The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-09
SAILOR LOVED HIS SHIP.
Went Back AZ It Was Sinking and
Went Down with It.

rev days ago was that of the death
Of Capt, Matheson, of the schooner
Nellie Floyd, wrecked of the North
Carolina coast. 1t is of especial inter.
est in this section, because Capt.
Matheson and his vessel were we'll
known hereabouts. For a number Of
years they had been frequent visitors
ut Carolina and Georgia ports. where
ship and master became familiar fig
res. When the Floyd foundered and
It was certain that she must leave her
bones In that marine graveyard of the
North Carolina coast, life raft of
matches was constructed, and the
crew, including the captain, piled on
1t. AS they were about to push of,
trusting to fortune to be picked up by
a passing ship, Capt. Matheson looked
back upon his beloved schooner, then
in its death thrpes. His heart smote
him. He felt like a deserter. The
suffering but inanimate hulk called to
him, and he could not resist the call.
Il am going back, boys" he said:
"good-by and good luck to you" Then
he scrambled back to the decks. by
that time awash and fast settling. And
IN sight of the crew the ship and her
captain went down to their fate.
1t is one Of Kipling's favorite themes
to illustrate the affection Of captain
for his ship. and an engineer for his
machinery. It is one of the conten.
tons of purists that one cannot love
anything incapable of returning affec.
zion in kind, but it is no stretch of the
truth or license Of language to say
that the sea is fairly peopled with
shippers who love their craft with
such devotion that they prefer death
with them to life without them. Such
was the case with the British Admiral
Tryon, who refused to be rescued
when some few years ago of Africa
the battleships Victoria and Camper.
down came into collision with such
disastrous results to the former, Ad-
miral Tryon's flagship. There are
those who will assert that good ship
and good master come into closest
understanding and affection for each
other when they have long sailed to.
gether. The master is jealous of the
care Of his ship and that she shall
have the very best treatment, while
the ship apparently does her best to
demonstrate that the kindly care is
fully appreciated. Capt. Marryat says
that a ship will become sick and sui
len and cranky under the hand of
new master after an old and kindly
one has been removed from her. She
misses the petting and, according to
the fashion Of her sex, resents the
deprivation. Capt. Matheson, who
died with his schooner, was type Of
the sailor who loves his ship and who
will give his life for his love-Savan.
nah News.
Refined Cruelty Of Boy.
For genuine cruelty the average
hve.year-old boy has got a Hottentot
cannibal licked to frazzle," said the
proud father of young hopeful the
other day. "The latest trick of nv
Kid is q winner, but was sort of rough
on the victim, which was our pet cat.
About three weeks ago we noticed
that pussy suddenly stopped eating
and drinking. All the choice bits of
meats and dishes of milk were left
untouched.
For several days we explained It
by supposing that the cat was getting
more than the ordinary number of
nioe and eating them to the exclusion
OF our offerings. but we soon noticed
that she was becoming thin and gaunt
and did not seem inclined to move
about and purr as she used to. One
day, after two weeks of this, picked
up the now skeleton cat and began
to stroke its neck.
What do you think found? A
thick rubber band stretched tightly
around the throat, concealed by the
long fur. It just permitted the cat
% breathe, but she could not eat. 1
removed it and now she is getting
along all right. When l asked tho
boy about 1t he said he Just wanted to
see II kitty would strange. II It had
been anything else but a cat Il would
lave been dead In no time"