Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-12
THE SHIP THAT
BECAME AN ISLAND.

A~~~~A
The huge clipper, with its quain,
figurehead and its flying jibboom pro
jecting far out over South street, New
York, bad just sounded six bells. and
the other deep-water craft along South
street were taking up the refrain, when
old Capt. Smith filled and lighted his
corncob pipe for the third time that
evening, and nodded approvlngly al
the forest of graceful masts and spars
extending along the water until lost
to view around the bend at Dover
street.
thar" he said, ''ef that ere haint a
sight fur OF eyes may not only my
timbers be shivered, but my spare
yards also. Gorjis, amt it, shipm'tT'
prodding old Capt. Mitchell in the ribs
with his cane. His friend responded
with not very enthusiastic grunt,
whereupon the old man continued:
"Yessir, they hain't no place like tn
oil street to freshen your memories o.
tn days that oncet was, when sailin'
craft ruled the ocean, and when these
iron steam pots was as skurce as pi-
rate in kingdom come. L tell you,
mates, some days when I've bin walk
ing along the North River front an
seen nothin' but steamships as fur as
my headlights could reach, I've been
as blue as skipper with sea biles.
But when you oncet git aroun' here
wot then, my hearties, wot then? You
can say what you please, but l main
tain that the sight of them spars is
enough to make you feel fifty years
younger"
When the Captain ceased speaking
Capt Mitchell and Capt. Reeves be-
came involved in their stock argument
as to whether a clipper ship built of
wood is not superior to one construct.
ed of iron. The argument waxed
warm, as it always did, and soon all
. the old captains and number of out
siders became involved AS was usual
the case was finally appealed to the
Ancient Mariner.
Wa'al," said the old man sagely,
''there air great many good p'ints to
be considered on both sides o. this
most important question. Cap'n Nit.
chell sails that you kin git more cargo
inter an iron ship, bein that tn sides
Is thinner, an that she doan' spring
a leak so easy, cause they amt no
seams in her to be caulked up. That's
all right so fur as it goes, but like
broke bowsprit, in doan' go fur enough.
Now, as Cap'n Reeves maintains, q
wooden clipper will stand more
poundin', bein' as there's more give to
its sides, and it also rides tn water
better, bein' as woods more buoyant.
Pusson'ly l prefer the wooden vessel.
outen unseasoned timber. Doan' do it.
oncet sailed in that kind o. craft an
i wOulden do it ag'in fur all the gold
this side o. Hongkong. Never heern
about 1t, Ell? Wall, jes open yer
weather ears an I'll tell We tn strang-
est 'sperience that ever happened to
an orthodox skipper.
Il had only had my masters certifi-
cate bout year. when one day one o.
tn partners o. tn tradin' company /
had made my last cruise fur come ND
to me and said: See here, Cap'n. how
would you like ter change ships?
We've got new, spankin clipper
fresh OF the ways. She was built in
a hurry, I'll admit, but she amt none
tn less stanch on that account. Now.
you take 'er, an Wen sect you doan
lose nothin' by it,
Wa'al, mates, wot could l do? 1t
doan pay to bunk agin yer agents. and
then, too, a new ship amt to be
sneezed at, so / accepted on tn spot.
She was bound for the Cape o Good
Hope. Had l known she was built o.
unreasonable timber you wouldn't o.
got me to sail up tn Erie Canal on 'er.
but course 1 didn't know that. The
agent who got me ter sign did't say
nary word bout 1t, nuther. That's
wot s'prised me most; fur of all tn
men who pretended to be pious, OF
Corey-that was the agents name
was tn beatenest you ever seen. He
'ud go aroun' with his nose in tn air
lookin' fur all tn world like sky pi.
lot who has jes' finished readin' ten
chapters from tn scriptur. Why. tn
oil duffer had wart on tn end OF his
nose, big one twas, too, an Ill curl
up an bust eff tn oil fool would have
that wart taken off simply cause tn
Testament sails remove not tn ancient
landmark. He married n pretty little
bundle O. caliker-Matildy Simpklns,
that was. Her mother-howsume
I'm fallin' too far Off my course.
"As l was sayin', l TUX the ship.
which already had her cargo on board.
and started out. 1t wasn't a good
time ter start, for we had an oil moon.
n nor'west wind, an ebb tide, a com.
bination which doan' leave enough wa
ter I'm tn East River to float n row
boat. Howsumever, arrer walkin'
over the Dimon' Reef and three or
four other lodges, we cleared the Bar
an started out
"Everytlin' went well until we kilt
our first pig at tn equator We had
mnde good weather ell tn way down. |
en- besides butcherin' th' pig TIL men