New-York tribune., 1907-08-14
S4LUTES HER
TsUenty Years VigI Of Lonely
Wonlon on lS0zNnnQh RfUer.

Several Vveekssago, the Savannah Line steamer
City of Columbus was packing her way carefully
10 the narrowschannel OF the Savannah River, the
messengers on deck were surprised 70 hear Cap
tain Burg give three longi blasts Of the steamer
whistle. There no steamers in sight, and
-tosa On deck yyere naturally curious TO know what
tbe skipper was blowing a. A young woman
started for the bridge TO find out, but was re-
strained by a fellow passenger, who said the cap
tain was too busy that moment TO tell why he
saluted. sIf you viii take this marine glass;. he
said and look over the south shore you will
most likely see a woman waving a white flag from
.le porch of that little white cottage"
Il was some, minutes before the young woman
-ras able 10 focus the glass the cottage, and
the steamer had gone about three hundred fathoms
beyond the place where the three blasts were
blown
I've found it" said the girl with the glass ex-
citedly II can she woman waving the hag
She is waving il now
yes :" observed the man who owned the glass;
she viii continIse TO wave it until We are COM
pletely Of sight
After many passengers hadF taken their turn for
4 look al the white cottage the curious young
woman again wanted TO know why the ship had
zyhistfed three times
Il thought vou knew by this time" said the
man. You saw the woman waving. didn't you?
-aOh, / see" she replied. How silly OF me not
70 have seen II before! OF course. the woman
waving the flag on the porch is the captains Wife
The man replied: You'd better not let the skip
per hear you say that
cottage2 Is she the owner Of the line, or does he
salute everybody who waves flag 70 him along
Not at all said the man. who by this time had
the entire passenger complement for an audience.
The woman whom Captain Burg saluted a few
minutes ago is recognized by every skipper who
passes up and down the river, and FOR the last
twenty years steamer has passed Tyoee Light
that has not salutec her as she waved 10 IL ifo1n
the porch
How about the tranp steamers that have never
been Savannah before?" broke In one OF the
men in che group. "'Efow they salute when
rhey don't know II IS customary to answer her
signai?'
ssT7asv enough" replied the man who owned the
glass Every tramp steamer that comes in or
goes out Of Savannah. night or day, has 10 take
on pilot and leave II TO the pilot to answer that
white flag on the porch OF the white cottage
But she surely doesn't wave 10 steamers at
night?' remarked the young woman
Il should say she does. That little woman
keens track of au the steamers bound for and
scheduled TO leave Savannah. and unless she goes
up 10 the city shopping there isn't one gets past
But why does she do IT." asked the young
earnestly
We'll now you've got me-" sighed the man
with the glass. II don't know that ever heard
the correct story OF the woman's faithful vigil.
Some say she lost q lover on a deep water tramp
twenty years ago and she has saluted
every steamer in respect to his memory Others
say the passing Of ships in the night or In the
day Is The only diversion that ever comes to that
f<o5forsaken marsh where the cottage stands
What is her name?" asked the woman. I'm
going down TO see her when get to Savannah
Her name is Miss MoTtus,' said the man with
the glass. I've forgotten her first name. She
lives there with her mother and her brother. The
brother IS in charge OF the range lights on Elba
Island
Two weeks later. as the City OF Memphis
steaming by the white cottage on the south marsh
the same young woman waved a small American
flac from the bow. and after Captain Dryer gave
the customary three toots of the siren a tiny
American flag waved from the porch OF the
white cottage. Rushing back TO her stateroom
the woman scribbled hasty note and gave It to
tie purser TO be posted on arrival in New York.
There's great material for a novel on Elba ISL
and she whispered her roommate, "'and the
waving of little American fsag from the white
cottage the marsh a signal that was free
70 write the story