The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-09-27
How Capt. Curtis Got a Tow.

BY E. II. Cos S E.

A few of the older members of the
waterfront fraternity could cite, with
the zest of the envious, some two or
three cases wherein Capt. Eben Curtis
had missed his calculations, but these
mishaps were only the exceptions that
proved the rule. The rule was that
what Capt. Curtis undertook to do was
as good as done. His general success
was the more surprising inasmuch as
from neither a moral nor practical
standpoint, was he by any means con-
servative in regard to what he was
willing to undertake.
In the halcyon days of his career
great public improvements in New
York created a demand for asphalt.
With schooner of ordinary sailing
qualities it was not the height of pru-
dence to agree, on the first of May to
deliver in New York by the middle of
June, cargo of asphalt from the
Caribbean sea, under a forfeit Of sew
eral thousand dollars, but for Capt.
Curtis this was comparatively a wise
and cautious enterprise.
He signed the contract and sailed.
He had no occasion to delay in raising
a crew by reason of the fact that he
kept one crew pret constantly with
him, finding it profitable to have men
whom he knew and on whom he could
rely, for there were occasions in his
way of doing business when he had
mad tn no1I for Cnruinoc uyhiah in tho
language of the law, cannot properly
be constructed as the ordinary duties
of seamen."
Fortune smiled on the beginning of
his venture. He made the run south
In more than ordinary good time, and
took on upward of half his cargo with
equal despatch, but then friction with
the native laborers and one OF the
periodical uI(heaYals of government
combined to retard the loading and the
, work dragged slowly while the pre-
cious days flew by with leaps and
bounds. When he was finally ready
to sail he had time enough for quick
passage but very little margin for in
clement weather. He had a good wind
and clear sky, however, until almost
the end of the trip, then, without
warning, it fell calm, most unusually
so considering the latitude, and, on
the last stretch Of his race against
time, he began to drift idlyn helplessly,
within a hundred miles of port.
There was no prospect of immediate
change in this state of affairs and the
situation was rapidly growing des-
perate. At the outset Capt. Curtis had
hoped that a breeze would spring up
and refused to send for a towboat. AS
time wore on and no breeze came he
changed his mind, and, to avoid the
forfeit, would gladly have seen the
greater part of his earnings of the
trip spent for the long and costly tow,
but no tugs were so far out nor was
he able to speak any inward bound
steamer and thus send word to their
owners ashore.
Now, like the police on land, revenue
cutters, the police of the three-mile
limit, are as a rule, consricuously in
evidence when their presence is least
desirable, and never on hand when
they are wanted. Consequently Capt.
Curtis was surprised and pleased when
he sighted the United States steam
cutter "Sneaky Dick" on the horizon
holding a course that would eventually
bring her within signaling distance of
his own craft. 1t is not at once clear
why this fact should have awakened
any particularly joyous emotions in
Capt Curtis's breast, for the rendering
Tatuitous assistance to vessels not in
ABSOLUTE distress forms no part Of the
luty of the revenue marine; nor was
,tapt. Curtis such friend and admirer
Of the service as to welcome an op-
portunity of clltivating its acquain-
tance.
Nevertheless, after watching her for
a moment, he executed few steps OF
the hornpipe, button-holed the mate in
q moment of earnest and private con-
versation, and called all hands on
deck. He spoke to them on the rela-
tions of master and crew, and dwelt
on the duties of good and loyal sea-
men, pointing out that they ought to
cheerfully execute any orders that
were given them, however extraordi-
nary those orders might appear to be.
He concluded by commanding his crew
to mutiny and to. raise the greatest
hullabaloo possible short of actually
Jpilling blood or setting the ship on
sire.
After the first shock of astonish-
ment his men entered into the spirit
of this sham rebellion heartily, indeed
their enthusiasm was not far from
precipitatineg the real thing. BY the
time the "5neaky Dick" came near
enough to make out the schooner more
or less distinctly the officer on her
bridge noticed suspicious activity
aboard the smaller vessel and he
matched up his marine glasses in
time to see some one fight his way aft
through knot Of excited sailors. A
moment later an ensign. upiop down.