The Portland daily press., 1899-02-22
HONOR no WHOM HONOR is DUE.

HONOR 10 WHOM HONOR Is DUE.
The late Thomas l.. Merrill was fond
of adventure, but was modest in relat-
ing his experiences His visits to differ
ent parts OF the world gave him fund
OF information that few men ever get.
TO hear him relate what had come un.
der his observation was liks reading
book, and was IA pleasant entertainment
as one ever gets. There were three events
In his life which l will tell as | remem
Der he told them TO me while we have
been talking over the affairs OF the old
town. They illustrate his spirit and pa
| triotism.
At the beginning OF our civil war Capt.
Merrill kept ship chandlery store In
Bordeaux. France, and while resident
in that city, rendered valuable aid to
our government
One day he noticed vessel loading
with valuable cargo OF expensive luxures,
which excited his suspicious and he de-
termined that he would know its desti-
| nation. He visited her often and soon
| learned that she was TO run our bloc
kade An acquaintance with ihe cap
tain was soon made who acknowledged
his purpose. MIR. Merrill had our gov
ernment notified of the fact and sent a
description OF the vessel and her cargo.
Then every vessel on the blockade was
communicated with and ordered TO be on
tho lookout for her. The result was that
she was captured by Capt William +.
Dennison, a Portland boy and "a friend
of his and she proved to be one of the
most valuable prizes Of the war, IF not the
most valuable.
One day while talking with the cap
tain he made wager that the vessel
would be captured by Yankee ferry
boat, and that the vessel would surrender
at the first gun. The captain accepted
| 1t and the result was that she was cap
tursd by converted ferry bont and he
received his case OF wine as promised.
At another time Capt. Merrill noticed
activity on two suspicious looking hulls
in.a shipyard there, which was surround
ed by high fence. and every effort was
made to screen the operations from the
public view. BY watching his opportu-
nifty be clipped inside several times when
the gates were opened to receive materi-
al, and from tho workmen learned that
the vessels were intended for the Confed.
crate service. When sure of his informa
tion. our government was informed.
through the proper channel, and the
French government was notified that
such work must cease, with the result
that the hulls remained unfinished TO
the end of the war. which no doubt saved
our country much trouble.
When our commerce was nearly driven
from the sea, AN American ship chandler
had little to do in France, and Capt Mer-
rill sold out his business and returned
| home. He was getting pretty we'll known
as a Yankee spy then, which was not al
| ways pleasant to n man in business in
a foreign country. In the latter part OF
| the war he was employed 10 take the
| tugboat Raid to the Bermudas and TO
| dispose Of her there. When he reached
his destination he found hostile feeling
against the United States Twenty dol
lars were offered TO anyone who would
| pull down his American flag. The flag
was not lowered, Tut was kept flying
night and day Capt Merrill coupled
the hose TO the blow-ofT cock of the boil
er; told the engineer TO keep on steam,
then rugged the hose pipe so he could
handle it without burning himself and
gave them TO understand shat the flag
wss there to stay, and the first one
who attempted to lower it would get
cooked. Several boats came cut ana Iowed
around the tug, but he notified them
to keep away and the tug was sold with
the Stars and Stripes to the masthead.
! aa1hese acts speak louder than any words
OF mine. The Portland-horn boys who
know the tales of the sen are last
passing from Us. The next generation
will know them not. The traditions OF
those old sea dogs, who were merchants
as well as captains, will entertain the
coming generations who will live in our
city. y. u.