The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-05

they're getting up subscriptions for yo,
all round
lament was not sitting, and there hal
peen no newspaper sensation for
week, and as a natural CONSEQUENCE,
the papers came out next morning witt
accounts of the rescue, varying from
Two columns TO page in length. Blu
let the frillings in this case be fact o.
notion, there was no doubt that Kettl,
and his crew had saved a shipload O
panic-stricken foreign emigrants. TIL,
pride of race dubbed through the Brit
ish daily press in prosaic long primes
ana double-leaded bourgeois. Their,
was no saying aloud, I'VE rejoice thai
an Engiishman has done this thing
AFTER having it proved to us that it wa.
above the foreigners strength The
newspaper man does not rhapsodize
But the sentiment was there all the
same.
I'm not a blessed mendicant." said
Kettle, Stiffiy. He walked to the other
end of the bridge. and stood there
chewing savagely at the butt of his
cigar
Rum bloke." commented the pilot to
himself, though aloud he offered no
comment Still the pilot was right in
saying that England was ringing with
the news of Kettles feat. The passen-
gers of the Cunarder. with nothing
I
nome thrilled and tingling with it. A
smart New Yorker had got SCOOP
by slipping ashore at Queenstown and
cabling lavish account to the Ameri-
can press, SO that the first news
reached London from the states. Par
The Flamingo was worked into dock
and cheering crowd surged aboard of
her in understandable thousands
strangers came up and wrung Kettles
unwilling hand and dropped tears on
his coatsleeve; and when he swore at
them, they only wept the more and
smiled through the drops. 1t was mag
nificent, splendid, gorgeous Here was
man! Who said that England would
never lose her proud place amongst the
nations when she could still find men
like Oliver Kelly-or Kettle-or Cutie,
or whatever this man was called.
amongst her obscure merchant cap
tains?
Even Mr.. Isaac Bird caught some Of
the general enthusiasm, and withheld
for the present the unpleasant remarks
which occurred to him as suitable.
touching Kettles neglect of the firms
interest. in favor of a parcel of bank
rupt foreigners. But Kettle himself
had the subject well in mind. and whilst
the crowd was cheering him, he was
figuring out the value of the jettisoned
cargo, and whilst pompous Mr.. Isaac
was shaking him by the hand and max
ing a neat speech for the ear of casual
reporters poor Kettle was conjuring up
visions of the workhouse and pauper
corduroy.
But the fates were moving now in a
manner which was beyond his expert
ence.. The public, which had ignored
his bare existeTge before for all of a
lifetime, suddenly discovered that he
was a hero. and that, too, without
knowing half the facts The press, with
its finger on the public's pulse. pub
lished Kettle literature in lavish col
umns. 1t gave twenty different eye
finally il took all the little mans af-
fairs under its consideration, and set
tied them with a lordly hand.
Who pays for the cargo Captain
Kuttle threw overboard?" one paper
headed an article. while another wrote
fervidly about Cattle ruined for his
bravery" Here was a new and strik-
ing side issue. Should the weeks hero
pay the bill himself out of his miserable
savings? Certainly not. The owners
of the Grosser Carl were the benefiting
parties, and it was only just that they
should take up the expense. So the
entire press wired off to the German
firm, and next morning were able to
publish a positive assurance that, of
course these grateful foreigners would
reimburse all possible outlay.
The subject of finance once preached.
1t was naturally discovered that the
hero toiled for very meagre pittance;
that he was getting on in years. and
had a wife and family depending on
him-and-promptly there opened out
the subscription lists. People were
stirred, and the lists totaled up to
92,400, which to some people. of course,
is gilded affiuence.
Now Captain Kettle had endured all
this publicity with a good deal of res
tiveness, and had used language to one
or two interviewers who managed to
ferret him out, which fairly startled
them; but this last move for a public
made him furious.
IF they call a meeting to give me
anything" said he, I'll chuck the
money in their faces. and let them
know straight what I think. BY James, |
do they suppose I've got no pride?
Why can't they let me alone? If the |
Grosser Carl people pay up for that
cargo that's all 1 want"
But the eternal healer. time, soothed |
matters down wonderfully. By the |
time the subscription list had closed |
and been brought together, the Fla
mingo had sailed for the Mexican gulf. |
and when her captain returned to find |
bankers. stating that f2,400 had been |
placed to his credit in their establish |
ment, he would have been more than |
human if he had refused it. And, as a |
point of fact, after consulting with |
madam, his wife, he transformed it |
into houses in that terrace of narrow |
dwellings in Birkenhead which repre- |
sented the rest of his savings.
This house property was alleged by a |
: a n q
Of G15 per annum apiece, and there |
were thirty-six' houses. The trade |
in the Mexican gulf had |
been very seriously damaged. AS was
somewhat natural, the commercial gen. |
try preferred to send what they had by |
boats which did not contrive to meet
burning emigrant liners. And then the |
second part of the prophecy evolved
Itself naturally. Messrs. Bird relieved |
Captain Kettle from the command.
handed him their check for wages due
there was no commission to be added |
FOR such an unsatisfactory voyage as
this last-and presented him their best |
wishes for his future welfare.
Kettle had thought of telling the truth
IN print But the mysterious law of
libel. which it is written that all mar
ners should dread and never under
stand, prevented. So he just went and
gave his views to Mr.. Isaac Bird per-
,onally and privately, threw the ink
bottle through the office window.
pitched the box of business cigars into
he fire, and generally pointed his re-
marks in a way that went straight to
Mr. Birds heart, and then prepared
to take his departure.
81 shall not prosecute you for this
'aid Mr.. Isaac.
1T wish you dare. 1t would suit me
inely TO get into a police court and be