davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1910-10-09

his ship and his duty for the fresh
honor of her eyes.
but after leaving Kamchatka and
the girl we had such remarkable expert
ences, so much blood and burning pow
der that the sharpness of my grlef at
parting was worn away by the tension
OF seal piracy"
1t is of seal piracy that Ross Isaac
Buell. might have written almost as
intensely as Kipling did in his Three
Sealers." Let him tell of the fight at
the Copper island rookeries.
From Kamchatka," continued Buell..
telling his story of this memorable
cruise of 1881. when he, a. lad of 10,
was shipped before the mast-"from
Kamchatka we sailed for Copper island,
which was Russian territory and the
reokeries there had been chartered by
the Alaska commercial company. On
our first incursion to the islands we
got 500 seals. We then sailed away to
avoid detection, but when thick fog
came down we sailed back to the rook-
cries. That was in the fall of 1881.
Stop a moment to see how Kipling
has described the scene:
And when the first September gales have slaked
their rutting wrath.
The great man seals haul back to the sea and
no man knows their path.
Then dark they lie and stark they le--rookery.
dune and foe,
And the northern lights come down o nights TO
dance with the houseless snow
But since women must walk gay ana money
buys their gear
The sealing boats they filch their way at hazard
year by year. =,
English they be and Japanese that hang on the
Brown Bears flank,
And some be Scot, but the worst, Got wor ana
the boldest thieves, be Yank
Young Buell. was on the Yank.
I'm the heavy fog, he continued MS
narrative, I'VE came back and anchored
under the cliffs of Copper island Leav-
ing the captain and cook aboard, the
rest of us manned the boats and rowed
in under the cliffs. which rose sheer 500
feet above our heads, rugged, men
acing, but with the tops hidden in fog
Il was with a party that was led by
Dog Faced Hansen, the second mate,
a veteran of the Crimean war, splen-
did sealer and sailor but hard as the
granite cliffs On our first sally we
killed SO seals and then. rounding a
point into another cove, we found 1000
seals on the beach aad killed them.
They were worth s13 apiece Every
time we struck with a club we knew
that there was s13 coming to the ship
if. we could get the pelt safely on
board.
I'VE loaded our boats to the gun
wales and started to pull for the
The San Francisco call., 1910-10-09
Words, 1llosic and IIIustr alton by J1oss


the time Of my birth fierce equinoctial
storm ragged over the place. and
through my belief in astrology I
ascribel to that fact the tumultuous-
ness of my life.
I'm January, 1874, I came to Cali
fornia with my family. At that time
my ambition was divided between the
aspiration to be an Indian scout and
the longing 10 become locomotive en-
gineer. But later it settled itself and
looked toward the sea. I would be a
sailor and nothing else
Cabin Boy on the Dawn
1T was in 1880 that I realized the
ambition to go to sea. 1 shipped as a
cabin boy on the bark Dawn. Captain
Stephen Hickmott. The Dawn was
aptly named. During the civil war it
had been a Union blockader, the Mid
night. 1t was held that dawn came
after midnight-thus the name.
1T was not with the fullest consent
'of my parents that L shipped on the
Dawn. 1 was IA years of age, but
since 1 had already run away from
home three times the folks thought
that 1 would gain my desire anyway,
so reluctantly they let me sign as a
cabin boy.
overheard. was standing on the
deckhouse with the table cloth, when
a squalI picked me up and dropped me
into the sea. fell far astern of the
ship before my absence was noted. Be-
fore me. sailing away. was this tall
bark in full sail had never seen
her under canvas before, and even in
the extremity of my danger 1 could
not but admire the beauty of the lines
of the ship and the sails as they tow
cred out of the sea.
Il yelled for help and they put a
boat out to me. but while they were
coming the pilot birds pecked at me
and 1 had to fight their seven inch
bills as well as to keep ahoat.
'Of course this escapade made a
great hit with the crew and the off,
GERS. They liked to stop the ship and
come back for a fool boy.
4 got through that cruise after
whales all right. But I had not had
enough of the sea. / must get back to
her, and sos the next year | shipped or
the Anastasia eastman. a beautiful
little schooner of 50 tons. This time
shipped before the mast-no more
cabin boy far me. My chum was full
blooded Gayhead Indian from Martha's
vineyard. with whom l got along IA
mously, even though he occasionally
threatened to stick his long knife
through my Is year sold body.
'On this second trip we. sailed from
San Francisco for Bering sea and the
Siberian coast. l was the youngest
man on board by many rows of apple
trees, but l got along well with the
fellows. except when the Indian would
threaten to stick his knife through
me.
-One of our first stops was at Sheron
in Kamchatka, on the Siberian peninsu-
la. 1t was a town populated by Rus
slams, with 500 people living there. in
cluding a garrison of Cossacks The
Russians treated US as. if we were ali
grand dukes. a Russian took me to
The San Francisco call., 1910-10-09


