The Detroit times., 1909-07-13
HAS WANDERLUST
At THE AGE OF 107
Alexander HerriOtt\ Yearns Once
More for the Sea Which He Left
Sixty Years Ago.

NEW YORK. July 9.-Alexnndei
HerrIotL the l07yearold citizen OF
Yonkers. who spent all OF his youth
at sea from the time he ran away
from his seacoast home in Scotland to
ship as a little boy before the mast,
ID bent again ON taking TO the sea.
at least for long enough to reach the
places OF his childhood.
II is almost 100 years now since ne
shipped as cabin boy on big square
riggeT Those were the days or stern
chases, when ships lufed and came
about, and did lot OF other interest
ing things they do no longer, anu
Herriott stayed before the mast TIL ne
was 50, had many brush with
French cruisers, and once caught
glimpse OF Napoleon on st. Helena.
And now, though for 60 years he has
lived quietly enough hereabouts, the
craving for his old wild life has come
back TO him.
He insists he Is as strong and Wig
orous as ever. and indeed he seems
TO be. He has taken To wandering
all over the country along the. HUG
son, sometimes even TO the water 'front.'
of this city, in order to hear again
the rattle OF tackle, and the hoarse
cries OF men and officers in the Duslle
OF getting a schooner under way
Mrs. LevaCk, the daughter with
whom he lives, doesn't know what 10
do about II. She dares not let MIN
wander far alone, yet he Will nave
Re one with him. Until few weeks
ago he was always seeGi-witA- hf5-fe-
year-old granddaughter Sally, and AS
the two walked down the street, he Old
and somewhat bent. she fresh and
pretty people were often reminded
OF Little Nell and her grandfather OF
Dickens. But now he wants TO go
alone. for he is scheming to return to
the old country.
On Friday night he gave them Ills
scare. Until lately he was always At
home at Z TO smoke n final pipe, and
drink u final pint of beer. and then 10
bed. Often Of late he has not come
In till 10, but last night 1t was not
I'll !, and he was much excited. He
talked of the old days before he mar
RED for half an hour before he would
go TO bed. Then yesterday he got up
at S O'clock and was off again without
telling where he was going
Several times they have sent out an
alarm for him. The description says
Alexander Herriott age l07, 3 feet 3
inches tall, 175 pounds. gray hair, white
whiskers, and brown eyes.
But this is merely statistical. Any
enc that sees him may know him by MS
seafarlng aspeCt-a more typical ola
sailor than any of the modern ones
Of steam yessels-with his rudy,
weatherbeaten face and the semi-cir-
Gle OF white whiskers that grow not
on but under the chin.
They may know him, too, II they
hear his voice, for 1t is voice that
men have who grew hoarse shouting
from the rigging when heavy sea
was battering at the bows. and the
wind was singing in spars and tackle
and there suddenly appeared To star
hoard seething while streaks In the
hlackness, which showed that II 1heY
did not hear on deck the cry or HaFd
aport." the things that made the
streaKs would SILVER the tmOers Oh
the hull.
His daughter can never tell where
TO look for Herriott. He likes TO talk
OF old times. and often frequents the
cafes of Yonkers and other towns.
spinning yarns and talking with hlgn
praise over his glass OF beer and MS
pipe OF the ships ON which he sale
briggs and barks, and square-rigged
merchantmen Sometimes the way nc
talks OF the excellence OF things IN
those days, brings one OF his young
listeners 10 remind him that now
ships sail farther and faster than 0"'
fore. Then with the stick he has al
ways with him-so black one that
Il might have carried at its point the
knotted handkerchief with his things
I'm II when he first put TO sea--he
thumps the table and shouts;
Young man. 1t isn't so much the
ships I'm talking about. It's the men,
Young man-why. where's the likes o
Nelson now?"