Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1914-06-04
WHALE OIL GUS
STRIKES TOWN

them. Mr.. Folger Is one OF the lee
turers with the WORKMAN shows. aA|
day or two ago he sauntered into the
Saturday News office, but before he
had uttered a word the editor said to-
himself, sthat fellow looks like my
idea Of an old Salt He was nicely
dressed in a regular blue suit such as9
|is always worn BY sea-captains. He
is rather q large, handsome man, with
d heavy brown mustache. He is six.
ty-five years old and not a gray hair
In his head. He lectures quite fire.
qnently in schools colleges and also
In churches. Little Monday Is trav-
cling with Mr.. Folger, and has been
with him twenty-six years He was
born on the barque "Petral' on the
South Pacific ocean, Off the island Of
Gerano, and so far as is believed, is
the only American born on board d
whaler.
s'I,m Whale Oil Gus,s1 he announced
with characteristic bluntness, .and i
have travelled more miles on the
water than most men of my age, chas-
led whales all over the oceans, been
starved, shipwrecked and risked my
life among cannibals, seen mutinies
and hurricanes, and come through it
all with whole skin. Would you.
like to hear my story r.
When assured that such remark
able career would be well worth
hearing, he took seat, removed his
gap and delivered himself suhstan-
TALLY as follows:
My name is Augustus 2, FolgeT,
but I've been called Whale Oil Gus
so long that have to stop and think
a minute before it comes to me. !
was born 65 years ago on the island
Iof Nantucket, down Off the cape. My
father was % years whaling, and sail,
led as master four voya NY IN.
Gle was ex-sec. Folsef Who served
under President Arthur.
You see 1t was born In me to go
TO sea. and when ! was IL years old
1 /. sailed from New Bradford as cabin
boy OF the bark Mount Wollaston
4 Captain Edward B. Coffin, master. We
were 80 days out when the cook de
serted in Juan Fernandez, the olt
i home Of Robinson Crusoe, and S was
i promoted to fill his place and did |,
q SO well that / finished the voyage Ii
/ that capacity.
One day was sent aloft to 1ool
for whales. was 100 feet abov,
the deck, but was careless and lost
/ my hold and down / went into the
/. water like a cannon ball. Before the
lship could be stopped and a boat low
lered it was dark end they COULDN'T
i find me. 35
Fourteen hours afterWard the mer
on board saw a big white splash II
the water, and thinking At was a
whale they lowered the boats to kill
lft.s The third mates boat beat the
others and as it drew near he saw il
was no whale, but myself. was ".
! ing on my back and kicking my feet.
4 When I was taken into the boat ! was
i conscious, and when asked how kept
afoat So long replied that ] had
/ been swimming like a fish. Then ]
tainted and was :nsensible for four
days.
The captain worked over me all
that time, and at last came out Of
Iit all right. ! can't tell how It was
that didn't drown that time, but this
| is gospel truth.
Il had two good friends on that yes
lsel. BENJAMIN Pease, and Frank
Kemp Of Edgartown, but one day
while was in the boat with them
they were both killed by a big 100
barrel whale.
Well, finished that voyage and
came out din debt to the ship about
! S65. When I got home ! shipped In
a fishing smack called the Emma, and
1--we stopped at Edgartown. It was d
stormy day and had .on my oilskins
and sou'wester when went to look
up my lost shipmates families.
Il was directed to the home Of Mrs.
Pease, and when ! called for her the
daughter took me for q tramp and
bade me stand outside while she call
ed her mother. ! hardly knew how
to begin to tell my story, 30 ! blurted
out that I had come to tell her. that /
saw Benny killed by big whale
She dropped like shot and faint
led, while the daughter began to.
scream that had killed her mother.
She cried murder and the whole town
was soon on the spot. was seized
|by some men and explained my er-
rand, and then the daughter she faint