The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-11-18

her beauties owned that he hau seen
her counterpart once before and OF
beng asked by his captain 10 name
the locality said Il was III = cheap
photographers back cloth In MancheS
Ter. But | never knew that was a
picture OF a real ship before Hsaw this
old girl" said McTodd i though;
II WAS a land artists Imagination
| Her history was hard 10 yet hold
OF, but | have been at pains to-rake
| UP most OF H. | will not repeat In
detail here, because IL duplicates
many worthy commercial men whc
have prospered since they got rid OF
her: but she seems 10 have had no
fewer than 10 owners before sire
came into the hands OF the merchant
he was really a ship breaker-.trop
when Sir George Chesterman charter
ed her. and TO have changed her name
no fewer than nine times
wonder how many people will
recognize her as the Vests. the Poly
dorus, the r. X. Williams. or the
Sosha Maru? (She turned turtle. By
the way, when she was under that
Eastern flag, drowned her crew and
was salvaged by a Japanese sponge
boat. after her water ballast had
righted herr She was also In her
day the Cormorant, the Golondrina.
and the Devastation, which last was
when she was supposed TO be Vene-
zu1lan man-of-war or rebel flibuster,
whichever side OF local hostilities you
Judge her from. Her other two alias
I shall keep TO myself, as they sug-
Rrst Items OF history which are bet
ter forgotten.
Finally. when Captain Kettle took
her oyer,[she was noted for being
crank in a seaway, for carrying tn
milimurc OF cargo her tonnage dc.
manded, for being coal-eater OF tho
deepest dye. and for taking long
sheers to starboard when she was
mat way out. from which no amount
| @: helm could wean her. She was,
all the experts declare, the most UNI
desirable 750-ton steamboat az that
period ahoat in any OF the seas, and
Captain Kettle who, be It thoroughly
understood, had known better things
loved her.
Captain owen Kettle. on his voyage
from the Tyne TO Grand Canary, was
The busiest man in all his wide pro-
fession. He wore his mate 10 the
bole. and he worked his heavy crew
almost to mutlny, but by the time the
disreputable old wreck which had left
the Northern river had waddled her
way down to the Islands, she had d
look OF meretricious smartness about
her such as she had probably never
worn before in all her disreputable
career
He paint was new. and her bright
work glittered her rigging was Sc
up till II was as taut as bar-iron: her
her stanchions we're Strengthened, and
her dingy funnel was painted yellow
with q jaunty stripe OF green. And
Sir McTodd. the second engineer
working below among the ruins o.
her machinery, took up bearings and
d'd other repairs while she was under
way with a recklessness that can no
b. too severely spoken about
One hundred and ninety-four mile5,
sir, since noon yesterday. said Cap.
bouse after working out his days
run. That averages eightpoint-one
knots an hour. We're whacking her
up a bit. and shouldn't wonder that
IL The wind gets bit more aft anG
we can give her the gar topsalls Tvs
hal made OUi OF those spare awnings
she may log MS much as eight'poin'-
iWo or two-hve. She's famous Oh
girl when she gets decent treatment.
You'll make the Cunard people
s-r en- with envy II this leaks out said
Sir George. Have a cigar
We should bring.to for the Ids
ia mas health boat at 20 tomorrow.
ana that's allowing 80 minutes for re.
IA dation owing to a slightly heavier.
sea, which expect 10 get up Nhel
We run farther into the trade.
AS an experienced passenger, let
me give You a tip. skipper. Don't
show the machinery OF your calcula'
tons. We shore folk prefer plain
miracles. There will be mails ~
Grand Canary which left England a
week after we started | suppose you
couldn't cut the islands out OF the
program"
Not we'll. sir. We've burned a lot
OF coal getting here. And II there
much work to be done on the African
coast. Iii like To be rebunkered TO our
full capacity. We shant nc able 10
do very much with sail The trades
VIII be a BIT 100 heavy for the old
girl, flying light as she is. al this time
OF wear. But don't you worry about
the coaling. Sir George You take
run NJ 10 the Monte while were get
ting the stun on board, and III have
decks holystoned down as white as
table.cloth again by the time you're
back Though OF course, IL II was
cables you we're thinking Of
The big man shock a weary head.
IL wasn't bothcring about either coal
or cables as IL happened Fact is, a
friend OF mine stated an Intention CT
joining me down here, and, to tell the