The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1902-09-11

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BY zENlAs TUdd.
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ANCA SCCdAuC1 MdSCOV, OOdIuCu ue uC1
sides, and offered for sale 200
tickets from Astoria to St. Mi
chaels. Most people are aware that
stormy ocean lies between the Co.
luInbia, river bar and the mouth of
the Yukon, but 200 miners from the
east paid their passage money,
slowed their outfits on the Mascot,
and waited impatiently for the start.
On Sunday afternoon the tramp
collier Kafir Chief passed a line and
stood out to sea with the, Mascot in
tow. Everyone was in cheerful
mood. from the prairie-bred men in
the cabin Of the ramshackle craft to
the "Company"-who preferred the
safer quarters on the collier.
It was summer time, and long,
gentle roll welcomed the novice Mas
cot. To her credit, she stood it for
two days. Then, just as the passen-
gers were regaining their legs and
spirits after season of seasickness,
the hog chains snapped, dollop Of
water plucked over the clumsy stern
wheel, and she settled down in the
trough of the sea with q impness
that BODIED ill.
An hour later the collier, after TAX
ingsin the hawser, steamed around
the wreck and 1.-The captain viewed
the situation with highly seasoned
profanity The Company COM
posed Of two men, listened calmly to
what he had to say.
s''I thought" said the master Of
the Kaffir Chief, regaining articulate-
ness, '.that the inspectors passed
that as steamer that was seawor-
thy. Looks like it, I doesn't she?
Opened out like, a. dead clam, wheel
gone, funnel dropped over like .
trolley pole, hog chains busted-just
barely afoat, and that owing to her
hold being full up with cordwood.
say, you men, what am, I to do?''
1T is really distressing" said the
president of the company. eve leave
it to your judgment"
'sBut what can I do?" vociferated
the captain. "What can I do with
that rubbish heap? I'm no beach
conber. I can't tow it; she's coming
apart every minute. She'll not hold
together, even to get back to the
Columbia river
The secretary-treasurer lit cigar
and smiled meaningly. 'Do anything
you like, old chap. Only don't get
us mixed up with those men out
there. They might blame us, when
-" He paused gently.
'sWhen what?" asked the captain,
with a scowl. Here the Company
made: a mistake. They did not I'M
derstand that the master of the KAT
fir Chief was both honest and had IA
sense of responsibility. It was the
president who finished the sentence
by 3remarhng-"When it's bad sea-
manship that's to blame. The in
spectors said the Mascot was fit to
make the trip, to St. Michaels, and
you've wrecked her out here"
Captain Mears stared at them with
out q word of reply.
AnShour later he came alongside the
Mascot and swung himself from the
small boat to her upper deck, now al
most awash. He was greeted by q
silence unbroken save by the@noise
Of the stateroom doors slamming as
the steamer rolled.
The men sat sullenly on piles of
baggage rescued from the lower
deck. Their faces were not pleasant
to look upon, and their eyes, to the
experienced captain, held evil. ! He
wasted no words on preliminaries.
1T lies with you what's to be done,"
he said brusquely. "speak up, some
body"
where's the president of the COM
pany?" asked voice. The captain
hesitated. He meant to be loyal to
his employers, but his sense of JUS
tice was touched. ''There's no use
bringing them into it," he answered.
''They won't help you" @
1--WE want our money back shout
ed an old man. V n n e,ss.
"ssye your skins first" suggested
the captain.
Silence ensued once more and he