age of Is and to become a writer
OF theosophicaI verse and a
craftsman of uncanny draw
ings is an epitome OF the life Of
Ross Isaac Buell. At present Buell. is
operating a chicken ranch near Sebas-
topol; previous to that venture he was
night watchman in the Buell. lumber
mill, and back before that were the
days Of the seal fishing and the seal
pirating, when Buell., boy of Is, lived
through battles well nigh as desperate
as that which Rudyard Kipling. in
trenchant numbers. has related in THE
Rhyme of the Three Sealers."
For then he and the men he was with
violated the Law of the Muscovite''
and IN his isles OF the Smoky Sea"
took his seals and fought for them with
rife and ball, with blood and death
and frequently got away with 1t.
But now there is none of that in the
daily adventures Of Buell.. Now he
spends his time picking tunes off the
guitar and marching out verse under
the point of his pencil. and developing
weird grotesques with colored crayons,
untaught in music, untaught in letters,
untaught in drawing, without leisure.
for there are many little Buells who
must be fed and clothed and sent to
school. even as their father was not
sent to school And the most cruel part
OF the story is that Buell. is seriously
crippled, that he has few whole bones
in his body. comparatively speakings
but he struggles on pluckily and, what
is best about him, he does not realize
that he has a desperate time Of it. with
his many children and a crude and ON
nivorous appetite for drawing, verse
and music.
Buell. is somewhat of an artist in
several ways, but has not the vital
knack OF utilizing his experiences in
his various arts. OF course, there is lit
tie OF the sublime or the tragic, which
are the components OF art, in night
Workmanship and pitifully less in
shicken raising-unless the fluctuations
Of the egg market can be considered as
alternating between the sublime and
the tragic; but Buell. has seen the sea
at its passion, and men at theirs. Yet
he writes about imaginary minstrels
of ancient Egypt and about Khan and
wanton ladies' Of the Nile. He says
that they are most real to him.
The sea and the sailors are funds of
stories. Joseph Conrad, first mate on
some good ship, realized that. and bril-
liantly has dramatized the waters n
many incisive novels. Jack London as
simulated tha sea when he was a sailor
lad. and now his experience. comes out
through his fingers and into the living
rattle Of his typewriter as something
approaching literature, if. at times. il
is not sheer literature
But their experiences were not as
violent nor as keen as those which
Buell. has lived through.
Here is some of Buelfs story:
Il was born in Napierville, Ill,
near Chicago. on March 20. 1866. At
The San Francisco call., 1910-10-09

things would conspire to drive the
average man out OF the highway of
striving and struggling into the depths
of dependency. But Buell. is cheerful
Some day a good angel may come
and tap Buell. with her wand and say:
Here is time and opportunity enough
Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-05
RELEASE MEN IN
TEST LIGHT CASE
Pacific Co.'S Representative Re-
gains Freedom by HabeaS
Corpus Proceedings

