New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-23
TOUGH DAY FOR MACS
ON REACHING PORT
Water Pipe Breaks, After Wet
Voyage from Glasgow,
Flooding Luggage.
ONLY M'PHINNEY LAUGHED
His Luggage Lost Second Day
Out-Canny Scot Tries to Get
Reduction in Duties
Jests from Storage.

It was a tough day for the Macs on the
Anchor Line pier yesterday, when the
steamship California came I'm after
dreary voyage from Glasgow. Never in
the history of the line had there been
more laughter from the bystanders on
landing. never had there issued more in
vective from passengers The cause OF II
all was the bursting OF water pipe, an
incident not mentioned in the prospectus
of the company.
For eight DAYS the California had come
through n dirty drizzle. Fog and fine rain
prevailed during the run from Glasgow
and the folk from Scotland and Ireland
were much depressed. Moisture without
made the heart weary, so Scotch moisture
and soda had TO be taken. within in some
instances 10 overcome melancholy.
1t was not surprising, then that eighty
nine Macs rose up IN arms Yesterday when
the water piper broke throwing more
moisture on them and their luggage.
Dugal MacPhnney was the one man of
all the Macs who was overcome with
laughter. There we're Macs in front Of
him, behind him, to the left of him and
10 the right Of MIN, al o'erveXt al their
ullNlVi lull's IhA W III llitii4'e ''' 1927
for he alone escaped.
Why One Mac Was Happy.
"Hoot mon! Can We laugh" asked
Angus Mcintosh. when ye ken yer lug
gage is ruined?"
Luggage did ye say? Dye ken Angus
hae no luggage. l lost it on the second
day out O. Glasge," laughed MacPhinney.
How did it happen?" asked the owner Of
the water-soaked baggage
Listen. mon" whispered Dugal. The
cork dropped out"
Mcintosh made a pass at his friend, but
the latter lodged IL and did a Highland
fling around the much perturbed Scotch
men. whose baggage glistened under the
spray OF the broken pipe.
The stream from the water pipe beat upon
the ships side and was thrown back upon
the pier Not drop touched the deck Of
the liner Storage passengers by the hun
dreds lined the main deck hurting jests at
the unlucky Macks, who had come over in
the cabin.
Colin McColl and Archie Macfe made an
effort 10 drag their trunks and bags TO a
dry place Miss McGlove and Robert Nc
Sklnll0nE maze Il SlUllldI fUOilf nut ny
the time they had ventured into the middle
Of the spume the water had been shut off
Donald McCracken had some purple
shirts made Of fine linen in his trunk. He
did not want them ruined, so he stood he
tween the stream and his heavy baggage,
with the observation that a wet tweed suit
would save a laundry bill
James MacGrain declared he would have
left the Mac" off his name, or would have
changed il to plain Mr. Wheat" II he
had known that the baggage Of the eighty
nine Macks would have been punched for
customs examination near weak water
pipe.
Her Tears Of Joy.
Patrick Mcsherry, Of Williamsburg, who
had come tardly to the pier to meet his
daughter Bridget. clasped her in his arms
and begged her 10 stop weeping. As the
drops from her soaked veil fell upon the
old mans hands lie believed them to he
tears Of JOY.
Gordon MacBan, tall Highlander. de-
fed the spray 10 save a woman who had
refused to leave her luggage, and when the
deuge was over he was dripping from the
shoulders.
"Are you wet. mon?" asked the woman
he had protected.
AYE a wee hit, ma am" drolled McBain,
'but. thank God ma bunnets dry
Thomas Ma~Laren. a canHy scot, whose
trunks were on the fringe Of the water
zone, drew himself up to his full height
when his trunk was opened for customs
examination and glared upon the inspector
He had lived here many years and there
was little OF the Scot in his enuncation
But what he had lost in brogue he had
made up I'm wisdom.
4 understand" he said. that sou i'm
pose a tariff upon foreign goods based upon
the home value Am | right The in
spector agreed with him, whereupon Mac
Laren explained: "Of course. you know a
water pipe has just drenched my trunks.
and some Of the things | have recorded in
my declaration may be damaged. Under
these circumstances they could not he taxed
for their full value. could they?"
"The homo value is what we impose the
duty upon" said the inspector
But If American water should ruin
Scotch goods What's the use Of talk
ing about it," broke in the Inspector
your trunk is as dry inside as a last years
thistle MacLaren smiled, paid his duty
and then whispered a few things 10 the
Macs with real wet trunks.