Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-03-28

-
When Capt. Owens, recently retired
from the command OF n transatlantic
greyhound, Joined the little circle of
men seated around tie stove in a
downtown shipping Office, where they
had spent the greater part of the after
noon discussing rates for oversee
freight, marine insurance and other
interests of the maritime world, the
conversation naturally turned to the
grave responsibility resting upon the
captain of modern ocean liner. They
talked Of the thousands of human lives
which are annually entrusted TO his
care; of dreary hours on the bridge,
when the white fog hangs and wind
moans of the shipwrcck and the
drowned, or when the winter gale is
whistling and the icy spoon-drift ln,r-
ties against the tunnels. They talked
Of the sodden dcreliet and the iceberg.
which SO often defy the skill and
watchfulness of the transatlantic cap
tain. us 1t any wonder then said
one OF the circle, that a shippers hair
is white before lie is fifty and that his
face Is as wrinkled as a crumpled bank
note. Look at Capt. Owens. Looks
ten years older than he really is, Ill
warrant
We'll, gentlemen" replied the cap
tain, with a twinkle in his gray eyes
which seemed out of keeping with the
general trend Of the conversation, sit
is a wearing life; there's no getting
away from that fact. Yes, you hive
got to think pretty quick Mt times, and
sometimes you have to act before you
think. Speaking on this strain reminds
me Of how Capt. Blank of the Ncrcid
once saved his vessel aud the lives of
all on board by acting promptly in an
emergency. Capt. Blank is not very
proud of the whole affair, and l doubt
" he ever told it TO any one. At all
events he never received vote of
thanks suitably cngrosscd from the
passengers, but perhaps he was not
much Disappointed After this pre-
limlnary the captain told the story,
which in substance is as follows:
Just before the Imperial Line steam
ship Nercid, Capt. Blank, pulled out of
Its dock in Liverpool for New York
City, some years ago, thick-set man
with heavy black mustache ran up
the gang plank and gazed anziously Mt
the passengers, who were crowssti
along the rail watching the hustle and
confusion on the dock. He evidently
found the person for whom he was
looking, for lie gave sigh of satisfac-
tlon, rushed down the gang-plank and
sent a cablegram. Then he boarded
the vessel again, secured stateroom
and did not appear on deck nor at the
seat assigned to him Mt the dining
table in the saloon until the vessel
was well out TO sea. He registered
under the name Of James Sweeney.
This is the cablegram he sent:
Collector OF Port at New York:
James Packard, sinuggler, OH boartl
steamship Nereid. Thousand Of dol
lars worth of diamonds concealed in
small trunk. Will arrest him at quar-.
antine. McGRATH, Inspector"
The inspectors cablegram caused
much satisfaction among the revenue
officers in the city; for diamonds had
long been leaking into this country
from England and the dispatch gave
evidence that no mistake had been
made when McGratll was selected to
cross the ocean and hunt the snug
glers down.
Meanwhile the Nercid ploughed her
way through the waters of the North
Atlantic and on the third day out size
had made such good time that the cap
tain began 10 look FOR record break
ing voyage, while the passengers, no
less eager, made bets regarding the
exact time that would clapsc before
the vessel arrived abreast of the
Sandy Hook Lightship. Packard, who
was known aboard the ship as Thomas
Gray, broker. was the most gentle.
manly Of smugglcrs, and his engaging
conversation and polished manners
lssAs.AS AAAaA VIZ iiAS VI Ills -tuDlc aha
established him as n prime f,vorite
among the passengers in general. Nc
Gratli, known 10 the passengers as
Sweeney, was not so popular. No one
knew anything about him or his bust
ness, and. moreover. he ate with his
knife. And then, loo, his eyes had a
suspiciously rowing cast which set him
down in the minds of many as pro-
fessional gambler. But the inspector
did not care. In fact, lie was supreme
~ happy; for he had forced an en-.
trance into Gray's stateroom with the
aid Of a skeleton key during the snug
gler's absence and had located tho
small trunk. That was all he wanted
When the time came he would seize
the trunk, point Gray ont to the in.
spectors and his work would be ac.
cOmplished.
"Tie only thing that botllers me-
said the Inspector to himself one day.
as he sat In the smoking room. putting
a very fat, black cigar, as how the
devil he ever expected to get that
frlInl. ne1lnr, rt>l.,4 .t1-l5