The sun., 1903-10-18

II Won have knocked about Honolulu
much YOU will have heard Of Trig Olafsen
But perhaps you are stranger there.
Then 20 down to the docks some Sunday
morning when the seamen are loafing about
the gangways and ask,
They will sing you the saga Of Trig Olaf
sn II will come couched in language
hdeously profane, but no matter. you
will learn all about Trig Olafsen.
Perhaps. il they are in a good humor,
they will tell you of Trig Olafsen's long
swim, with liberal criticisms Of the ways
Of Providence in preserving the morally
unfit For Olafsen's notoriety as a hard
ease bucko mate equals his fame as a
swimmer.
If you should ever meet Trig Olafsen
YOU will understand why he is feared.
Biz of body, arms like thighs, gnarled
and hairy, lion-like head on a bull neck
. tawny mustache dire oring over pom
derous Jaws, and hair Of the most fiery
hue such a man is Trig Oafsen.
Sailors on the west coast will rule or be
ruled Trig Olafsen has never been ruled
In spite of many efforts on the part of in
crowd of Irishmen tried it once on the
Island Queen, but Trig piled into them
and srnote with the mighty arm OF his
Viking forefathers.
Those were the days when Dave Kala-
kauas banner floated from the palace
towers and from the gaffs of dozen good
sailing ships. Trig Olafsen was mate
Of the Hawaiian bark Aloha, then in the
sugar, lumber and coal trade--coal from
Australia to Honolulu, thence to San Fran
cisco with sugar, and back to Australia
with Puget Sound lumber.
From sailors point of view this was
an ideal run, and the Aloha was first
rate ship for living and easy to handle;
but her crews invariably left at the end
of each passage. Few made full trip.
As they didn't stop to collect their wages,
the owners found it profitable to retain
Trig Olafsen in their service. But on one
trip they almost lost him.
The Aloha hal cleared the doldrums
and had barely caught the northeast trades,
It happened in the morning watch, about
8 clock
The yards were braced sharp up on the
port tack. and if the Aloha was making
her course, that was about all. The mate,
snffily the wind. to take prompt advantage
OF any favora ble change. kept faithful wat;
by the weather mizzen rigging.
The men were Just taking coffee when
the breeze hauled aft a triie. Instead Of
waiting until they had finished, Olafsen
gave the order to square in bit at once.
SLACK away your splnker Sheet he
ordered next,
A man did so, hut the block on the boom
jammcd. The mate leaned over tho rail-
ing to overhaul the sheet. Suddenly
1t cleared, and the boom shot out with a
Jerk to leeward.
The mate had been leaning against the
boom, so naturally he went with it, but
not having wings. he fell and a minute
later was shouting in the ships wake.
Tho mates watch was made up partly
Of Melbourne larrikins and partly of Frisco
roughs, an unwho!esome mixture. Olafsen
had not been very courteous TO them on
the trip, and they remembered it now OF
all times.
The ship was making n good six knots
and even had the he,msman brought her
up into the wind, it would have taken a
good hour to pick up the mate. But the
wheel remained unshifted and the Aloha
sai cd straight on, the men coiied up the
ropes and soon the shouts astern died
out in the hiss of the wake.
But it wasn't to save trouble that they
paid no heed An hour later the man al
the wheel cast loose a life buoy and roared
out
Man overheard"
The captain came on deck, all hands
were called, the ship was hove to and a
boat lowered. They spent an hour hunt
ing, but. of course, it wasn't likely that
they could find man dropped six miles
astern.
A week later the Aloha came into Homo
lulu and officially reported her mate as
lost at sea.
The Aloha hauled up alongside the rail.
road pier and began discharging her cargo
OF coal The crew we're employed on deck
manipulating burtons and whips and driv-
ing winches, while the Kanakas filed the
buckets below By Saturday you could
no longer jump down the hatchways tc
the top of the cargo.
1t was nearly noon. The men expected
b knock of early and were in pretty good
humor, laughing and bandying jokes with
one another.
Suddenly there came crash-a bucket
dropped on deck. almost driving through
the planks and nearly killing big Steve
At the burton. The man driving the fore
winch stood stiff. his face the color Of q
nake's belly his eyes bulging.
The others were about to swear at him
but following his rigid gaze, horror like
wise stfened them. Complete stiffness
had come over the busy scene. All eyes
were fixed on something on the dock.
Picking it's way through the line OF freight
cars on the wharf came the towering figure