Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-01-14
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plotlnctlon Won hy . Plevldo
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 "A few days ago." said man. T read . good little newspaper story of how one of the largest Atlantic liners was held moment at her pier in New York for baby's kiss.
 The father. who was to sail for Europe. saw the child's outstretched arms. rushed down the sang plank, save the little one hug and . kiss and would have missed getting aboard if the men at the tackles had not held the plank suspended for him while you could count ten. The story" continued the man, smiling, remind ed me of the holding of . steamship for three.quarters of an hour for one steerage passenger.
 Tt was about the time of the Charleston earthquake. In those days you went to Charleston from New York by the vessels of the old Charles ton line, and from there to Jackson vilie, Fla. and landings on the St. Johns river as far up as Palatka by . trim little steamship, the City of Palatka. Capt Leo vogel was her master.
 He was at sea with his vessel off Charleston when that city was partly wrecked by earthquake. At that sea son of the year, when some of the regular boats were laid off for their summer repairs. the City of Palatka made the entire trip to New York, calling at Charleston each way. When he arrived at New York just after the earthquake Capt. vogel gave . re- i porter an interesting story of how the !! earthquake affected his vessel at sea. The City of Palatka, by the way, was perhaps the only steamship of her time that made part of her regular trip through four or five feet of mud. This she did every time she crossed {! the bar in the narrows of the St. Johns river just below Palatka.
 She was sold eventually for use on the Pacific side. went around the Horn and was burned a few years later at some port. I think, on Puget Sound. Capt. vogel afterward was ! with the Clyde line as pilot for all their Florida steamships over the dan gerous St. Johns river bar at May port. By hustling back by rail from i. Charleston to Jacksonville and vice versa he managed to pilot every steamship in the service in those days across the bar going in and coming out.
 Well, to get back to my story, one afternoon when the City of Palatka. bound up the river. came along to the Green Cove Spring landing. forty-five miles north of Palatka typical Cracker from back in the pine woods, carrying a black oilcloth satchel. started to board the vessel. On being asked where he was going he allowed he was bound for York
 He had been told. he said. that the ship would not make the Green Cove Spring landing on coming down the next morning and he reckoned he had better get aboard now.
 Capt. vogel overheard the talk and said to the Cracker:
 "The City of Palatka will be at this landing on her way to New York at o'clock tomorrow morning. Be here then, and you will get aboard all right"
 But maybe you'll get here and go on before that, and I won't git to York said the Cracker.
 "'You be here at 8 o'clock said the captain. and you won't get left
 The next morning at about o'clock the City of Palatka rounded the channel beacon off Green Cove Spring. and in fifteen minutes was alongside the landing. The Cracker passenger was not among those wait ing on the pier.
 He had not shown up when every body and everything else that was going north was aboard. Then began roaring of the ships steam gong that resounded through the pine woods and woke mp the owls in the water oaks along shore.
 For forty-five minutes the steam. ship lay at the pier and kept her gong sounding. The passengers. many of them vel, to do Northerners bound up from their winter homes, began to talk as to the cause of the delay.
 "One explanation had 1t that Pierre LorillarI had telegraphed from down the river. offering large sum to have the vessel held till he could come up in his steam yacht and take passage for New York
 At about three minutes before s o'clock there was seen coming leisure ly down the pier two wheeled cart drawn by a gray mule. On the bot tom boards of the cart. with her back toward the mule. sat a Cracker wo- man in a calico gown and q checkered gingham sunbonnct. and with her feet hanging over the rear of the cart.
 "In the cart was a black oilcloth satchel and astride the gray mule vas a Cracker man. At the head of the pier he leisurely alighted. took the satchel from the cart and said, Good by. Mandy to his wife.