East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-09-25
Early Adventures of Henry La Zinka
cleman-EEA

Poeta may be born but highly sue
cewfui sailor can be transformed in
20 just az successful rancher. IL
may not happen very often. Indeed
II seems ike an inconsistency, but
Henry Lazinka, the camas Prairie
stockman. II living testimonial or
the fact that Il can be done.
Born IN Germany almost exactly So
years ago, Henry Lazinka went TO sea
at the tender age OF IL years. He be-
came 'deep-water" sailor soon was
30 much in love with the sea he
chose TO follow ii as his life work
and though for 80 years his home
has been more than 400 miles from
the ocean he says 1t stin calls to him
nt times His greatest ambition was
to become an officer and some day
have ship OF his own.
A Life of Adventure.
The life of a sailor. always exciting
and romantic. was exceptionally so
in the case Of Mr.. Lazinka. In the
seven years he followed the sea he
was five times around the tempestous
Cape Horn. four times around the
Cape OF Good Hope, in storms with
out number and in several wrecks. He
passed through plaques OF cholera
and yellow fever where his fellow
sailors died like flies.
Al the age of 2l years Henry La
zinka was third officer on board the
ship Solitaire. with Captain Sewen in
command. In the words Of Mr. La
zinka. Captain Sewell was an old
mana good man but weak. Weak
ness at sea is as bad as badness. His
crew were the scum OF the water
front The sailors discovered the cap
tain was easy going and lacked cour-
age. They mutiniea near Cape Flat
terry. l alone against the whole crew
could do nothing. I saw a sight that
made me writhe with disgust and
shame-the captain of the ship plead
Ing with his men to come up on deck
and man the ship to prevent il being
wrecked in the storm which was rag
ing. He ought TO have taken a belay-
ing pin and beaten their blocks off.
we got to Seattle between Christ
mas and New Years The crew, in
cluding myself. took to the Ifeboats
and went ashore. iesving the captain
alone on the ship in the harbor. Fear
ing we would all be hanged for hav-
ing mutinied If we remained in Sc
attle and We're caught, we scattered
10 the four winds"
Destiny Changes Life Plans.
Here Is where destiny stepped in
and changed the tenor of Lazinka's s
life. II so happened that there was
a young Englishman on board the
ship with whom the future cattle king
chummed. The English boy told his
chum he had a brother near the town
OF Heppnef who had written that he
was the owner OF a large ranch and
thousands OF head OF sheep, so they
decided TO go see this brother.
Neither had any money but the
Englishman had a watch so this was
pawned for enough 10 pay their way
TO Portland but they had very little
TO eat BY walking and riding on
freight trains they finally reached
Lexington. Here they made inquiries
and found the supposed wealthy
sheepman was in reality only a herd
er. To cap the climax he had lost his
Job and was flat broke.
Short Rations.
They hunted him up and he took
them in with crowd Of four other
young fellows who had a little shack
in the foothills between Lexington and
Heppner. The total capital Of the
seven was less than $500. Their
larder contained a side OF bacon. a
can OF syrup. a sack of potatoes and
part of a sack OF flour.
Those pioneers who can recall the
last part OF the winter of 1888 will
remember II was bitter cold. The
walls OF the little shack kept out most