Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1901-02-06

the western terminus of the Canadian
Pacific Railway. l was feeling pretty
good, because, since my last visit, my
investment of $500 in town lots had
turned itself into good 81 800 with the
growth of the city. And as to the
Daisy, well, | wasn't going to let that
swink 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't 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 were both finishing our loads-and
race me home for $1,000 side. He
wanted to back out, but the challenge
was made at the shipping office before a
crowd of masters and merchants, and
Jones had talked to such an extent that
his friends forced him to stand up to
me like man. I've heard since that
he was in desperate hard straits, so
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 the 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 thing never entered my
head. | was short of a bo's'n, my man
having run from the ship, and there
was not one of the fore,nast hands who
could fairly claim the job. They were
good as sailormen so, the best dozen of
them, but n really Grst-class bo's'n
could have given points to the lot. Now,
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. | couldn't tell
him to run from his present ship, in
deed, as In duty bound, | advised him
solemnly to do no such thing; but | 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 day out
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
l signed him on the books as A. B. He
soon proved the best sailorman in the
ship; such good man, in fact, that my
own people wecen't jealous when pro-
NOTED him over their heads, and made
him bo's'n. l was proud of Diego Ra-
mirez If I'd only known!
We started fair, Jones and /, and all
the city turned out to see the start. A
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 tiye to. three on Jones. | took
care to beyabreast when we passed the
city of Victoria; took more care while
we ran down the Straits of Fuca that I