Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-09-03
Every Ship salutss Her.
TWENTY YEARS VIGIL OF LONELY
WOMAN ON SAVANNAH RIVER.
(New York Tribune.)

New York Tribune.)
Several weeks ago, as the Savannah
line steamer, City Of Columbus, was
picking her way carefully up the chan
mel of the Savannah River, the passen-
gers on deck were surprised to hear
Capt. Burg give three long blasts of the
steamers whistle. There were no
steamers in sight, and those on deck were
naturally curious to know what the
skipper was blowing at. A young
woman started for the bridge to find out,
but was restrained by fellow-p passenger,
who said the captain was too busy at
that moment to tell why he saluted. I'll
you will take this marine glass" he said,
land look over on the south shore you
will most likely see woman waving
white flag from the porch of that little
white cottage"
It was some minutes before the young
woman was able to focus the glass on
the cottage, and the steamer had gone
about 800 fathoms beyond the place
where the three blasts were blown.
"I've found It," said the girl with the
glass, excitedly. 81 can see the woman
waving the flag. She is waving 1t now"
eyes" observed the man who owned
the glass, land she will continue to wave
it until we are completely out of sight. "
After many passengers had taken their
turn for look at the white cottage the
curious young woman again wanted to
know why the ship had whistled three
times.
81 thought you knew by this time, "
said the man. "You saw the woman
waving, didn't your"
"Oh, l see," she replied. "How silly
of me not to have seen 1t before! OF
course, the woman waving the flag or
the porch is the captains wife"
The man replied: "You'd better not
let the skipper hear you say that"
"Well, why did he salute the woman
of the white cottage? Is she the owner
of the line, or does he salute everybody
who waves a flag to him along the
Savannah River?"
"Not at ALL" said the man, who by
this time had the entire passenger com
plement for an audience. "The woman
whom Capt. Burg saluted few minutes
ago is recognized by every skipper who
passes up and down the river, and for
the last 20 years no steamer has passed
Tybeo Light that has not saluted her as
she waved to 1t from the porch"
"But. she surely doesn't wave to
steamers at night?" remarked the young
woman.
81 should say she does. That little
woman keeps track of all the steamers
bound for and scheduled to leave Savan
nah, and unless she goes up to the city
shopping, there isn't one gets past her
"But why does she do it?" asked the
young woman earnestly.
swell, now, you've got me-" sighed
the man with the glass. 81 don't know
that ever heard the correct story of thu
woman's faithful vigil. Some say she
lost lover on deep water tramp q
years or more ago, and she has saluteo
every steamer In respect to his memory.
Others say that the passing of ships II
the night or in the day is the only diver.
sion that ever comes to that God-forsak
en- marsh where the cottage stands"
"What is her name9' asked the
woman. I'm going down to see bel
when / get to Savannah"
"Her name is Miss Mortus," said the
man with the glass. "I've forgotten hel
first name. She lives there with hel
mother and her brother. The brother ii
in charge of the range lights at Elbs
Island"
| Two weeks later as the City Of
Memphis was stesming by the white cot
tage on the south marsh the same young
woman waved a small American flag
from the bow, and after Capt. Dryer
gave the customary three toots of TIT
siren, q tiny American flag was waved
from the porch of the white cottage
Rushing back to her state room the
woman scrubbed hasty note and gave
it to the purser to be posted on arriva
in New York.
"There's great material for novel OF
Elba Island" she whispered to bel
roommate, "and the waving of that lit
tie American flag from the white cottage
on the marsh was signal that / wal
free to write the story"