The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-03-29
lefer preparations Cor loating the

having got the Raven properly braced
on an even keel, installed Mrs. Rowell
In the cabin wen live here awhile,
Mariar," salid the captain. And Maria,
who had sailed under Ebenezer's or
ders for 40 years, thought this no time
to ask questions. but began to set
things in order. The schooner Raven
had squatted on unclaimed land.
Now, in the course of time the dwell
ers on the bluff, inhabitants of stone
houses set In terraced lawns, looked
down on this marine squatter and were
displeased. They paid little attention
at first, but the steady issue Of smoke
from the Ravens cabin stove and the
accumulation Of Maria's fiowerpots
sayored Of permanent occupation. Au-
tumn' came, then winter, and the Ra-
ven was still on the sands.
The next spring, year after the
schooner went on the beach. certain
rich men took steps to formally assert
title to the natural increase Of land.
on a portion Of which the Raven lay
Then came lawyers, writs and consta-
bles, whom Maria turned over to Eben-
ezer, and with whom Ebenezer dealt
through the medium Of his friend,
Lawyer Flanders.
In the first court to which the men
who owned the land on the bluff took
the matter, Ebenezer won. Title was
not proved, and the skipper Of the Ra-
ven. so far as this tribunal was con-
cerned, was confirmed in his right as
a claimant Of government land. An
appeal failed to reverse the judgment.
and, although the rich men declared
their fixed purpose to carry the case
to the highest court in the land. Eben-
ezer considered the victory won.
Thereupon, under the advice Of the
farseeing Flanders, he began the most
wonderful improvements on his land
that ever were seen on that coast or,
perhaps, any other. To repay some
small annoyances that he had been
subjected to, he caused to be erected
staring sign, where every dweller on
the heights might read: Captain Row
ellis Shipyard."
found the captain there one even
ing walking about his queer domain,
pipe alight and putting like tug. Half
q dozen cottages of remarkable archi.
lecture had sprung up about the Ra-
ven.
"Snug anchora ge," said the captain,
with comprehensive wave of his pipe
in the direction of these new posses
sions. Marian an I are landlubbers
now Yes, we've squatted ON guv' ment
land an caPlate to live here. Mr.
Bingham. up on the hill yonder, an
some o. the other shore folks got after
me in the courts, but beat them. Tried
to bother me with the charge o. put
tin up shanties within the fire limits
an sent mbber down here one day to
pull my houses down. You see, every
house in this here shipyard is boat.
built boat shaped an registered at the
custom house."
The captain had. In truth, built as he
said. The architecture did not appeal
to ones sense Of beauty, whether the
structures were considered as houses
or boats, but any one Of them. properly
bottomed, might be set afoat and made
to serve as q scow or tow barge. By
way Of tenants the captain had q few
Of his sailor friends, a fisherman and a
laborer who liked the situation because
it was near the railroad yards where
he worked. The shipyard was paying
expenses.
"Yes." Captain Rowell went on. "the
Raven has done pretty well for me.
Bout the best cruise ever made was
the one that ended with this here
wreck. It's made me rich man. But
was tellin you bout that attack on my
feet. They sent the fire marshal, an
he says, says he, Them shanties Is In
the fire limits, an I'm ordered to pull
them down. Then gets out on the for
rad deck o. the Raven, an says, says
1, quite like as though was whoopin
In blow outside the point: Ship ahoy,
there! Every one o. them shanties is a
boat an registered In the Yewnited
States custom house. Any man that
tears down one o. my boats is pirate,
an Uncle Sam 'ud rather hang pirate
than eat pie
'tThat fire marshal looked at my ship
| yoXo Col C1 lACu oA hAhoCl opCu-
ed his eyes. He went round behind
one o. those craft, an when he seed her
name an port o. hull painted there.
plain as on any steamboat In the har-
Dor, that settled him. He went back
to the lawyers, an they've been figger-
In ever since on how to make this here
feet put to sea. I'll keep 'em figgerin,"
added Ebenezer confidently, until my
title to all this new lands as solid as
Spectacle reef"
Conceive a double row Of buildings
which upon front view appeared to be
canalboats. gabled Widowed and clap
boarded, with a little picketed inclo-
sure behind each one, and you have the
shipyard In mind. At the end of the
street, nearest the water, lay the Ra-
ven, dismantled with respect to rig
ging, propped with timbers and kept
Immediately painted and scrubbed,
rs flagship should be. Thus the feet
lay, a squadron to be depended on in
any kind Of weather.
To the shipyard came sightseers.
small boys and even the Salvation
Army. Ebenezer Rowell was friend
of religion, although his language at
times might give rise to a contrary
H. CoIx