The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-12-17
THE CALL OF THE SEA.

SPOKANE, WASH, November ~: AIIef
a quarter century of struggle against the
never ceasing call of the sea, during
which he was rancher at Warmer IN
the heart of the Occur d Alene mining
district in northern Idaho, east OF Spo-
kane, Capt. John Hill, rs years OF age,
has decided to pass the evening OF his
life on salt water. He is going to Puget
Sound, thence down the coast to southern
California, back to San Francisco, sail
ing thence around the Horn to the north
Atlantic coast, where he put out OF Port
land harbor for the gold camps on the
Pacific, 81 years ago.
Captain Hill sailed on foreign waters
and on the Atlantic and the Pacific
oceans Sc years before coming to the
Spokane country, and he knows every
rock and inlet, reef and shoal, between
Halifax, N. S., and the northern straits
of Alaska, and now that he has plenty OF
money, as the result of satisfactory
settlement out of court with mining
company, after seven years litigation, tor
damages to his ranch following the dump
ing of ore tailings in the stream, he Will
revisit the ports he made when young
man.
While sailing a freighter along the
coast of Maine in the summer OF 1851,
Hill, then STRIPPING of 10, caught the
western fever and started for California.
He sailed around the Horn, made only
one landing, spoke but three vessels on
the trip Six months from the time he
sailed out of New York harbor he step
ped ashore in the busy, gold-fevered
camp of California.
Other members of the crew deserted
the ship when the land of gold was reach
ed. and many ships lay in the harbor
waiting crew that might be mustered;
Hill was not miner. He could not
walk Gil hard ground; he was only satlstl-
ed when he was stepping along the oeck
of some sailing vessel which responded TO
the heave of the waves and the roll OF
the tide.
Gold and all the tales of the great
Yuba river beds, with their fables OF un,
told wealth On top of the ground, failed
to take him from the sea. He stuck to
the ship. Others hurried to the gold
fields. where some made it right and Sc
cured the gold. The majority came back
and were glad to secure their old berths
and obev the orders of the captain or
mate.
Hill then began the study of the PACING
coast. He sailed its shore line from south
to north He carried cargoes to the Sand
wich islands and back again to California
ports. He went to Alaska time and again.
He was careful with his savings and soon
owned avessel and was captain OF an able
crew, and so he prospered, with good
business always at hand. The north Pa
cific coast offered the best inducements
for freighter, and for years Hill made
his Headquarters in the then young Seat
tie port.
During one of his trips from Puget
Sound to Alaskan ports in 1862 an anus
ing incident happened. Coming down
the straits of De Fuca on his way to port
the Fannie Lake was hailed by small
rowboat put out from a rocky point on
the far western coast. The craft put
alongside and young man climbed the
ladder. He made his way to the pilot
house, breach of etiquette at sea. Cap
tain Hill was at the wheel and he bluntly
asked the stranger what his business was
on the upper deck.
Guess I'm some kin of yours, VEN
tured the man.
"Where do you hail FROM" asked Hill:
Back east, along the Atlantic coast, ~
was the reply. Guess I'm your brother'
if all reports are true.
'EShow me your credentials If you have
anv, Young man., Numbered the captain.
s'You NAV be a brother of mine, but l
don't know it. :"
To this the stranger replied that he had
no credentials to prove his relationship
except that his name was Hill, the same
as the captain, and that they came from
the same place down east. Hill wanted
more evidence before he extended the
brotherly hand and finally the stranger
thought of a letter he had received from
his mother.
This satisfied the captain and the
stranger was given berth and accepted
as brother He had not seen any rela-
tive since years before. Silas Hill was
babe in his mothers arms when the sailor
was battling the waves in foreign ports.
The brothers, thus united in the waters
of the Pacific, have never been far sepa-
rated since and both are now men OF
wears. Silas was not sailor, and after
irving to become one and having three
escapes from drowning, he gave up the
Job and sought for land position where
he could feel the earth under foot.
Captain Hill stuck to the water and be-
came thoroughly familiar to the sailing
trade, as his ship piled between ports.
While entering the mouth OF Skaglt river
on a trip to Alaska with heavy cargo
fire was discovered in the hold OF the
Fannie Lake and in short time the boat
was filled with flames. The crew jump
ed overheard to swim for shore. Captain
Hill was the last to leave, and with tears
in his eyes he saw his good boat that had
faithfully carried him so many miles
through storm and calm gradually settle
down. AS the flames spread rapidly over
the craft he jumped overheard and made
for shore Nothing was saved from the
wreck. The captain was broken-hearted.
The ship and contents represented the
savings of years of toll and danger. The
thought of going to another's ship did
not appeal to him, and he decided to
start for the mountains and try his hand
at land work. In the meantime Silas
had sold or given away nearly half of the
present site of the city of Seattle and
had also presented his partner with his
half interest in the since famous Renton
coal mines. Hill and his partner thought
little of their coal discovery and Hill gave
it away. -
The brothers next met in the Occur d,
Alenes, where they took up homestead
across the river from what is now the
town of Kellogg, Idaho. Everything
was moving along nicely, and IN the
spring of 1886 Captain Hill took to him
self wife. The wedding was the first
in Wardner.
The ranch was productive until the