Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-24

odIH WdlkeT WIZ SOlH 10 havana,
you said that wuz the place We
wanted ter go tew. So you paid me
the money for passage for both of
We, and we cast off and headed out
inter the Gulf erbout eight o'clock
this ere mornins. Ye fooled aroun'
awhile, clum out on Their bowsprit,
did various monkeyshines, and then
went below. That's all thar is tew
it" and Capt. Parker laughed with a
vigor hearty and pleasing.
From early childhood l have
longed to go to Havana" said Mr..
Seymour. why should select this
special time is not readily apparent,
but it is well. Cheer up, Bender!
Once again an aqueous toast to Capt.
Parker and his gallant crew."
Having done ample justice to the
food pefora them, the voyagers fol-
lowed Capt. Parker to the deck of
the vessel. The Sam Walker" was a
large, three-masted schooner. They
found seats on the after deck. A
big Swede stood at the wheel, and
lazily rcvolved it as the fresh breeze
came in irregular gusts from the
southwest. The air was fragrant with
the odor of newly-sawed lumber, and
Seymour noticed, for the first time,
that the decks between the masts
We're piled high with timber.
''Hev scegar," said Capt. Parker,
passing box to Mr.. Seymour. Il
kin afford to be generous, seem as
how you bought 'em. You gave me
twenty dollars and told me to buy
the best thar was; and reckon
you'll find them all right"
'You seem to be in the lumber
trade,' said Seymour, as he took a
cigar and passed the box to Dick
Bender.
Eyes, 1 haul right smart of lum-
Der an stuff in the course of a
year. said Capt. Parker. Like all
New England Yankees who live in
southern states, his dialect was a
mixture of northern and southern
idioms.
"You must know some contract
ors,'' said Seymour. Though his field
of detective endeavor was limited to
the area of ''mmber hooker" on
the broad expanse of the Gulf OF
Mexico, the newspaper instinct was
strong within him.
Reckon / know erbaout all thel
contractors in an, round New Or
+ leans" said Capt. Parker, with some
pride. THE Sam Walker has car
ried many a. batch of timber up an
down these here coasts"
Did you ever carry any lumber fo1
man named Walter Il. lIestor?'
asked Seymour. "Talk about you,
thousand to one Shots" he said tt
himself, this certainly is one O.
them"
"Hestor?" said Capt. Parker re
hcctively. "Hestor? Thar amt M
contractor by that name that evel
heern on"
.'IIc is not a contractor" explained
Seymour. is a New York million
aire, whom know very well. H
/ built a house on some island in tn
! West ln@ics 4 year or so ago"
What sort ofqia man wuz he?
! asked Capt. Parker. what did h
dew?".
| ''IIe did newspaper work for fun,
said Seymour. lie had lots of mon
ey, and went all over the world look
ing for good stories"
/! did he own u yacht-a stear
! yacllt2.sg
YES" answered Seymour, lcanin
/ forward in his excitement.
Say, Bill"
The first mate was talking wit
/ the Swede wheclsman. He steppc
! over and joined the group when Cap
Parker called him.
What WIZ thcr name of that dud
who owned the 'Shark'?" he aslic,
! "lou know who | mean. The on
that Col. Mcintyre built that al
J house for"
Seymour dropped his cigar. Th
temptation to yell almost owe
I whclmed him.
/ Lets see; what in thunder wa
his name?" said the big sailor. re
AioNihS us Setp dilu iuHiillS HIS nan
through Il mass Of red hair. som,
thing like Hanson or Hampton
That amt it. There was an s.
it. He was an odd sort of fisl
Raising hell all the time. Let's Sc
Hisser, liissor, Histor, Hestor-
that's it. | knew 3dummed we'll
could think of it. He had the stea,
yacht Shark and Il quiet sort of
chap named Waters was her capital
Mighty fine boat. the Shark iu
like thunder and lightnin'! Why
What about him?"
4 Seymour gave Bender violent kie
I on the shin.
"Nothin'. This here gentlema
was askin' erbout him. said Car
Parker.
'.IIestor is an old friend of mine
explained Seymour Where is tt
Col. Mcintyre you spoke of? Is ]
New Orleans contractors"
"He used ter be-" said Capt Pa
ker. He has moved ter Havan
, This here load of lumber is fer hi
He's buildin' new hotel in Havana
rs he in Havana now?"
tSuDpOSe so" said fhe cantoi