The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-14
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broke out, he accompanied his father, VINO
was In command OF an ancient bark which
had been chartered to convey party OF
adventurous prospectors to the newly
found Eldorado. on a voyage "'round the
Horn" He was then lad Of years. On
arrival In California the old hulk was con-
demned, and young Sias followed his faith
err, who had caught the gold fever, to the
''diggings."
Capt. Blaine went to mining at Ophir, on
Auburn gulch, where he was lucky enough
to strike II rich and accumulate several
thousand dollars. When In the following
year. 1850, the cholera suddenly broke out
and Sacramento became panic-stricken, he
quickly left with his son for Portland. Or,
and after placing the boy with trusty peo-
pie there. travelled to Olympia afoot and
thence by canoe to Townsend. At this
time the territory Of Washington had not
been created, and all the vast area now
included In the boundaries Of the state was
n part Of Oregon.
At Townsend, with the aid Of a ship
carpenter. who had come from Olympia
with him. the captain set to work building
trim little schooner of fifty tons burden.
with which. when finished. in 1852. he en-
gagged in the coastng trade, carrying piles
and lumber from the Sound to Victoria and
San Francisco. This business proved
quite remunerative. and Capt. Blaine de-
termined to remain permanently In the
Northwest. He sent to Portland for his
son and wrote to his wife in Boston to
come across the plains with the next party
of immigrants and join him In his new
home on Puget sound.
When. in 1868, the old seafarer finally
went to his eternal rest, his son. now
strapping young fellow Of %, continued to
sail the schooner. He was not familiar
with the waters Of the Sound. but had
,.i1 NJ lrx,Nx Son of he
board to the north and south during the
eight years that he accompanied his father
on his voyages.
Young Blaine lived with his mother at
Port Townsend, where they occupied a
neat commodious cottage on the hill over
looking the blue waters Of the Sound. His
schooner. the Jessie b., made regular trips
from Seattle and Tacoma to San Francis
CO. also occasionally calling at Whatcom
for cargoes to British Columbia. BY means
Of this trade he was enabled to maintain
his mother In ease and comfort, and save
a considerable amount Of his earnings be-
sides.
At q the young man fell deeply In love
with the daughter of near neighbor. a
handsome. dark-eyed girl of IS. Clara
Armstrong by name, who reciprocated
his feelings. A very strong attachment
soon sprang up between the lovers, which
delighted Silas' mother. who had long
known the beautiful maiden whom her son
had chosen as his future partner in life.
All might have gone well and happily II
the young man had not, in an evil hour.
fallen into the clutches of certain I'M
scrupulous Adventures. who induced him
to Join them in the unlawful business Of
opium smuggling. They suggested that
the Jessie B. was just the right kind Of
craft to engage In the operation, being
fleet and Of shallow draft. which quail
ties enabled her to slip with ease along
the coast for the purpose of evading the
vigilance of the customs officers. In glow
ing terms they pictured to Blaine the rich
spoils they would derive from the lucra-
tive venture by few successful trips to
British Columbia, where opium, which al
ways found ready purchasers among the
Chinese on the Sound, was manufactured
and sold at extremely low rates. which
would mean handsome profit on the
American side.
1t required a good deal Of persuasion at
first before Silas could be prevailed upon
to Join in what seemed to him, Of course.
a very risky and foolhardy undertaking.
but, alas. his scruples were finally over
come, and he fell victim to the schemes
of his willy companions.
Several successful trips were made on
dark nights, and Blaine at last banished
all fears he had entertained at the start
and became more and more emboldened in
the hazardous enterprise of smuggling.
But. as in all like unlawful ventures, at
last the climax was reached. One dark,
squally night in September. as the Jessie
B., on her return from Victoria with a
goodiy quantity Of dope" aboard, rounded
the sandspit at Dungeness. the smugglers
were hailed by a revenue launch. Failing
to respond to the challenge to "heave to-"
a shot from the launchs howitzer was
fired across the schooner's bows where
upon Blaine hauled his craft up in the
wind and allowed the launch to come
alongside. What followed is but the old,
old story of those early days. Stubborn
resistance against the officers of the law,
random shots fired on both sides, with the
final result of one of the revenue officers
being shot dead. Blaine's companions,
four in number, effected their escape by
jumping overheard and swimming ashore
under cover of the darkness. while he was
captured, along with his vessel. brought
to Port Townsend and lodged In jail. A
charge of murder was drawn up against
him. His good old mother was over
whelmed with grief when she heard the
news, and Clara Armstrong likewise. was
utterly Frustrated by the shock Silas had
never breathed syllable to either Of them
about his smuggling operations, and they,
of course, had never suspected any wrong
In his transactions. The revelation, there
fore, burst upon them like thunderbolt.
Mrs. Blaine was taken so seriously Ill
from nervous prostration that she was
forced to seek her bed. Clara remained
almost constantly by her side. exerting all
her energies to cheer her with bright
hopes for the future Daily she visited the
Jail, and transmitted the messages sent
by her recreant lover to his grief-stricken
mother Comstock and the sheriff showed
her due courtesy and kindness whenever
she called. Both men felt the deepest
GONNA Ssion for the poor, afflicted mother
and the brave, devoted girl, whose be-
rrothed. pining behind prison bars. was
reapng now the bitter fruit of small
resulting from the choosing of evil COM