Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-18

GUS things were done which her present
owner was not in the habit Of doing.
Consequently, she had lain rusting in
Southampton water for six months. until
an astute Scot. who ran a sort OF DR..
Barnardo's home for steamers which had
been abandoned by their original owners,
stepped in and bought her. at the rate OF
about pound per ton: and having re-
fitted her with some convenient boilers
which he had picked up at a sale. and
checked her fuel consumption by reducing
her crate area. set her going again in a
humble but remunerative way as pig
boat between Limerick and Glasgow.
During this period Of her career she was
known as the Blush Rose-and probably
smelt as sweet.
The maritime Dr. Bernardo sold her
three years later cat profit to gen
tleman who required a ship for some
shady and mysterious operations amid
certain islands in the southern Pacific.
The nature of the poor Blush Roses oc-
cupation may be gathered from the fact
that in the space of three months she
made those already tropical regions too
hot to hold her: and. with her name
painted out, q repaired shot hole in her
counter, and few pearl oyster shells
sticking out here and there in the murky
recesseS OF her hold, was knocked down
| for a. song at Buenos Aires to a Spanish
| American, who desired her for the fulfill
ment Of some rather private contracts.
into which he had entered with Central
American state, for a consignment of
! small arms and ammunition delivered i'm
! mediately-terms. c. 0. D. and no ques-
| tions asked. Her captain on this occa-
sion was a Lowland Scot of disreputable
character but inherent piety, who en-
deavored to confer a rather spurious sane
tity upon nefarious enterprise by chris
tening his nameless vessel the Jedburgh
Abbey. But. alas! the Jedburgh Abbey
was confiscated year later by the United
States government, and. having disgorged
most uncanonical cargo, was knocked
down by Dutch auction. without benefit
Of clergy. to the highest bidder. Compe-
tition for her possession was not keen,
| and she ultimately became the property
of Mr. Noddy kipahan, who at that time
was beginning to pile up a considerable
fortune by purchasing old steamers on
their way to the scrap heap and running
them as tramp freighters until they sank.
The Jedburgh Abbey, with a new pro-
pelier-she had gone short Of blade for
years-her rusty carcass tinkered into
| something like seaworthiness, and her en-
gines secured a little more firmly to their
bed plates, had re-established her social
status by creeping once more into Lloyd s
| listAthe red book Of the mercantile ma
rine-and., disguised as the Orinoco. OF
the River Line Of freight-carry1ng
steamships, had served Mr.. Noddy Kina-
han well for seven years. This gray
morning, with Sandy Hook we'll down
below the western horizon, she clambered
YEARLY but persevertngly over the At.
lantic rollers, like disillusioned and
world-weary old cab horse which. having
begun life between the shafts of gentle
mans brougham, Is now concluding a de-
pressing existence by dragging funeral
| "growler'' up and down the undulations
Of London suburb.
Her redeeming feature was a certain
purity of outline and symmetry of form.
| She boasted q fiush deck, unbroken by
any unsightly waist amidships: and not
even her unscraped masts, her SCARED
sides, and her faxed and salt-whitened
funnel could altogether take away from
her her pride Of race-the right to boast.
In common with many q human dereiict
Of the same sex and q very similar his
tory, that she had "been q lady once"
She had now been at sea for we'll over
! twenty-four hours. and her crew, who