Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-09-27
THE SIMPLE LIFE OF A COMMONER
AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

was done by those who had been res
cued and converted. Men and women
would come in and go out again just
as it pleased them, all night long,
without in any way disturbing the
meeting, and it was said much good
was done in that mission, of which
have not the slightest doubt.
Of course l visited Central Park,
E9edloe's Island and the statute of
\ o srty, the Brooklyn cemetery,
m%x stood beside the grave of
Hem, "e,ard Beecher, besides many
other p. ~hof interest usually visit
ed by stra As in the city. AS long
as can re "pber, anything and
everything pen, rs to nautical
affairs has had e. Unusual interest
for me; the busy Scenes to be viewed
/ in the great harbors of the world
possesses peculiar attractions; the
great ocean steamers, the sailing yes
sells of all sorts and sizes, sea going
craft plying between the sea ports
OF the world, laden with men and
merchandise, also river craft of all
kinds are exceedingly interesting to
me, therefore l spend much time
about the wharves whenever oppor-
tunity offers.
Noticing one day in city paper
that the City of Rome had Just arriv-
ed from Europe, | was seized with a
desire to explore the great ship, so
| suggested to a brother preacher
that we make pilgrimage to the
harbor and if possible set permission
to look her over. He readily assent
ed and together we proceeded to the
waterside. Upon application to the
officer in charge, he politely detailed
another officer to show us over the
vessel. The gentleman was very
courteous, showing us everything of
interest about the ship and explain
ing what we did not understand. Of
course we were deeply interested in
the magnificent ship, for she was a
noble vessel and we'll worthy TO be
called ehe @l-GG Greyhound New
er had / seen such magnificent
creature; / was delighted with her,
and well | might be for she was at
that time the largest and finest
steamship plying the seas.
A few days afterward l learned
that the Palgrave, said to be the
largest sailing vessel afloat was lying
at her moorings in Brooklyn. Moth
ing would do but | must board her
as | had done the City of Rome, so
| crossed over to Brooklyn and made
my way down TO the pier where |
soon discovered her a giant among
pygmies, lying at anchor in the quiet
harbor. One of the mates took me
in hand and showed me over the yes
sci. From him ! learned that she
was engaged in the China tea trade,
and had only reached port a day or
two before. Fortunate indeed was l
in the opportunity and pleasure of
inspecting these two marvels of ship
craft, and once again, after a period
of thirty-fve years, testing my teeth
on pilot bread.
Upon returning to the hotel my
thoughts began to run something
after this sort: Suppose these two
big ships were to weigh anchor and
make to sea at precisely the same
hour, reaching the open sea and pro-
ceding on their way abreast OF each
other; the Palgrave propelled by a
strong fair wind and the City of
Rome by steam. In this way they
proceed on their voyage, no appre-
ciable difference appearing between
them, until after time, the wind
gradually falls away and the sails of
the Palgrave flap loosely and idly
against her masts, causing her to
lose her speed and drop behind,
while her consort moving steadily
forward, speeds on her way across
the sea. 1t is then that the vast
disparity between the two great ships
appears. The steamer is superior to
the sailor only in the pre-eminence
of her propelling power, for in all
other respects they are equal. The
City of Rome Is moved by an inward
force, which renders her practically
| Independent of outward conditions,
she is driven from within, and needs
only to keep her furnace fires burn
| ing, while the Palgrave is wholly de-
pendent on influences from the out
| side. When these outward influences
are favorable, she moves rapidly and
consistently forward, but when they
are adverse, when she faces a head
wind she tosses about. hither and
yon unable to make headway, or even
to hold her own, and alas, when the
wind goes down she is utterly help
less for she can only drift or lie idly
on the bosom of the sea,
Men and women are quite like