The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-12-07
CALL Of THE SEA
To SKIPPER HILL
Will Pass Evening of His Life
on Salt Waterfalls
Visits Here.

at Wardner in the heart of the Occur
d'Alene mining district in Northern
Idaho. east of Spokane, Captain John
Hill, seventy-six years of age, has de-
cided to pass the evening of his life on
salt water. He is going 20 Puget
Sound, thence down the coast to South
ern California, back to San Francisco,
sailing hence around the Horn to the
North Atlantic coast, where he put out
of Portland harbor for the gold camps
on the Pacific ffty-seven years ago.
Captain Hill sailed on foreign
waters and on the Atlantic and the Pa
eife oceans thirty-six years before
coming to the Spokane country, and he
knows every rock and inlet, reef and
shoal between Halifax, Nova Scotia and
the northern straits of Alaska, and now
that he has plenty of money, as the re-
suit of a satisfactory settlement out OF
court with a mining company, after
seven years litigation, for damages TO
his ranch following the dumping 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 a STRIPPING of nineteen,
caught the western fever and started for
California. He sailed around the Horn,
made only one landing, and spoke but
three vessels on the trip. Six months
from the time he sailed out of New
York harbor he stepped ashore in the
busy, gold-fevered camp of California
Other members of the ship deserted
the ship when the land of gold was
reached. and many ships lay in the
harbor waiting a crew that might be
mustered. Hill was not a miner He
could not walk on hard ground; he was
only satisfied when he was stepping
along the deck 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
untold 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 got the gold. The majority
came back and were glad to secure
their old berths and obey the orders of
the captain or mate.
Hill then began the study of the Pa
cifc coast. He sailed its shore line
from south to north He carried ear
goes to the Sandwich Islands and back
again to California ports. He went TO
Alaska time and again. He was care
full with his savings and soon he owned
a vessel and was captain of an able
crew. and so he prospered, with a good
business always at hand. The North
Pacific coast offered the best induce
ments for freighter, and for years
Hill made his headquarters in the then
young Seattle port.
During one of his trips from Puget
Sound to Alaskan ports in 1862 an
amusing incident happened. Coming
down the Strait of De Fuca on his
way to port the Fannie Lake was hail
ed by a small rowboat put out from
rocky point on the far western coast.
The craft put alongside and a young
man climbed the ladder. He made his
way to the pilot house, breach of
etiquette at sea Captain 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, "
ventured the man.
- Where do you hail from?'' asked
Hill
BACK east, along the Atlantic
coast, was the reply. Guess m
your brother, if all reports are true.
.tShow me your credentials if you
have any, young man, Numbered the
captain - You NAV be a brother of
Int I 1pr, = tyunyx- II -
To this the stranger replied that he
had no credentials to prove his rela
tionship 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 a berth and was
accepted as 4 brother lie had not
seen any relative since years before
Silas Hill was a babe in his mother s
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 separated since, and both are now
and after trying to become one and
having three escapes from drowning
he gave up the job and sought for a
land position where he could feel the
earth under foot.
Captain Hill stuck to the water and
became thoroughly familiar to the sail
| ing trade as his ship piled between
ports. While entering the mouth of
Skagit river on a trip TO Alaska with
| a heavy cargo. fire was discovered in
| the hold of the Fannie Lake. and in a
short time the boat was filed with
flames. The crew jumped overheard
| TO swim for shore Captain Hill was
| the last to leave, and with tears in his
ewes he saw his good boat that had
| faithfully carried him 50 many miles
through storm and calm gradually set
| tie down as the flames spread rapidly
| over the craft. and he jumped over
| board and made for the shore. Moth
| ing was saved from the wreck. The
| captain was broken-hearted The ship
and contents represented the savings
/ Of wears of toll and danger. The
1 thought of going TO another's ship did