After staying in the city jail in de-
fault of ball Tor two days and nights,
Samuel c. HaVer of the Southern Cali
fornia Edison company and f. b.
Goodrich of the Pacific Light and
Power company were released yester-
day evening.
Goodrich was released through ha-
beas corpus proceedings in the su-
preme court in San Francisco. The
was released on $500 cash bail. Good
rich's bail was fixed at $100, which he
furnished.
The Pacific Light and Power COM
pany, which was granted the writ of
habeas corpus, attacked the new light
rate ordinance on the ground that the
city council had no right to compel it
to recarbonize the inCandescent globes
of the customers free of charge. The
Southern California Edison company
attacked the part of the ordinance re-
8 to cents per kilowatt hour. This
was denied.
Bail for Goodrich was furnished by
A. w. Burns, general manager of the
Pacific Light and Power company.
Charles L. Walton, district agent for
the Southern California Edison COM
pany, furnished bail for Haver.
Haver and Goodrich appeared tired
and haggard from their experience in
being incarcerated in the city jail in
the interest of their corporations. They
had fully made up their minds to
spend another night in the Jail after
waiting anXiously for word from the
northern city that the writ had been
granted, when they received a tele-
gram informing them of the action of
the tribunal.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-05

Two curiously remarkable birds are the
Umbrella-bird and the Bell-bird The
former is found along the upper Amazon
River and has Its home in the highest
tree-tops. It's food consists Of wild fruits
and berries 1t derives its name from n
peculiar head-dHsss In the shape of a
large fet-topped, slightly dropping crest
Of soft feathers that completely shade its
face. From It's throat A long lappet OF
feathers drops nearly to its feet.
The Beu-bird, whose namo doubtless
arises from its bell-like note, (though some
say it's note sounds strangely like the
sound of a biacksmith's hammer on the
anvil, sharp and ringing clear) is most
interesting bird to study. There are four
species Of the Bell-bird, three Of which
have snow-white feathered males with
naked faces Of vivid color. A curious
gristle-growth, or formation, thinly Gov
cred with feathers hangs from the birds
forehead, and during times Of excitement
this pendulous growth rises stifhy erect
Is is shown In tina accompanying pie
ture.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-05

suit Of good catch Of red-snapper.
But all the time Johnny was becoming
impatient to go to sea. He begged his
father to take him every time he took his
boat-ths Captain Perkins"-out; but
each time the fond father would shake
his grizEled head and say: mot yet my
laddie. Wait till you are stronger Of arm
and leg and Btouter Of heart and nrmer
of nerve. The old Gulf amt no place for
a little shaver. Old Davy Jones might
lay hands on you, and once In his clutches
you'd hnd yourself In his locker next.
No-o-o, just you wait awhile, Besides,
I'm laying away a bit towards making
scholar and a gentleman out'n you. What
II yer dad is just plain Jim Perkins, tho
fisherman; faint no sign you have to fol
low the same trade. Nope, Johnny Per
kins shall nsh for bigger ash than red
snapper, I'll warrant"
But Johnny said nothing in reply. He
kept on longing and longing to so 70 sea.
SO, one day just after his father had set
the sails Of Captain Perkins" to the
breeze and went like a white-winged bird
over the beautiful waves that danced SO
merrily in the sunlight, Johnny proceeded
to carry into effect plan which had been
forming for days and nights In his child
ish brain. Near to his fathers little dock
was another one belonging to old Uncle"
Tim Whalen, and there old Uncle" Tins
boat, the Nancy Lee" was tied up wait
ing for old Uncle" Tim to start to sea,
for he, like Jim Perkins, was q fisherman
When no one was about Tins dock John
ny crept into the little cabin Of the
Nancy Lee, hiding himself behind the
provision box and covering himself with
great piece OF tarpaulin. Then he waited
An hour or more must have passed, and
still old Uncle" Tim did not come to set
the sails of the Nancy Lee. Little
Johnny could not quite understand why
he delayed his going to sea, for the tide
was right for starting and the day as
nne as It could possibly be. And all that
morning old Tim, assisted by hib good
wife, had been busy provisioning the boat
for two weeks fishing expedition. The
fishermen always put in enough food to
run them two or three weeks in case Of
emergency, though they rarely remained
out at sea longer than four or five days
at a time.
As the forenoon wore away little
Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-05
BY MAUD WALKER.

