The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-04-18

/ have ffOur1Sllng lO0SeS III Si-S-
there is an up-to-date hospital an
old woman's home, an orphans nome
and q public library. The social NE
lis made more pleasant by the exist
ence of the Osceola Club, organized
more than thirty years ago and COM
posed of the best citizens. The cluo
rooms on Palafox street are elegantly
fappointed and popular rendezvous
| for naval officers when on shore. Inc
social affairs here are at all times
| brilliant. The Country club has
membership of 100, with club house
on Palmetto beach and golf course
nearby. The Progress club, composed
| of representative Jews; the Coneordia
club. composed of Germans, and the
Pensacola Athletic club. with its yacnt
club. boat club and boat house, con-
stitute the remaining pleasure organ
iZations.
AS in all seaport towns, there are
many picturesque characters IN Pen
sacola, but perhaps none is more IN
teresting than Captain I. E. Welles,
mayor of Pensacola Twenty-Five
years ago Captain Welles, a young
man of % years old, came to Pensaeo-
! la from Connecticut to make his for
tune. Captain Welles had neither
money nor friends. He shipped on
| fishing smack in a humble capacity
and began Immediately to work his
way upward. Now Captain Welles is
worth considerably over half a million
dollars, is associated in an immense
| fish business. is a dominant figure in
municipal affairs and mayor OF the
town. All he has done was accom-
plished by hard work. Captain Welles
is a bluff. hearty individual with many
airs of an old salt. Among the good
stories that Captain Welles relates :
one about confirmed landlubber who
once visited Pensacola The Captain
tells this ancedcte with great relish
and when he went out 10 pay his re-
spects to Admiral Evans recently he
sprung" it on Captain Pillsbury, cap
tain of the Maine and the Admiral's
chief staff.
Thought Wharf Was Ship.
"One time a party of inlanders We're
visiting Pensacola and | was showing
them the sights" said Mayor Welles.
''As we stood on the wharf looking
out over the bay, l pointed out the
various vessels lying at anchor That
is fishing smack said. that vessel
over there is ship. the one to the
left tramp steamer, the other tor
pedo boat destroyer and there over to
the left is battleship'
Just then one young fellow caught
sight of the huge Commandments
street wharf of the Louisville & Nash
vii
bay. Jerusalem he cried, pointing
with his finger, that's a big one over
therei II looks like Noah's ark"
The pilots constitute another inter-
esting class in Pensacola. This body
OF men are power in the harbor and
their association is one of the strong
est in the country. 1t. is a pictures
que life which these men lead, pilot
ing ships in and out the harbor. andI
in smooth weather they have a pleas
ant occupation. Their fees are based
on the draught and tonnage of the YES
sells piloted. A large vessel pays 5000
Or $500 for few hours work in bring
ing her in or taking her out, and lust
now when there are so many of Uncle |
Sans warships passing in and out
the harbor, the pilots are waxingl
opulent. Even a battleship must take
on pilot before she can enter the
harbor or pass over the bar, SO thel
pilots do not have to scramble fori
business. They are divided intol
watches. so that every man gets his
share of boats.
The pilots are a fine set of men. gen.
ial, hospitable and fond of telling
stories. All of them are good fellows. !
but none is more popular than Can't. |
John II. Caro-, who has been a pilot \
Tor over thirty years and knows the
harbor like book. Among other
well known pilots in Pensacola are
Captain Oldmixon, who is captain of /
the pilot boat Florida. Captain Ed
O'Brien, president of the National AS
ISOLATION of Pilots, was in Pensacola
a the time of our visit. CAPTAIN
O'Brien has just returned from wash
ington. where he waged a successful
battle against the Littlefeld bill. a Il
measure that affected the interests OF
pilots in all parts of the country.
Boat Has Interesting History. /
Among the numerous fishing smacks
lying at the wharf OF the Saunders
Fishing company and owned by Cap
tain Welles is the 'Kwasind," a boat
that has an Interesting history. The
kwasind was built at Sandy Hook for
a pilot boat and has a fine speed reel
ord. She was chartered by the Boe-
government 10 lie off the island of
st. Helena While General Cronje was
prisoner there in an effort to help
the general escape. The Kwlsind
then known as the Elbridge T. Jerry.
stood on st. Helena for six months.
but every time she made a move she
was checkmated by a British cutte-
and the venture proved unsuccessful.
The Elbridge T. Jerry was then
brought to Pensacola and used as a
pilot boat. Later she was converted
into fishing smack, and as the Kwag
ind does yoeman service On the Ash
ing banks Of the gulf. The Kwasindl
Is one Of the fastest sailors of the
PENSACOLA fishing feet Il
The future Of Pensacola is full Of
promise. What the town needs Is rail-