Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-09-01

IG@%xNSI delphia, standing glass In hand
~y on one Of the wharfs, no
ticed a strange vessel slowly coming
up the bay. This I'm Itself was not an
unusual sight. Many vessels during
the course of a year arrived at or de-
parted from the chief city of the Amer
lean continent, Not so many small
traders or coasting vessels or ponder
pus East Indiamen, perhaps, as in the
busy times of peace before the war be-
gan, but their place was taken by pri-
v~ateers and their prizes, or a ship from
France, bringing large consignments OF
war material from the famous house OF
Rodrigo Hortalez & Co, Of which the
versatile and ingenious NJ. de Beau
marchais was the deus ex machina,
and once In awhile one of the few
ships of war Of the Continental navy,
or some of the galleys or gunboats Of
Commodore H~azelwood's Pennsylvania
state defense feet. Blu the approach
ing ship WIS evidently neither a pri-
vateer nor a vessel OF war; neither did
she present the appearance of IA peace
full merchantmen.
There was something curious and
noteworthy in her aspect which excit-
ed the attention of the port warden,
and then of the loungers along Front
street and the wharfs, and speedily
communicated itself to the citizens OF
the town, so that they began TO hasten
down to the river In the cold Of the late
afternoon. Finally 10 less a person
than the military commander of the
city himself appeared. followed by one
or two aids and attended by various
bewigged and berufied gentlemen OF
condition and substance, among whose
tinery the black coat of II clergyman
and the sober attire of many OF the
thrifty Quakers were conspicuous.
Here and there the crowd was light
ened 10y the uniform Of a militiaman or
home guard or the faded bun and blue
of some invalid or wounded Continent
tai. In the doorways OF some of the
spacious residences facing the river
many of the fair danes for which
Philadelphia was justly famous noted
eae9rly the approaching ship. AS she
caI4e slowly up against the ebb tide it
was seen that her bulwarks had been
cut away; all her boats but one APP
peared TO be lost; her mizzen topgallant
mast was gone; several great patches
In her sails also attracted attention.
There, too, was a ~ieldpiece mounted
and dashed on the quarter deck as a
stern chaser. The fore royal was furl-
ed, and two flags were hanging Imply
from the masthead, the light breeze
from time 10 time iuttering them a lit
tie, but not sufficiently to disclose what
they w@e until just opposite High
street. where she dropped her only re-
naming anchor. when a sudden gust OF
wind lifted the two flags before the
anxious spectators, who saw that one
was a British and the other their own
ensign. As soon as the eager watch
ers grasped the fact that the red cross
OF st. George was beneath the stars
and stripes they broke into spontane-
u cheers of rejoicing. Immediately
after the field gun on the quarter deck
was fired, and the report reverberated
over the water and across the island ON
the one side and through the streets OF
the town on the other with sufficient
volume to call every belated and idle
citizen to the river front at once
Immediately after a small boat was
dropped into the water and manned
by four stout seamen, into which two
officers rapidly descended-one In the
uniform of a soldier and the other in
naval attire. When they reached the
wharf at the foot of High street they
found themselves confronted by an ex-
cited, shouting mass Of anxious men.
eager to hear the news they were
without doubt bringing.
ITO BE Continued) ~