St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-08-18
On a Deserved vacation.

If fanny man in St. Johnsbury deserves q
vacation it is Charles D. Waite, who for
the last Al years has been employed by
E. & 7. Fairbanks, for % years as head
of the ornamenting room, and during
that time has never stopped work for
more than three days at time except
for illness. He is one of the oldest en-
ployes of that concern and by his faith
fulness we'll merits the vacation which he
began Saturday, going to Beverly
Mass, to visit his son, Lorenzo Waite
who holds a responsible position with
the United Shoe Machine Co. His vaca-
ton is an event, not only because it is the
first in so many years, but also because
he is going back to the ocean on which
he spent several years of his youth as a
sailor and which he has seen but twice
since his sailor days ended. Then his
visits to Boston were for his employees
and not for pleasure. The very first
places he plans to visit are the wharves
and the Charlestown navy yard.
The happiest memories Of Mr.. Waite's
life are of his sailor days and although
they ended in 1863 he never wearies of
recalling them, and many is the time, he
says that the old longing for the sea has
so overpowered him that it seemed as if
he must drop everything and ship as a
sailor once more.
Born in Chester, VT. in 1871 to a
family of hardy, long-lived people, his
grandfather living to be 80 years and |
and his mother 80 without ever
a doctor, he learned the trade
of painter at which he has been employed |
most of his life. In 1853 he decided to
ship as sailor and at New Bedford ship
ped for AZ months on a whaling vessel,
the "Charles and Edward" sailing from
Dartmouth. They sailed around Cape
Horn to the Pacific and for eight months
,ruised about the Galapagos Islands
where sperm whales are plentiful.
Becoming tired of the many hardships
Of whaler he left the Charles and Ed
ward" at the end of three years and
shipped on a coaster the Don Simonte"
and later on a merchantmen the "Star
Of the Union" At Callao, Peru, the first
news OF the Civil War reached his ears,
and from that time on discussions and
luarrels over the issues of that strife
we're frequent. The vessel sailed for New
York loaded with guano and just after
'ounding Cape Horn they sighted YES
iel OFT the Rio de la Plata which warned
hem to look out for privateers. From
hat time on their policy was to avoid
very vessel, but when near the gulf
stream they sighted steamer which
hey could not avoid. They got out
heir tiny cannon and prepared for the
worst but the most severe storm Mr..
Matte ever experienced came on and the
steamer was never seen again.
Reaching New York harbor new orders
we're received to 60 on to Boston, and
With only one barrel of water for 80 men
he vessel headed for Boston. Rough
weather drove them out to sea and it
VAS nine days before the boat, its crew
lalf maddened by thirst, reached Boston.
Here Mr.. Waite said goodbye to his
mates, little thinking his sailor days
we're ended. But the charm of the life
md the smell of the salt water tarries
With him and to this day the first thing
he turns to in his daily paper is the ship
1ing news.
In 1864 he married Susan Jenkins of
st. Johnsbury. They have had six
children, two daughters and four sons.
All his sons have at one time worked for
heir father and two are still in his en-
oloy as they have been for twenty years
Or more. One son died in 1897 and the
Youngest learned the machinist's trade
and now lives at Beverly. Only one son
1as ever manifested desire to become a
sailor and he decided to remain in Yer