The Republican journal., 1902-12-11
CAPTAIN JOHN M. HARDY.
Master of Schooner Radiant es Years.


"Aye," said skipper John NJ. Hardy
as he-whipped over the end Of piece
of rope he was splicing, on board the
trim little schooner Radiant, Il have
been Is years in the coasting trade,
from Boston and New York ports east.
Yes'n that's better than the average"
says he, and he turns the rope over and
looks longingly over the deck of the
old schooner, which has SO long been
home to him.
The old schooner Radiant and her
jOvial old commander, past three score
years, have few equals in points of con-
tinuous service and the cOmpanionship
of the two has been both pleasing to
the shipper and the goOd-hearted old
captain.
Capt. John M. Hardy, now nearing
three score and ten years, was born in
Deer Isle, the son of Joseph p. and
Polly Haskell Hardy, and until the age
of years resided there, when the fam
lily removed to Winterport, where they
had little home and did bit of farm
ing in connection with their seafaring
His father followed the sea but little,
yet there was in Capt. Hardy the love
of the sea and he followed boating and
sailing as he grew older with as much
interest as though fisherman on the
banks of his former island home.
After brief schooling, he left home
at the age of IA years as an ordinary
seaman, going before the mast and tax
ing his first trip in the old schooner
Friendship, then of two masts and at
that time sailing between Penobscot
bay ports and Boston, with an occasion
al trip to New York and other ports as
she was called in the coasting trade.
These first trips brought many expert
ences, and brought to the afterward
able commander the first. knowledge of
the occupation which he has so closely
followed.
''My experience before the mast was
of not long DURATION said the captain.
~ soon worked up to mateship, and
the vessel which first had the honor to
command was the schooner Mary E..
Lang of 240 tons and having two maSts
for in those days few schooners were
built, the great majority being sloop
rugged. | had served as mate in her for
five years, and, although small vessel in
these days. we were for long time in the
coal coasting trade to Cuba and Prince
Edward Island. One year, during the
month of November, we made trip to
Prince Edward Island, where we pur-
chased cargo of potatoes at S1.05 in
gold on an average per barrel, and, sail
ing for Cuba, discharged them at Hav-
anna, receiving in payment the amount
of an average of 81 in gold, making a
good profit, few such ones being made
at the present time"
''The schooner Radiant was built in
Brookhaven, n. Y, in 1886 for the
Providence and Albany packet trade,
being rugged as sloop and doing good
business on that line. She was rebuilt
about four years before l bought her,
and when | secured the craft, some %
years ago. she was as well rugged and
fitted a craft for the coaSting trade as
could be found in this section. For IS
years me and the old vessel have been
sailing back and forth between New
\ DIRK and Maine ports, wind and Wea-
Their, with tides working as they would,
but never shipwreck or trouble. And
yet, sald the captain, Ill a thoughtful
mood. ''many a hard rub we've had, and
i'll that long time there has been some
grief, some cold nights, some hard
chanc- S. and yet may say | have been
very lucky.
ter of a VI ssel for 80 years. in one craft
winter and summer for IS years, carry
ing thousands of bushels of grain east
and hundreds and hundreds of tons of
hay west, yet never being shipwrecked
but once, and never wetting a cargo, is
a record which few can boast of, but
that's been the good fortune which has
has been mine.
'Freights have shifted about conSid-
cradle i'll my time and there have been
times when it was hard to get living
in d coastng vessel, While at others
they have been very good. Black Fri
day came soon after bought the Radi-
ant, when business was at a standStill
and things looked mighty uncertain.
1--WE were paying our men $50 per
month and had just sailed out of Ban
gor to Boston with pig iron and bark,
clearing up 1925, and when we got back
to Bangor on the day following Black
Friday business was very still There
were no freights and the very city
showed that the bottom had fallen out
of everything. 1t looked very bad and
we were obliged to tie our schooner up.
After lying idle some time and find
ing things did not improve. l called my
men together and told them that if they
wished to stay with me for their board
they might do so, but could pay them
no longer. After a time business brac-
ed up and we got cargo of lathS to
Boston, stocking 500, but after paying
the grub, wages and port entry bills,
there was nothing left for the vessel
and me. Soon after this, freights on
laths went down to 80 cents, and so
they have continued.
The Radiant is getting old now, but
she will last me as long as l shall need
her, as I'm getting rather tired of
going coasting, and now, that it's get
ting hard when one tries to get on board
and there's not the spryness about them,
things look different. l allus did like
to be round vessel, though" said
Capt. Hardy "and even now, although
I'm getting old, there's great fascina-
ton for me to get on the deck of an old
schooner and look her over; to look at
the new ones and see how much easier
it is to get along than when began 60
ing to sea-"
Capt Hardy has two sons, the eldest,
Arthur, sailing with him in the vessel,
while the other, John, remains at home.
The Radiant has had some $4,000 expend-
ed on her since Capt Hardy became her
owner, yet she is beginning to show her
age and must soon be listed among the
older ones. She has gross tonnage of