New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-23
KLPLLNG AT COLCHESTER.
HOW CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS" WAS WRIT
TEN
From The Boston Transcript.

HOW CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS WAS WRIT
TEN.
From The Boston Transcript
When Rudyard Kipling came to Glouces-
ter, one June day four years ago. to gather ma
terial for the work that was afterward known
as Captains Courageous he stopped at a pri-
vate cottage over the tongue of land that
forms the outer boundary of Gloucester HARDER.
This little projection is charted as Eastern
Point. and Eastern Point Light and Dog Bar
Breakwater are at the extremity of it.
Here the author put in the entire summer
with his wife and little girl.
During his stay at East Gloucester Mr.. Kip
ling did not mix much with the local people
on their side the people of Gloucester did not
generally come to know him. Doubtless a large
number of the summer residents of the place
could have identified him. but not many citizens
of the city knew him by sight.
Mr.. Kiplng gave up his cottage in September
and never so far as known, did he return to it.
But in April of the next spring he revisited
Gloucester and stayed five days. and again in
May he returned for stay of week. During
these later visits he put up at a modest. COM
Portable hosiery in the heart of the business
area that may as well be called the Smith
House any other.
1t was late in the afternoon Of nasty. rainy
April day that Mr. Kipling arrived in Gloucester
for his first spring trip. He looked pale and
used UP when reached the hotel A big man
was with him. This man registered for both as
DIR. -- and friend, Vermont" Mr.. Kipling'S
only luggage was handbag Of moderate size
While he was drying out. the dripping guest ex-
planned to the sympathetic hostess how he came
versation almost word for word to this day:
we arrived in Boston from Vermont this
morning. 1 intended to take train and come
to Gloucester at once, to make ready for long
planned trip to the Grand Banks, but something
put 1t into my head to first take run down to
T Wharf IT Wharf is the wholesale fish mar
ket at Boston,. 1T happened that as we were
walking down the wharf we heard somebody
speaking of a vessel that was about to leave for
Gloucester I could not let such a chance go by,
l asked where this vessel lay and hunted her
up There she was, the Venus, Captain Dench,
-Ixgy -Gr~, I,erA 1O-f
I felt at home the Venus and jumped aboard
without further question. taking the doctor with
me, and then asked Dench if might make the
trip to Gloucester with him. He said Certain
ly; come along. Glad 70 have you
But, Mrs Smith, I never put in meaner
afternoon in my life. was sick before we were
out of the harbor, and 1t was only moderately
rough even outside, hardly that. as your fisher
men have it, I was sick all the way down, and
got relief until we were at the entrance OF
your harbor here. Then I felt better. That
little trip, however has given me all / want OF
fishing for a while. ] did have 1t in my head to
make a trip to one of the big banks, but think
now that I will give over that idea. fear 1t
would not be quite to my taste after my little
experience of this afternoon
While Mr.. Kipling was at the hotel they found
him a most desirable boarder. He had some
ways peculiarly his own. but these were not IN
the slightest degree objectionable. For instance
he always wanted the same seat in the dining
room that he had occupied at his first meal If
he came in and found this seat taken he would
quietly retreat and wait till 1t had been vacated
He was not at all disagreeable about it. He
explained that this little weakness or MS.
At table Mr. Kiplng was no great shakes as an
eater" TO quote the clerk. He ate of the plain
est food and lightly of that. He picked at his
food" said the landlord, who wished TO see him
devorr great roasts and things. But ne liked
beer He had ii for dinner and supper and
seemed to enjoy 1t immensely.
One of his particular requests was that no
merely curious people be admitted 10 see him.
When strangers would come inquiring for MI.
Kiplng it often happened that their quest would
be sitting there in the office so close to the call
ers that he could have reached out his hand and
brushed their clothes. At these times the au-
thor would peep over his paper at the clerk anu
shake his head warningly. Then he would settle
back and prepare TO enjoy the eager questions
OF the curious ones. Not infrequently he would
stare in a casual sort of way at these inquisttiVe
visitors much would any man vaguely inter
ested through sheer sympathy in anotheT's hunt
lie would smile furtvely after the exit of such
as had seen and not recognized him II was the
hosts opinion that many Of these ala recognize
him as ne sat there. but they lacked the nerve 10
address him after his presence had been denied
To the ordinary observer he appeared to be a
sturdy character. with mind and a VIII OF
his own and a thickset body to back it up. He
looked somebody" the landlord put it. and like
a man who would have his own way His eX-
IRENE carelessness in dress and his unassuming
wavs did much to lead superficial people who
did not know him to pass him by without sec
ond glance II 1t were an undistingulshed char
acter who dressed ms Mr.. kipling dld. he would
be sized uD by the populace as or sloppy
sort All the raiment considered needfu by
MowgIis sponsor for trip OF week to civil
lied town was what he carried on MS back ana
in his modest handbag.
Resides being a slack dresser. he held utterly
impractical views all matters pertaining TO
his wardrobe. In the regeneration or kipling s
kind good housewives make regulations His
absentrnin dednesS-or his Carelessness-for II is
probable that he cared not a straw for these
tbfngs-led a good old lady at the house to
venture a guess that here was man that
trusted to his wife TO keep him looking respecta-
ale when at home.
When Mr. Kipling came to the Smith House In
April he was given corner room that over
looked the busiest square in Gloucester The
corner opposite this room was the faTOrite LOAF
ing ground for fishermen ashore. II may have
been because of this interesting outlook that
Kipling insisted on having his old room when
he came back in May. or II may have been
merely his customary preference for things he
had tried before as witness the case Of the
dining room seat and the Venus.
Afternoons and evenings were spent by the
author In his room. His waste basket was
regularly Uttered with discarded sheets torn
into minute scraps. He used paper Of a rare
blue tint folded double, as TO make 6 by Q
page. These he would pack with close lined
pAnmanship that was difficult to read.
Every morning at $50 o'clock. or pretty near
to it. Mr.. Kirling was at the breakfast table.
Every afternoon at > he busy with his
daily plunge. He liked his bath about an hour
before supper he said 1t was generally past
midnight when the light in his room was seen To
be out
The wizard OF the seven spent his morn
ings providing about the docks. He ever
seeking light fishing and fishermen There
was once marine reporter who to inter
view him. Mr.. Kipling soon discovered that his
visitor was pretty well posted on the business
OF the port. The meeting came near resulting
In an interview by the author However the
reporter printed what he got out of H. and IL
Is not improbable that Kipling printed HIS side
F L. 4