New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-23

condensed. He's a pretty good pump himself
commented the reporter, coming away.
Mr. Kipling would question anybody that came
to his line He dearly liked to corral a likely
looking salt and lead him along the smooth path
of Renaissance until a pleasant footing had
been established. To such he would listen SYM
pathetcally, deity inserting leading questions
here and there. Kipling would stay by just so
long the spinner of salt sea yarns had
whoop left in him
Also did Mr.. Kipling like to get into dory
ard row along the harbor front In these trips
the big. doctor would be planted in the stern
The author would take position on the aIttr
thWart and attend to rowing Mr.. Kipling al
ways insisted on doing the rowing himself Evil
IDENTIFY he wished to experience all the trials OF
the true sailorman. He had a way of looking
over his shoulder he rowed that may nave
been innocent imitation Of lone fishermen as
they could be seen any time rowing around the
harbor- Only no real fisherman would bother 10
keep a lookout ahead with partner in the pas
senger's seat to watch out for him. 1t is posi-
BILE that Kipling did not wish TO make use or
his companion in that way. II is not likely that
he was an unthinking plagiaTist in this case.
but rather that he wanted to do all the looking
about as well all the rowing himself When
anything up I'm dock struck him as of posi-
BILE interest, in he would paddle and invest-
gate. He had a great fancy for cruises in and
around fishing craft at anchor in the stream or
tied up in the docks. He would steer close up
to their sterns and squint over their quarters,
or he would run up and hook on to their DOB
stays and take a long sight along the bige Of
them from there. He clearly bound to OBJ
serve everything to be observed.
With most of the weight in the dOry piled into
the stern the boat would be tilted well into the
air not at all after the manner of fishermen
with haul of cod or haddock aboard. In such
a case the men of the banks always strive 10
keep the boat even keel Drop a deep sea
fisherman from the clouds into a dory and he
will trim ship instnCtively as he Will Stat at
a dogfish on sight II is not likely that Kipling
gave this point sufficient attention or he, too,
would have sought TO sail his galley more on
horizontal plane.
These people Of Gloucester who had the luck
to spend an hour with Kipling speak of him as
unassuming, likable man. He would have
been entertained to the limit of the city's hos
pitaity. but he simply would not stand for it..
He seldom ate a meal away from the hotel, and
then it was no more than an informal tea some
where. 1t may be noted. instance of the
authors occasional thoughtfulness for others.
that he once returned TO the hotel, after he had
gone two blocks, to tell the clerk that they
must not keep supper for him, as he was going
to dine out that evening.
The chronicier of Captains Courageous
never made a trip to any of the fishing banks
frequented by the men Of Gloucester Unques-
tionably he intended to go, and, to n of his
thorough methods, such trip would have been
deemed of great Importance indeed But the
fact remains that he did not 60 1t must have
been as he limited in the Smith House. that af-
ter his jolting experience in the Venus he had
no stomach for the disCOmfOrts of longer yOy
ages. Yet II is a pity he did not make the need
full passage to the banks. 1t would not have
mattered much which one he visited Had he
done so he would have avoided many errors that
the seafaring people of Gloucester were quick
to see
Kipling got his practical experience in two or
three day trips on the sloop Venus. The Venus
is a good boat of her kind, but she is not the
kind that the residents of the greatest fishing
port in the world would show you if you asked
for a sight of a typical fisherman. To begin
with this is a sloop and where is the Of
Gloucester that would reverence you for taking
your hat off to a slOop when the harbor is alive
with models of the handsome sChoOners that
have made name all the world over for stanch-
ness. speed and beauty? Kiplng's trial boat is
of the kind that Gloucester people call smoke
boat" That is. she fishes for dealers who smoke
or dry their stock. These boats leave early in
the morning and usually back before dark.
They rarely go out Of sight of land, and s
rarely stay out night. The Venus is of
the best of these small boats She is of about
twenty tons a fast, able little craft, and her
skipper, William Dench, is reputed TO be capa-
BILE man In his line.