The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-06-27
PORTLAND TO PORTO RICO
NOTES ON THE VOYAGE AND A SEA
FARER'S VIEWS ON THE TEN
PERANCE QUESTION.

On pleasant and holy May morning
we said good bye and sailed out from
Casco bay bound to Porto Rico, via a
loading port in Virginia. Before noon
ward and we stretched away towards
North Georges over smooth sea and
with all sail set. There soon came
along thick banks of fog, and the new,
improved 25-dollar horn, with the voice
of an angry beast, screamed out its
minute blasts. At midnight there was
a flash of light, an answering horn and
shout, close along side, while we fled by
like
t'Ships that pass in the night, and speak
each other in passing,
Only signal shown and distant voice in
the darkness"
Blindfold, we crossed the dreaded
path south of Nantucket where the
greyhounds of the sea speed east and
west, but none chose to dispute our
right of way. Later on, when the fog
lifted, there was seen vessel with
bowsprit gone to the pail bitt, and in
cidentally few thousand dollars worth
of the bow was also missing. The un-
known damaged vessel was so near to
our own class and appearance that one
might we'll feel as the Dutchman did
when viewing a strange body in the
morgue, which had been reported as
his own, and was SO much like him
that he declared, dot vas close call"
The winds were not all unkind and
we were soon near the jamestown Ex-
position, and with favoring tide and
breeze fled in by the great gathering
of other battleships at anchor in the
Roads So much has been heard and
read about this great meeting of the
worlds navies, of both pleasure and
war, that one might expect to find the
waters crowded and passage intri-
cate; but the reverse was the case.
Yachts were hardly in evidence, while
the ships of war were moored on such
perfect lines that broad channel was
left open through the Roads and into
She James, d much clearer path than
when a wind bound fleet of the smaller
coasters are anchored there, without
order or control.
Our cargo was soon on board and all
things going smoothly when an unex-
pected question arose-one related to
chat which so frightened the party in
power at Augusta last winter. There
was a new engineer, hailing from
Maine, though his naturalization may
we'll be i'll doubt. He suddenly develop
ed disposition for license, liberty, the
pursuit Of happiness and jag. Hence
we were delayed for night while a
new man of Scandinavia was sent
down from Baltimore-one guaranteed
not to hold spirits or beer. We had
been up against the drink of Porto
Rico and know its effects on license
men.
On vessels of this class there are but
two men of any real Importance, and
they should be temperate-th cook and
She engineer. Their stations cannot be
readily filled in strange ports by new
hands. Any other, including the mas
ter, might be off duty at times without
much loss.
The question of temperance may be
of more personal and general interest
to master mariners than to most other
men. Liquor is the direct cause of the
most of their troubles or tragedies.
For them it would be well if the world
were prohibition State and the penal
ties against the law be made really in
teresting.
Drink makes trouble wherever he
goes; and yet great political party in
our State, backed by the trade and
thirsting for the spoils of victory,
would mount the beast with a loose
rein, to ride down the prosperity of
homes, to crush out the hearts of the
helpless and the innocent, and trample
Ger many d grave of hope. The other
pdlty, ulfIu W lC6lI gnu pttIlC, 1Ol-
gets that defeat in good cause is bet
ter than victory in an evil one: and
their lack of courage works for defeat,
offering aid and comfort to the enemy.
The party may go down, as it has be-
fore, but, like the sun, to rise again;
while no party that rides into power on
arguments that work for evil will long
endure.
A political temperance harangue
may not rightfully belong among
simple notes of sea trip, excepting so
far as the question touches upon the
welfare of the voyage, and calls up
thoughts from one who has never loud
ly protested teetotalism, or been in any
sense temperance crank, but who has
seen the world and so often looked
upon blight and failure, trouble and
suffering that have come direct from
that one'evil source alone.
When master in port has done all
his errands well-and however calm
his temperament, there are often fret
full things to attend to-he may we'll be
glad when port is left behind and the
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