The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-15

have heard of the Hawaiian bark
Aloha. The Aloha has had many COM
manders, but it is not worth while
10 burden your memory with any of
their names except that of Capt. Eric
Larsen, who, 1 believe, sailed her I'M
ill annexation brought her under Amer
lean colors. Capt. Larsen's name will
be handed down to local fame for
many years to come. When a master
mariner has a reputation it means
that he is either a most extraordinary
god seaman and has keen nose for
fair winds, or that he does things
aboard ship not pleasant for decent.
shore-abiding people to contemplate.
Capt LaFsen's reputation was an ex-
Ception; it was not especially due to
either of these causes. His fame was
gained by his power to convert the
wicked of heart to the true course of
righteousness.
Previous to Capt. Larsen's advent on
the Pacific Coast as mate of d large
British four-master, the Aloha had
been commanded by a bold, hard
handed Irishman, who divided his
time at sea between drinking whisky
and committing assault and battery on
his Sailors. This latter pastime of
his made life miserable to the marine
hospital officials in San Francisco and
Honolulu whenever the Aloha put in
TO those ports. That sort of thing
went a good ways those days, when
maritime laws We're vague and seldom
enforced, but finally the Aloha be-
came too notorious even for those parts
and the owners were obliged by pub
lie opinion to remove Kanaka Hogan
!,
IRENE they went to another. To take
his place they engaged the meek and
gentle Larsen.
On the first trip he broke the
AZ ohaH previous records between
Frisco and Melbourne, and that
placed him high in favor with the
owners. But by his brother command
ers of other ships Capt Larsen was
regarded with supreme contempt. A
religious master mariner is never re-
spected, more especially if he be-
longs to the Salvation Army, as did
the good and piOus Larsen.
When the Aloha lay loading or
discharging in Honolulu Capt. Larsen
spent his evenings ashore at Saliva
ton Army headquarters, and he even
Joined the red-shirted soldiers of Christ
in their street cOrned demonstrations.
There the seafaring population of
Honolulu would often behold the
Alohas skipper, his bare head and
broad shoulders towering above his
fellow Salvationists.
To the popular disugst he would
sometimes step forward to deliver his
testimony, bashfully at first, later
warming up enthusiastically, eXhort-
ing the scandalized seamen to mend
their ways and be saved. He in
Nariably began thus:
Dearly belofed bredren and ship
mates 1t is almost impossible to ex-
press de joy of true salvation. ! hat
never been so happy as since I found
Jesus. Nunce 1 vas a bad man, far
from de road of righteousness. Vunce
l drink visky and use bad langvidge,
and vas not good to my sailors, but
now, tank de Lord, I have found sal
walton, and 1 don't be so wicked any
more"
Naturally, such sentiments could not
be well received by West Coast skip
pers. That q sailorman should declare
whisky and swearing wicked was, to
their minds, nothing short of treach-
cry to the brotherhood of seamen.
In San Francisco Capt. Larsen's
piousness proved equally objection
able. He always insisted that the
boarding masters send him Christian,
God-fearing seamen who never swore,
and would not object to prayer meet
were naturally scarce, but so long as
the Aloha's owners stood good for the
large shipping fees, they tried to hu-
NOR the eccentric Norwegian skipper.
Those were the days Of blood money
But one day there came a change
of management in the office of the
Aloha's owners, and, among other
things involved. Capt. Larsen must
henceforth manage the financial part
of shipping his crews himself. That
was the cause of the trouble. The re-
Hgious scruples of Capt Larsen and
blood money fees wouldn't mix in the
same pot.
In those days the boarding masters
or Frisco stuck together as thick as
thieves, and the shipping commission
ers stood in with them. All this was
for mutual benefit. Any skipper that
refused to put up their prices brought
upon himself their united displeasure,
and that was something no sane skip
per ever cared to do. Then, it was
usually to a shippers advantage In
financial way to stand in with the
boarding masters; it was another case
or mutual benefit.
But Capt Larsen conceived the idea
mat blood money did not chime in with
the moral scheme of things, so he gave
voice to that opinion just about as ne
voiced his testimonies on the street cor
He met Seattle Mike and AL Black.
president and shipping master for the
Boarding Masters Association, in their
once, partitioned off in the Fair Winds
saloon.
Two months advance for each
man" demanded Seattle Mike. "Just
AO-twenty for us and twenty to square
up the mems accounts. You've got to
pony up same's the rest of EN-"
You bet" added Al Black, drink
Ing his beer with a dark frown, I'VE
doesn't stand no foolin'!"
Capt. Larsen's mild, blue eyes wan
dered YEARLY about the dingy office.
Twenty dollars shipping fee is too
much" he protested meekly. II am
willing to gif you more dan 81 apiece
as shipping fee. Dat is choost vat de
law allows"
Two dollarsi" snorted Al Black.
savagely. I'VE say $40. and we mean
It, II you don't come up with that
price, you get no men,"
Next day he opened negotiations
with Chinese Charley for crew OF
kanakas and Cinnamon. The United
Boarding Masters smiled-that meant
trouble for Capt. Larsen with the
union. For a while they decided to let
1t go at that, but Seattle Mike con-
tceived a plan whereby they might
nave even a more complete revenge
This he at once communicated to his
associates and they grinned more
broadly than ever. 1t was a game
they had played before, and always
successfully. Perhaps you have hearu
OF the muttny of the Harvester.
Next day they sent a note to Capt.
Larsen stating that they acceded 10