Little Johnny Perkins was the son OF
fisherman and lived away down In Florida
His home WAS a rude affair made from old
spars, ships tlmbers, and other odd lum-
Der, that were found floating as driftwood
In the bay after storms at sea.
Johnny's mother spent her days making
and mending nets and keeping her house
in order, while Johnny's father spent most
of his time in the Gulf of Mexico fishing
for red-snapper. That particular kind Of
nsh always brought A good price at the
6sh houses on the wharf, and Johnny's
father usually brought In a good pull
every time he came from a fishing expedi-
ton.
When Johnny was eight years old he be
gan planning to follow the fishing trade,
but his mother objected to her little sons
going TO sea till he should be old enough
to brave the tempests and endure the e1-
posure of cold and dampness. Indeed, the
good woman knew too we'll the perils Of
the great deep, for many and many were
the nights she waited and watched for the
return of her husbands boat, building
bonfire on the sandy beach to guide him
in the darkness. And many and many
time she saw with fearing heart the
waves beat high, driving the frail fisher,
bouts out TO sea where many Of them
were lost. But always her husband came
home, no matter how great his peril, for
he declared that he was a lucky fisher
man and would never be caught In DaYy
Jones' locker.
After fishing expedition, which usu-
ally lasted several days, Johnny's father
would remain Mt home FOR a week, sitting
IN the shade Of the house resting and
smoking his pipe and relating 10 Johnny
stories OF the sea. And other fisher folk
would come IN 10 spend an hour in the
evening when Johnny's father was at
home, for every one knew him for good
hearted, cordial soul who was ever ready
with laugh and story.
And so the months passed by, some OF
the time spent by Johnny and his mother
In terrible anxiety and suspense when the
father and husband was away and other
times spent in simple domestic bliss when
he was at home safe and sound with
nice roll OF money in his pocket as the re
Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-05
Little Johnny Perkins at the Bottom of the Sea.

saw you creep into the boat and knew
that you meant to dlsobey your parents
and 20 to sea In direct opposition to their
wishes. So, says l to myself, old Davy'
there's one for you. Get him and clap
him into your locker at the bottom of the
sea"
For the nrst time in his life Johnny
felt really frightened. Old Davy Jonesl
And right there In possession Of the boatl
And going to take him-Johnny Perkins
to the bottom Of the sea where he would
imprison him in the wids-fRmed locker
which Johnny knew meant a cOfln.
"Oh, sir, pleaSe do not harm mel"
walled Johnny implornGly. II will go
home to my mother and never, no never.
run away to sea again. Just please don't
take me to the bottom Of the sea. Ny
father is Jim Perkins, the bsst-hsarted
and luckisSt fisherman aboug all the Flor
ida coast"
That's Just the reason why I'm going
to take you down to the bottom Of the
sea-" Laughed Davy Jones. Your father
bears a charmed life. Wind and waves
and old Davy Jones are defed by him.
But now that have my hold Of BIS son
49,
mysteries of the bottom OF the sea, and
at once, my lad"
As the old man spoke there was the
sound of rushing waves and the Nancy
Lee began to rock and pitch furiOusly
Johnny began to tremble with fear and
to wish with all his heart that he were
safe at home with his mother. Just as
he was about to implore old DaTE Jones
again to save him the boat gave sudden
dip and shot like an arrow into the sea !;
dividing the waters and making straight
path to the very bottom.
Johnny was dizEy from the quick de-
scent, and could hardly speak when at
last the boat stopped on the sandy bot
tom Of the gulf. Then gasping, he turned
to old Davy Jones who was looking at
him with a saTdonic grin on his ugly
face, 'Oh, sir, what are you going 10
do with me nowr" Johnny asked. 81
feel so smothered with all this water
over me that feel shall die unless you
let me go to the top again. oh, ohP
And Johnny gurSled and gasped, strug-
Cling for breath
"Ah, here you are, you young rascal'
And a strong hand took hold of Johnny,
Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-05
WOMAN DROPS IN FRONT OF
TRAIN AND ESCAPES DEATH

