be back in
Missoula as soon as he is able TO get
to this country. He has had some in
teresting adventures since he left here,
and his letters. descriptive of his wan
d%erings. are good reading. The begin
ming of his career on the sea has al
ready been told in the Standard. 1t
will be remembered that VIII was
drugged while looking about the city of
Tacoma and that he walked up to find
himself under guard on a sailing YES
sci in the ound. He was not permitted
to leave the ship. and as soon as he
was strong enough was set to work
handling the cargo. His voyage to
Swansea was without particular Incl
dent. except that he had to fight to
maintain his rights. but when he had
established his reputation as a fellow
VIZ was ~ ~ w AAhA1t1' 'Ifbb ~
had no difficulty in getting along nice
ly. In Swansea he had offers of EN-
ployment. but he chose to continue a
sailor. as that occupation seemed to Of
fer the best means of getting back to
America. He has been I'm the coasting
service along Scotland. England and
Wales and his last voyage was TO the
Mediterranean sea. The following ex-
tracts from his letters will be of in
terest to his friends in Missoula and
elsewhere:
From Crith England-"I wrote last
from Briton Ferry.in Wales, expecting
TO leave there the following day. but
we did not go out for five days ON ac-
count of head winds. Finally a head
wind sprang up and, along with three
other coasters, we were towed out into
the Bristol channel. We had no sooner
got sails on the ship and clear Of the
tug when the wind shifted round dead
ahead and we had to beat all the way
down the Bristol and ST. George chan
nels to Lands End. All along we were
congratulating ourselves that after we
got around Lands End the head wind
that we had would be a fair wind up
the English channel, but il was our luck
to have a storm around the End. which
kept us there for fou days. Then the
wind shifted again. and we had "A head
wind all the way up the English chan
- q ~ SUI ~ NAt AA'A i1oAl w ~ AlH
as we only took i'm the topgallant and
main gaff topsails. We arrived I'm Bee
ton, "A suburb Of London. after being
two weeks making a passage that, with
a fair wind, would not have taken more
than six days. We discharged our car
go at Becton and from there went to
the Regents canal in London for scrap
iron. We took on 100 tons and then
came down here for the balance of our
largo, about 300 tons. We will then go
TO Boness. Scotland, and discharge our
cargo, and then take coal for London.
1t is my intention TO leave the Mary |
Elizabeth at whatever port she sails to
from Boness and then, away for the
land of Uncle Sam. You must not worry
about me. ! am in good health. l have
good officers. good shipmates and we
get along first class. The captain
brought his wife and two children
aboard in Becton n they will accom-
pany us to Scotland. She is a nice
woman and has two smart boys.
/ get lonesome sometimes-not when |
am busy, but In our leisure hours. when
Jack Jones or the mate is playing the
accordion and Dick Oleson is singing
Barney Reilly l have hard work To
keep from getting homesick. But /
will be home this summer
From Glasgow, Scotland-"You will
be surprised to learn that | am i'm elias
gov. ] left the Mary Elizabeth at Bo-
ness last Saturday. One of my ship
mates, Dick Oleson. also left and we
came to Glasgow together. We are
stopping at the Scandinavian Sailors
home. If j only had -four or five pounds
l would cross over to New York. as that
is a great port for transatlantic steam
ers. AS IL Is, l do not know exactly
what 1 shall do. | may ship on some
deep water vessel and try to get a
chance to cross. as there are plenty of
chance here and the wages are good.
/ left the Mary Elizabeth because she
was too leaky. She had to be pumped
out every two hours. and at every lit
Tie pun OF wind some of her gear would
tear away or something of that sort.
As an example. one night we were told
TO take in the fore topgallant sail. Our
watch, consisting of the captain. Dick
and myself, We're on deck. The skip
per took the wheel and Dick and |
started TO clew up the sail. We got one
side clewed up. but when we started to
clew the other the ciew garnet broke.
We gave a pull on the buntlines and
they broke. The sail gave a slap and
the sheet carried away. There was the
sail, Tapping and slapping around and
all the gear broke. We went and pulled
the sail onto the yard and made II fast,
but it was a ticklish job. Then when
we got down to the deck the skipper be-
gan to RAM and tear about our break
ing the gear. That made us mad. and
we told him to go plumb to -
| suppose Missoula looks nice just now.
There is some scenery around there. but
while we were coming up the Firth OF
Forth, | saw scenery that was some
thing grand. We had a head wind and
had to tack. or course that would
bring US close inshore before we could
come about, %affording us a splendid
view OF the shores Of the firth. ! never
saw anything TO equal IL. Beautiful
green fields and trees. with here and
there a quaint little village with red
tiled roofs and whitewashed walls show
ing in pleasant contrast to the sur
rounding green. Every once in a while
We could catch a glimpse of the ruins
OF some feudal castle. surrounded with
it's walls n battlements. nesting
among the hills or looming up dark and