Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-01-25

sw1nk Jones crow over me. He COM
manded the Breeze, a four-masted bark,
bigger than the Daisy, but with moth
Ing of her sailing qualities. He had
got some new fancy patent tops'ls, and
was trying to make the merchants be-
lieve that he'd be unloading in London
River before l was round the Horn. He
was good talker, was Jones, and made
himself out proper hero, especially
among the women, who, bless their
souls! don know man when they see
one unless he has got torpedo beard
and apes the naval officer Anyway,
Jones Dragging made me so sick that
challenged him to start the same day
we We're both finishing our loads-and'
race me home for $500 a side. He
wanted to back out, but the challenge
was made at the shipping Office before
crowd of masters and merchants, and
Jones had talked to such an extent that
his friends forced him to stand I'D to
me like man. I've heard since that
be was in desperate hard straits, so
much so that the loss of that bet would
mean sheer ruin to him; but he had
talked too much, and the Vancouver
people would have chaffed the life out
of him if he tried to sing small before
me. We planked down tile stakes, the
first man home to cable to the stake
holder, claiming the whole amount.
Then, guess, Jones felt sick. Bar ac-
cidents, the man couldn't possibly beat
me sailing, and | never suspected foul
play; such a thing never entered my
head. L was short of bo's'n, my man
having run from the ship, and there
was not one of the foremast hands who
could fairly claim the job. They were
good as sailormen go, the best dozen of
them, but really first-class bo's'n
could have given points to the lot. Now,
Jones had regular. champion, Por-
tugee, who'd learned his trade whaling.
and followed that up under the best
masters in the deep sea trade. So when
he came to see me the day before |
was to sail, listened to all he had to
say about Captain Jones-which wasn't
exactly compliments. l couldn't tell
him to run from his present ship. in
deed, as in duty bound, 1 advised him.
solemnly to do no such thing; but I did
drop hint that I'd pick up valuable
men who'd run from@such masters as
Jones, and slowed away in the Daisy.
Sure enough, before I'd been a day ont.
l found Diego Ramirez aboard of me,
mighty poor in spirit, humble and will
ing. Naturally, wasn't going to lose
time handing the man over to Jones. SO
signed him on the books as A. B. He
soon proved the best sailorman in the
ship; such good man, in fact, that nv
own people weren't jealous when nro-
NOTED him over their heads and made
him bo's'n. | was proud of Diego Ra-
mirez- If I'd only known!
We started fair, Jones and L ana all
the city turned out to see the start. 4
17,O0O-mile race is. out of the common.
the papers were full of it, and at the
time when we cast off the tugs the bet-
ting was five to three on Jones. | took
care to be abreast when we passed the
city of Victoria; took more care while
We ran down the Straits Of Fuca that
snoe.d round Cape Flattery ahead of
him. Tina betting there was Eve to three
on me. Jones did all he knew. and as
far as speed went there wasn't actually
much to choose between our two shins.
but for seamanskip, well, I'd be sorry
for Jones chance. OF course. we mt
him astern the very first day, nor did
we see him again fol many a long day
after.
There's no need to describe the vow
age. ! had all the winds tried for.
and not too much; rounded, the Horn
without reef in my tops'ls, then reach
ed away to catch the trades for home.
We were bowling along towards the
Line-runntng down our Iatitudes in
fine style, and on Oct. 3, at noon. /
made it 100 80 s. We were under
close reefed top gallant sails, wind
about Sc, blowing about a tops,l
breeze; about as much as we cared for.
Indeed, the mate wanted to snug home
the top gallant Sails / knew what the
Daisy could stand, and when I went
below at 10 o'clock 1 told the second
not to call me for less than light gale.
But I could not sleep, and that's a
queer thing at sea how ones body stays
awake, expecting danger, while. SO far
p mortal mind can tell, there is moth