The San Francisco call., 1904-10-29
FOLEY DOCKS HIS SHIP
Clothing House Agents and Runners Land on Angel
Island and Are Arrested for Trespassing.
Steamships American and Azona Loading for This Port and Re-
ported Burned in New York Bay Are Safe

Ensign John ]. Foley is the COM
handing officer Of the sioop of war
Marion, the naval militia vessel. The
captain, as all officers in the navy hav-
ing a command are called, is a
thorough seaman, having absorbed his
knowledge Of a ship forward of the
maiunaast and not in a shore academy.
Added TO this qualification he possesses
the diplomacy Of the bluff old days of
long ago. Lord Nelson looking through
the glass with his blind eye that he
might not see the unwelcome orders
of the admiral is Ensign John ].
Foley's example, and he sees no signals
but those he himself hOists aboard the
Marion.
For several years the naval militia
vessel has been moored at one wharf
and another along the water front
often the docks are crowded and the
chief wharinger has been obliged to
move the Marion TO make room for
some cargo ship. Captain Foley al
ways filed a vigorous objection each
time the States navy was dragged out
OF her berth. but the needs of COM
merce came first.
When the Marion returned from
Mare Island recently she hauled into
her old mooring place at Folsom No. 2.
and the wharfinger ordered her out into
the stream. Captain Foley in full uni
form stood on the quarterback of the
handsome. freshly painted, spick and
span sloop Of war and wanted TO know
who was standing on that dock order
ing that ship around the country. He
was told that the person was the
wharfinger. Then in picturesque Ian
guage he asked what a wharfinger was.
When informed he averred that the
commanding officer of the Marion out
ranked wharinger. All this time the
vessel was moving slowly but surely
into her old berth. Finally Foley re-
fused to confer with a subordinate Of
fetal and the chief wharfnger was
called, who curtly announced that the
Marion could not remain there and
those orders came from the State Board
Of Harbor Commissioners. The cap
tain went higher than that and said
that he ordered the vessel there and
his authority came from the Governor
Of the State.
By this time the Marion had settled
back in her old home and the chief
wharinger threatened to order out the
State tug Governor Markham to tow
the ship from the dock. Then Ensign
Foley iguratively wrote l. S. y. after
his name and played his big trump.
He informed the State official that the
Marion was the property of the United
States Government and he as her COM
mander was an officer IN the United
States navy. If any person not prop
erly authorized by the Secretary of the
Navy attempted to interfere with the
sloOp OF war Marion he would, by vir-
tue OF his rank, declare martial law
on Folsom-street wharf No. and pre-
vent such attempt at all hazards. Then
CAPTAIN Foley ordered the cook, who
was acting as chief Of staff, to signal
the flagship Pensacola for permission
70 begin firing.
The doughty captains manner rather
than his authority and his language
rather than his logic won the chief
wharfinger's admiration. He consid-
cred, that a bluff like that deserved the
whole pot. so he laid his hand down
and left the Marion in the berth. So
the naval reserve battleship proudly
flies her flag over her guns and Foley
is an ensign in the State militia and
captain in the United States navy
and his rights there is none to dispute.