The Republican journal., 1900-11-29
SOME SALT SEA STORIES.

II know this is a good pistol because
the man that owned it raised it from a
Colt" .facetiously remarked Com
mercial street produce dealer to a
Portland Express reporter as he held
up an ancient horse pistol.
eff you and had been where this old
piece has we could tell some startling
i adventures, no doubt. 1t is said that
Captain William Cammett carried this
on board his privateer in the War of
1912, although l cannot positively vouch
i for that.
THE mention of Captain Cammett's
name will cause old Portland residents
| to recall one Of the most famous skip
| perS who ever went out from the Forest
City. He lived to be over 80 years old
and many and many story has he re-
| lated to me that was thrilling in the
extreme.
HE was man who stood 6 feet, )
inches and was broad in proportion.
One day he showed me the back OF his
hands and they were covered with bony
ridges where they had been broken from
striking sailors. He possessed enor-
NOUS strength and often said to me:
i never had to hit a man but once"
Captain Cammett commanded the
largest privateer in our navy during the
war of 1872 and the exciting encounters
he had would fill large book. He
was once attacked by pirates, but
/ drove them off with eXtemporiZed can
non made by saving up old spars, paint
ing them black and running them out
over the rails.
''Ie was fearless and once boarded an
| English ship in mid-ocean, transferred
an entire cargo of rum to his own YES
sci and sailed away, leaving the cha
grined Britons IL swallow their anger.
cat the end of the War of 1912, when
peace was declared. Captain Cammett
was lying at wharf in Portland. He
paid off his large crew and the men went
up town to celebrate the close of hos
| tilities. The privateer carried fully $50
men and they proceeded to make merry.
For some reason they had grudge
against the mate of the ship and after
they had consumed generous potations
of Portland liquor, they thought it
would Re about the proper thing to go
back 70 the dock and lick the mate.
| The latter saw them coming and ran
, and hid
''The half drunken sailors hunted
over the ship but couldn't find him. so
they went away to talk the matter over
and, incidentally, get few more drinks.
meanwhile, Captain Cammett, who
had been up town, returned to his YES
sci and found the mate in badly
, frightened condition He related how
the men had come down and added that
he had no doubt they would return and
kill him if they found him,
Just then the expected happened
and some % or 30 of the sailors came
reeling down Oh to the wharf Captain
Cammett said to the mate: You go be-
low and keep out OF sight and | will
take care OF these fellows" The mate
lost no time in vanishing while Captain
Cammett buttoned up his coat and
calmly leaned up against the rail near
the plank, which ran down ON the wharf.
THE spokesman of the party came up
and announced that they wanted the
mate and that they were going to have
him.
"'You can't see him. replied the
burly skipper
Then We'll come aboard and get
him, was the rejoinder.
not one of YOU comes aboard this
ship" Captain Cammett announced.
with a volley of oaths the crowd
of fighting drunk sailors made for the
p ank. Captain Canmett planted him
self in front OF them and, lift. bang, out
Slot first right and then left. As he
truthfully SAID he never had to strike a
man but once, SO he did not bother to
look at the men who fell.
They tried to climb over the rail but
those fists We're everywhere and men
fell back to the wharf with broken noses
and bruised heads,
''Pretty soon the captain saw he had
them ratified, although their force of
numbers was apparently overwhelming.
and as his lighting blood WAS up he
jumped from his Ship to the wharf and
plunged into the thing in earnest.
1t seems incredible that one man
could have put to rout ~ ORIG men: but
Captain Eanlmttt WAS not an ordinary
man ana 1t is Il matter of record that in
a very few moment, the men who We're
able to run We're living up the wharf
and the captain cock of the walk, tigu-
ratlvely speaking.
These narratives are true aud have
no doubt that Rev. Elijah Kellogg. who
was very intimate with Captain Cam
NETT. remembers them well.
"One day the captain was walking Oh
a back street here in Portland, when
lcIIlltl VI Hfo luoIlCC oul VI tlu
aleyWay with an axe handle in his hands
and made terrible swing for his head.
Captain Cammett had heavy walking
stick i'll his hand and before the mate
could land his blow, he had got in a
wicked cut with that cane. 1t struck the
mate squarely on the forehead and he
fell like log. Captain Cammett did
not even turn to look at him, but con-
tinued his walk as calmly as you please.
AS he said to friend, who asked him
if he was not afraid the mate would
get up and come upon him from the
rear: Not bit of it. | struck him
first, you know, and when | get the
first crack the man doesn't generally
have much to say for some time
Nervous Debility Cured.