Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-06-30
A ST'OWAWAY SLEUTH
ODD VOCATION OF AN OLD SAN FRAN
CISCO BOATMAN.

Down by the city's sea wall a queer
man pursues Il queer vocation. He is a
water front character" and his bust
ness is the sleuthins Of stowaways.
He doesn't run his prey to earth.
however, after the manner of other
hunters of human game. He runs it to
water.
This weather hardened. wrinkled man
is at once the terror and the friend of
would be stowaWays. He is known as
Captain Jack. but his name has half Il
dozen variations. all of which smack Of
the sat, salt sea. These are some Of
his aliases Wharf Rat, Water Fowl.
Sea bog. N'haler. Old Man Jack and
Ti.e HoutNan.
His stock in trade consists of his
ShrcW,iut ~ in "spotting a stow and &
battered but SCaWorthy Old boat which
rides the water by night and day
through successive seasons. The town.
attractions do not lure him from his
long accustomed haunts among til"
masts. lgurchcads, piers and piles.
sails. nets. Stl'iuGeis and multitudinou&
varieties of merchandise that crowd
the bays edge.
Captain Jack came out Of his SC"
shell Of reserve long enough the othr
day 60 tell Il bit Of what he know
about that venturcsOmc creature OF
chance, the StoWaWay, who would
fain voyage out of port without the
previous Formally of paying for pas
seugpr privileges.
"Gyc been in this business lcN~
time" he said, IAN | can gen'rall!.
spot a stow
different ones has different meth
DDS. Some hangs round the docks
afore a ship sails. offerin to lend "
hand. or p"opOsin to work a passl e
sompWhercS. When they find th,a
don't 20 the way they want it to. tho
commerce TO talk big-nqtlire 'bou.
sea weather. the cost Of cruise, the
time it takes to git to the islands o.
Alaska or Panama. They're AWAY.
just a-:,oin to make the trip. Bui
there's sOncthin so hungry an homo
sick an tired !ool;in about 'cm that it
gives EN- dead away-lcastvays i;
does to person who's spent a goo
many years StUdyin their kind.
"Others though. wait till the las
minute. then come hustlin along as l.
obey was too rushed -; buy q tic';r;
or as if they had one in their poc,;nt
Why, I've even been asked by 'em t.
80 VT tn OH nft ,,'l
clenr out into the stream. If skippA:
happens to be good natured. he'll Slae'
up an tax" passengers aboard. NJ
after all that bother. I've had to bring
EN- back again. for nary q red did thcy
have.
This class of deadhcads is renrall;.
supplied with clothes, gripsaclls, hat
boxes. steamer trunks, canes, unDrci-
las, cameras. foldin chairs an some
times a servant"
"Not a valct?'
"Surc. That's what we sailors ca,I
putin on q terrible lot Of dog. Thc:l'a
the fcllcrs that always has friends
mong guvn0rs, rajAhs, lords, dukes
an conSUls. an likewise money to burn
but always across the water so.an-
where's. | don't mind the men, bat
hate to tackle a woman"
"Womon StOWuWays?'
"Surc. when the Klon,lke boom
was on. used to bring in as NaH-
women as men. Some was oA'~
girls-Iittle slim things, goin to IL
icy gold mines with no more outnl
than the thin clothes they stood il.
'''rhe easiest part of the slows p,@I
in maxim an escapes the gIttin aboard.
Nobody knows who's who the day
a ships lcayin port. If she's crowded
SO much the better. The stow c;..l
hide in the hold without bcin sg.c.t.
But It's mighty hard to git past TIE
Heads, for by that time the ships
been searched an the slows ynnkeu oju
on deck"
Captain Jack spoke truly The
stoWaWay who passes the Heads has
run the gauntlet safely-unlcss IN III
coming vessel be at hand to convey
the intruder back again.
When the final gong has been sound
ctl, LIc Wall uiliS All ' IolIoIS dSllolt.
given, the gangplank withdrawn,
the last rope looscned and the screw
turned, the vessels interior is care
fully explored. Meanwhile Captain
Jacks weather beaten boat is speed
ing In It's wake. If stoWaWay be
discovered q signal Is sent from the
pilots bridge and Captain Jack is
quickly alongside. A rope ladder Is
lowered. and toward 1t the purser or
other officer and his aids escort the
discounted "stoW."
Every day" continued Jack, II
fetch in men an women that want to
git away. They're broke, an thought
they'd try their luck in some other
place lump most of 'em off at
Meiggs' wharf It's heap easier for
lumber there an fewer folks to stare.
Some Of 'em turns out all right, an
some is afterward fished out of the
bay Then they go to the coroner.
A dead man. it seems. Is worth more
to the city than Il live one"
And thus it is that the stowawayS
sooner or later all journey with Cap
tain Iack-somc to begin life all over
again, others to lie for 4 brief time
on marble slab at the morgue
marked 'Unidentified."- Fran
cisco Examiner.
On her wedding day the Danish peas