Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-02-23
Can't you charter a

we may incur. Can't you charter a
vessel in Manila?"
Il was just thinking of that. Yes,
could, of course. Yet it wouldn't De
safe to take anything but an English
or Dutch bottom. I'd want to pick
my own crew and know pretty well
who were on board: couldn't do that
with one of the companies boats, and
there might happen 10 be nothing else
in port. There's one thing that might
be done, and-I guest would work.
.'What's that?"
Charter the Countess herself from
the government, for a month. You
know she connects with the Saigon
Messageries boat, taking in Yloilo on
the return trip, between the island
voyages; at least, that is the tempo
rary arrangement. Now, between each
trip we usually lay up at Cayite for two
weeks; and Ramirez has twice tried to
charter her for a quick run TO Hong
Kong in that time. The Countess
would easily make Guajan and Hong
Kong. out of Manila, in 16 days at the
outside, allowing day and a half to
load at the island. if we needed it.
Then we could reach Saigon in five
days more. and turn her over to the
government in time to make the Mes
ageries connection all right"
What would it cost to charter her?"
''Wei, probably little more than
what the compania pays. She'll regis
ter over 5000 tons. gross, and can do
IA knots when she wants to; that's
pretty stiff travelling for compound
engines of this size. But the govern
ment don't care for more'n ten knots;
so they pay Ramirez & Co. $500 a
month. l guess we could have her at
$4,000, easy enough"
ANY expenses besides that?"
"Of course there are. Coal bills, at
least $4,000 a month, if you keep shov
ing IA knots out of her. She'll burn
over SO tons day at that speed, and
YOU can't get decent. free-burning coal
in Manila for less than eight dollars
Then there are port charges, consuls
fees. demurrage and numerous Incl
dentals, all of which fall upon the
charterer. The owner pays the sal
aries of officers and crew, repairs and
the special expenses of the ship" d
so that we'd blow in the whole
twenty thousand on the mere use OF
the steamer for a month";
HIN, well. at least eighteen, should
say. \ 3,00O-ton yacht is pretty ex-
pensive luxury; and she'd be practi-l
cally nothing more than yacht forl
our purpose. There's no cargo att
Guajan worth handling"
Seems to me steamer ought to be-
a pretty good investment"
THAT depends great deal upon thel
cargo and the time of year she's inI
commission. Freights are so low att
present that half of them don't payl
expenses; still, the tramps that makel
over II knots are doing most of the1
business, and at something of al
profit"
Dick, we've got to buy the Countess;I
that's what we've got to do. Howl
much would Ramirez take for herr"
Hin! she cost As, 900 to build onj
the Clyde, and she's as good 'comI
pound tramp as there is on salt wal
ter. But the triple expansion boatsi
that they're turning out carry moreI
cargo with less coal, and he couldn'H
begin to get that for her now. If WEI
were to offer 0,OOO-$1O,0 600 down.
and the balance within six MONTHS
and he were satisfied as to our respond
sibility, think he'd let US have her."
''Then we'll take her. If you don'H
care about the investment I'll buy heH
myself. Now, how soon can you get
hack to Agana?"
FRO BE CONTINUED