The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-04-18
The Schooner That
Turned SQuatter.
Captain Eowell, Being Wrecked,
Concluded to Make the Best
Of the Situation.

"
o Of the Situation. o
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Leaping seas lifted the schooner Ra-
ven high on the beach one night when
a spring gale churned Lake Michigan.
The Raven was owned. nayigated and
now, in the flower Of her sailing days,
beached by Captain Ebenezer Rowell.
Cape Cod was the place Of the cap
tain's nativity, and he lad sailed all
sorts and conditions Of waters, from
the Erie canal to the Arctic ocean.
He asserted, however, with flow Of
explosive language that. was certainly
no part OF his Puritan inheritance, that
he never ran into quite so much dirt
anywhere else as when there was q
norther screaming down this long lake,
breaking the water into foam from
Skilligalee to Crosse point. Now the
Indignant lake repaid his tarry epithets
by fiinging him farther up OH the land
than any boat ever went before.
Captain Rowell had characteristics
that marked him as q man apart. His
long mustache dropped and mingled
with short beard we'll shot with gray,
and when he wore his dingy sou'wester
he looked very like middle aged wal
rus. The captain had q wooden leg,
bound ut the bottom with triple bands
of brass. One Of Farragut's surgeons
took charge of the leg of flesh for which
this wooden substitute did duty after
the battle Of Mobile Bay.
The skipper Of the Raven also had a
pipe that was not without celebrity. It
was burned to ebonC blackness, and,
upon the word Of reliable mariners,
was declared to enit such penetrating
fumes that the Raven could not clear
from Wisconsin, port without the
fact Immediately becoming known In
Michigan. II the wind we're right.
But now the RI cen her commander,
wooden leg, pipe and all. were cast up
on the beach. Cap air Rowell had been
trying to make ptr. aud had missed
the harbor entrance-a narrow passage
between two piers aa eosy tc sseM:! ::ilitto
in storm as the neck OF bottle. AS
his boat went flying in through the
breakers the captain ragged anu beat q
tattoo on the deck with his wooden leg,
having no gratitude In his heart for
the WIND and waves that were landing
him on soft sand instead OF banging
the Raven against the rocks that were
equally handy. The schooner settled
easily on the beach, with the skipper
clinging to the taffrail and the two
Scandinnviana who constituted the
crew gripping at~the shrouds.
Morning showed the seriousness of
the case. The Raven lay at the inner
most point Of a. cozy blight, with q
couple Of hundred yards OF sand be-
tween her and the bluffs that trimmed
the bay. A little way to the north
long breakwater was thrust into the
lake, the Visible evidence OF harbor
work In which government engineers
We're engaged. One effect OF the build
ing Of this breakwater had been to ar
rest certain lake currents ana make
them denoslt great quantities Ss sand
along That part OF the shore on. which
the Raven stranded. In conseQuence.
new land was forming rapidly at that
point. and the people oe The town were
beginning to speculate as to the use> 90
which Il should be put. y, 25
z. It was n slnguiarly ef2ectual ruah OF
the water that carried the schooner 60
this resting place. and Captain Rowell
knew very well that to get her back
Into the water would be expensive ana
di61cult He YVES the more dlsgustaa
With fate because: he haa haar| .....
="Ay on. the shore OF hfa, home port.
where neighbors would want 90 know
the why and wherefore Of this extraor.
dinary navigation. 4 : 81 s 5 1.
One Of those VINO came next day to
look at the schooner. SO far, removed
from her ordinary element, was law
yer acquaintance of the captain. In
speaking abont the changes that were
going on In that part OF. the coast, he
referred to the rapidity with which the
land was .encroaching on the lake
there and gave Il; as his opinion that
there WINS doubt about the right OF
owners OF property on the blufYs--b be-
tween which and the lake q raiirSad
right of wny intervened-to claim the l
accretion. 4 s. IL As3
SIN fact, said I.ss5 ySri s FLANDERS; s.r
believe that this is gov nsas land,
and anybody who squats on lt Will
have b fighting chance. at laast. TO es-
tablish title to the WhUig skaip.n where.
upon Captain Ehonezee Rowelt prtcked
up his Yankee ear0 and aGrcifly crcs5
questioned the lawyer until bio hnG q
fnIe lAnEies. s s:lo regal CONDITIONS aS.
fectiflg thie etx cra & 81: yyee{s fulztsiaS
sand. not lGvelr fhs lssxe - a..sS;5 -
Destined TO be very yaluahls Ho a,a.s
nccnced thet night tsat fs Intended 60
deter pssDasas or 81 stiis,if s,sp