ASHEVILLE, N. c.. Aug 4.-Caught
on a high trestle just beyond the Bur
gin tunnel on the Southern railway
between this city and Old Fort, Miss
Nellie Rutherford threw herself be-
tween the rails in front of a passen-
ger train today and miraculously es-
capped death when the engineer brought
his train to a stanlstill over the pros
trate body.
When the excited train crew and
passengers gathered to pick out what
muffled voice from beneath the engine
that she was unhurt.
The train was backed into the tun-
mel and there was revealed to the
astonished gaze of passengers and crew
the figure of a woman covered with
cinders and drenched with water, but
unharmed.
Miss Smith was taken aboard the
train to Old Fort.
they expected to be the young womans
mangled body, they were told by a
Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-05

lifting him from his reclining position.
And then Johnny opened hts eyes and
caught his breath at the same moment.
To his amaEement he beheld the weather
beaten face Of old Uncle" Tim bending
over him. How come you in here, you
young runaway" asked Uncle Tim.
your mother has been bare daffy about
you and has the whole town out searching.
That's why delayed starting out with
the boat half an hour ago. I've been
helping to search for you. Come, git
out'n here and go and tell your mother
you're ssfo and sound on dry land. She
thought old Davy Jones had got you
sure"
WELL" and Johnny rubbed hard his
eyes to make sure this was not a happy
dream, II guess old Davy Jones did
pretty near git me, Uncle Tim. But If
l know myself III never. never go to
sea again. Never"
IVY, you foolish youngster, you
haven't been to sea yet" laughed
Uncle" Tim. wait till you get real
taste OF it; then you may talk"
'"WhatT said Johnny, showing some
surprise, for as yet he was not sure that
he had not been in the bottom of the
gulf, do you call going to the bottom
of the sea nOthingl Well I've been
there and talked with old Davy Jones,
and he's u mighty dangerous person, too,
l can tell you"
"Oh, none Of your spinning sea yarns
at your age," said Uncle Tim. But
git out of here. I'm for getting or TO
sea. There comes my partner now. Run
with all your legs and tell your mother
she's got you TO feed and fuss over for
another While.'
And Johnny, glad to the core of his
heart that he was once more on dry
land, and 80 soon to run into his dear
anxious mothers arms, skipped OF with
all his might towards bis home, declaring
under his breath: "I'll go TO school and
become a scholar. I'll never, never go
to sea. As sure as my names John
Perkins, old DaVy Jones would get me
II did"
Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-05

Johnny became sleepy, lying there In the
the tArpaulin. So, closing his eyes he
was about to indulge In q nap when OF
sudden the boat started without another
occuIhnt than Johnny and without her
sails being set. Johnny msrVelled at this;
but fearing that should he appear outside
the cabin he would be accused by the
boats owner Of having set her going, and
decided to remain In his snug corner.
On and on he sailed, going at a great
rate over the dancing water. Johnny
could hear those on the shore shouting
and calling out to old Uncle" Tim that
his Nancy Lee was drifting out to sea;
but what good would all that noise dot
There wasn't another boat in dock that
could travel ss fast as the Nancy Lee
when she was going at her usual speed;
and at her present speed none could hope
TO even keep her In sight.
Now, tho reader may be somewhat sur
prised that Johnny did not feel any fear
drifting away out to sea in a boat Of
which he knew nothing. Often he had
gone on short sails with his father In the
Captain Perkins, and had some notion Of
now 10 mHndRe nSI. nut INC ANnhNy LEU
was a different sort of boat-larger and
better than the Captain Porkins-and was
managed on different lines. So Johnny
WAS going out into the great rolling gulf
In a boat Of which he was wholly ignor-
ant. To be sure, her ssils were not set,
and she was doubtless Just drifting before
the wind.
While Johnny lay meditating upon his
novel experience, not wondering how he
was to get on land again, but wondering
what he should see after he had gotten
beyond the sight of land, the tarpaulin
was raised from his face and the strang-
est looking old man stood peering down
into his eyes.
"Oh, I've got you now, young man."
said this remarkable individual You are
going with me 10 the bottom Of the sea
very shortly"
who are you. and how did you get
aboard this boatT' asked Johnny, now
sitting up and showing his surprise at the
presence OF the stranger.
MY names Dayy Jones The sea going
folk fear me as bad boy fears the dark.
And It is not always 30 easy to catch
fellow as 1t has been TO catch you l