The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1902-07-25
PLIGHT OF A
CUSTOM OFFICER.

shore districts of Maine. -Four ship
yards lay in my territory, and as act
ing surveyor ! was obliged to'mcas-
ure any vessels that might be built
there. This might seem TO I've Il very
brief and simple task: there is, how
ever, a great deal of detail in the
work. for Uncle Sam is extremely
particular about the dimensions and
tonnage of the vessels that fly his
flag.
One of these %.hipyards was in the
town adjoining that in which lived,
and at the end of a long point fully
a mile from any house. In the
month of September. six weeks after
my appointment, ii fell to me to
measure n four-ma.tcd schooner,
fast nearing completion in this yard.
/ arrived in the town by stage Mt
eight o'clock one cool evening. and
spent the night at the single small
hotel. The next morning ! engaged
the owner Of a horse and wagon to
take me down to the vessel. aud hold
one end OF the measuring tape while
! got the variou. dimensions.
1t was a long days work for two
men. | returned to the hotel for
dinner. and then rode down again
with my assistant to finish the job.
Our hardest and longest task was
in the hold. Thi, We were obliged
to divide into sections, and each see
ton had TO he measured several
times. We did not get through be-
low until half an hour after the men
working on the houses and rigging
hgd knocked or for the night.
1t would have taken. perhaps. an
hour to lini.h. and wanted to bring
the matter TO u close then and there.
But my helper. whose zeal had evil
IDENTIFY been tagging the latter part
Of the afternoon. absolutely refused
to remain longer.
Had il not been growing dark SC
rapidly | would have waited and
completed the work alone. but snw
that before the lat measurements
could be taken n lantern would be
needed. So il seemed best to me
to 20 back to the hotel for supper
and come down again later. ! could
not wait until the next morning, a.
| should then be obliged TO take til,
early stage for home.
After supper | tried to engage
mar or boy to go back with me L
.he vessel, but not one could ] get
everybody was going TO the rally
At last ! borrowed n lantern Of til,
landlord and started of alone. II,
told me that the night Waterman u
the yard was an old, hall-crazy fisher
man, and advised me to make myscl
known 10 him before going ON boar
the schooner. II. he always carried
oublc-barrclcd shotgun when oil
guard.
Ny walk to the yard, although
lonely one. was not NJ all unpleas
ant. For the last half-milc the roa,
wound through a heavy growth q
maple and birch. but the full moon
which had just risen. gave me plcnt
of light. On reaching the schoone
| looked about for the watchmaI
but he was nowhere in sight. Fa
out on the water n small boat wa
slowly moving in along the moon
path, and | judged that it probabl
contained the missing man. ! di
not wait for him, but set to work d
once.
Soon all the measurements wer
taken except those Of the after decl
Lighting my lantern carefully
avoid danger of fire, | went dow
into the lazaretto, and then into til
cabin. \ few minutes suiliced +,
these, and only the poop forward {
the cabin was left.
A. | came out Of the after con
%panionway and went forward ov,
the house with my lantern, hear
a shout from the water, and saw Il
boat coming rapidly in only a fc
hundred feet away. | was so nea
Is through that | felt it better