The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-04-27
By
F. F. BINGHAM

! long reassrring breath, and went back
| to sleep.
| through to the Narrows while they
slept, but it was too fine to swallow
at one gulp, 50 at 1880, seeing a new
| wharf in on the mainland side, woke
up all hands and made a landing to
cook dinner.
After dinner we went ashore It Is
a development scheme, hailing from
Chicago, and just starting. They have
thirteen thousand acres Of land, eight
| miles of Santa Rosa Sound front and
several miles of Pensacola Bay front
If they'll just stick to the truth it will
be a grand scheme. but following the
general plan, they'll probably pretend
that the trout are tame and come up
to the house every night, like cows;
that figs and scuppernongs grow with
out planting and cultivating, and that
each superficial foot of land has two
cubic feet of gold under 1t
After leaving my name for sub
division plat when ready, we pulled
out, at 80. A good southwest breeze
was blowing and the sound got a little
lumpy. and the Missus (she's hard to
suit got a little seasick. We en-
deavored to convince her that it was
her Imagination, and failed.
We saw lots of craft during the day.
snapped Choctawhatchie clipper
that was waiting for a change OF wind
and tide. The yacht, Rose" passed
us bound for the Narrows. She's one
of those "eight knot" boats. but If
we hadn't been anchored, doubt
whether she would have passed us.
Later we met two more clippers.
bound for town. and 1 snapped one
beaten. clipper suddenly showed UP
close aboard over our quarter, laying
the same course as the Peep O. Day,
and logged IL she didn't pass us.
stand ready to testify that she's an
"eight-knot' boat. We met the mail
boat Swan" and the steam packet.
Capt. Fritz"
We entered the Narrows at AIS p.
m. Reports vary as to the distance
from Pensacola to the Narrows, from
thirty to fifty miles. There is an
old-time belief that the distance is not
always the same, that 1t depends on
whether the wind is fair or foul. But
row L know exactly what the distance
is. Throwing off the decimal naught-
six and the tides which might make It
a little more or less, II is thirty three
end six-tenths miles. for the Peep o.
Day made 1t In i've and six-tenrhs
hours. net.
I, for one, however, will not scott
at that old-time belief. made it last
summer. when the Peep ~ Day was an
auxiliary, in four hours, under sail
only. coming up, and thirty-six hours
going back. I would have sworn after
that trip that the distance was two
hundred miles.
I will never forget those thirty six
hours. Dick was sick and crying for
his mother. 1t was blowing westerly
gale UP the sound. The Peep o. Day
wos the only craft in sight. won
dered if I was not in the Bay Of
Biscay-I got so lonesome. 1t cured
me, and I bid fare-ye-well to canvas,
squealxy blocks and mast-hoops that
wouldn't lower-awa in a fifty mile
puff-no matter what you said to 'en.
Now I make six miles per hour,
sure.
Six miles is nice handy figure. It
is mile every ten minutes. When !
we've run twenty minutes. and one |
of the children say: Papa, how far |
have we gomez" I can answer right
of, 1.-TWO miles, my dear" II we were
a twenty-five mile speed boat. 1t would
be an awkward question and take a |
lot of fgurin.
The sea continued to build MP and |
the Missus' discomfort grew on her. |
She doesn't like yachting. and only |
came, I think, because told her after !
our trip last year that Next time I'm !,
going to take along enough women to |
wash the dishes" But for while I
) esterday she didn't have any pangs of /
jealousy that were noticeable.
I tied up at the first wharf CWard's) |
Inside the Narrows and persuaded the !
Nfissus to go UP to the house, where |
they've treated her so nicely
that can't get her to come back. 1t
Is now ten o'clock (excuse me, It's
four bells) OF the day after, and the
per dishes and this mornings break
fast dishes I have just sent word
hat three months Of this will make
t a plain case of desertion
The children fished and fshed, and /
taught nothing but choppers, and last 4
night just as ] had about despaired of
ish for breakfast. Mr.. Ward came Il
Town to the boat, borrowed my cast
net. and In haIf-a-dozen throws Il
brought in at least twenty five beauti-
IN, big mullet, from ten to fifteen
inches long. We eat all we could for
breakfast, and my Yankee soul squirms
rpon the big pile of nicely Drowned
nullet that must go to waste
The baby just threw a spoon over
soard. He likes to see the splash
Dorothy says we ought to fence in
he afterdeck with chicken wire. Fancy
chicken wire around the classic stern
# the Peep o. Day. Never!
The day wac unsatisfactory only be-
ause the second day always Is. We
wear our Jokes until we get 50 we are
uncomfortable without them. That is,
he way it is with most folks. Per-
onally 1 go along carrying my yoke
locilely enough by making believe that
am carrying a javelin instead, and
,retending that the tasks of tomorrow
re merely another height to storm
Well, I'll shave and put on q clean
hirt and go up and make peace with
he Missus. These dirty dishes are
'etting on my nerve.
L