The Republican journal., 1915-04-22
Floating a Pinkey.
Done by ''Tidal Wave" but Hard Cider
Might Have Helped Some. #
'rpo.<on Clohe


considerable conflict of opinion among
the citizens who gather in Bonsey's store
to discuss the topics of the day, from the
weather to the war, as to whether Cap'n
Avery's tumble into the dock between
the town landing and the fish wharf could
have made kerswash enough to have had
anything to do with floating off Cap'n
Lymburner's old plnkey Dolphin, or
whether she would have f1oated If he
hadn't gone overheard.
The Dolphin had been hauled up for
stme time at the head of the dock, fast
in the mud, but with the coming of sum-
mer the call of the rock cod and pollock
and reports of good prices moved the
skipper to overhaul and fit out. He cir
culated the information that little as
sistance was needed to get her out and
intimated that he knew of most barrel
of middling hard cider that might help
some.
Cap'n Lon Avery, retired deep-water
man, took charge as matter of course.
1t has been many years since he has
been off soundings, but if there's any
thing to be done along the water front
that needs sailor-man to see that it is
ship-shape, Cap'n Avery is always on
deck. He is the biggest man in town,
gross tonnage ''built on model like
Dutch galiot," as he says himself. 1t
cost him u cents to 60 to the weighing
sociable got up by the Ladies' Village
Improvement Society to buy a new
hearse. At the rate Of one-quarter of a
cent pound, he pulled down the scales
at ,2SS, although there's always been a
suspicion that the scales were slightly
''doped" for that event.:
Kindly feeling toward neighbor and
the hard cider prospect, possibly, inter-
ested the power-boat lobstermen of the
port and Bill Ripley with the Susie P.
and John Whitmore, steering the Sea
Swallow, were on hand to take line
from the Dolphin. made fast to her main
mast. Cap'n. Lon stood on the town
wharf and gave off orders.
ION board the Dolphin" he hailed.
"Cap'n LymburneIr, are you ready. sir?"
skipper.
"Heave ahead as you are," Cap'n Lon
ordered the power boats. They rugged
and churned, but the Dolphin wouldn't
bulge. Sam Tarbox tailed on with his
boat, the Dickey Bird, and there was
more suffering and churning and plut-
ting, with a reckless disregard for gaso-
line, but the old pinkey hung to the mud.
Then Capt. John Anderson, with the
May and Lille, the most powerful boat
round here, came along and joined the
fleet. The old master mariner was on
his mettle now and, after considerable
backing and filling, he got his fotilla in
tandem formation.
They pulled once without much effect.
Then Cap'n Lon sung out, "Ahoy there!
Pay off about three p'ints and heave
ahead" This allowed for the drift and
made straight pull. There was thrill
of life along the keel of the Dolphin.
"Avast heavin' Cap'n Lymburner, sir,
shift your hawser to the port chock-
board the tugs-hard down yer hellums
keep the meetin housee two p'ints on
your weather Newsstand by-now! full
speed ahead"
The hawser tautened with snap,
there was tremor over the old craft.
She started bit and stuck, started
again, when Cap'n Lon, hurrying to an
other point of observation along the
capsil, with his eyes on the pinkey,
stepped on a founder which some boy
After half-twist, in brave effort to
pave HltIioCll, liz SoPpASd otAd "ShS boSh-
ward into the dock, striking with
smash and splash like heavy yawl let
go on the run from the stern davits.
Just at that moment it seemed to some
of the spectators just as the swash from
Cap'n Ions plunge reached her gar
boards, the old Dolphin slid off and with
so much way on that the power boats
had to crowd on gasolene to get out from
under her stern.
Cap'n Avery came up sputterlng and
righted himself. The water was hardly
up to his shoulders, so that.he was able
to make his way to the landing steps.
AS he reached the wharf people stood by
almost holding their breath awaiting a
terrible explosion. But the old seadog
said nothing. His face turned red and
blue and he made some sounds, but it
was evident that even in the extensive
vocabulary gathered by the men of the
sea he was not able at that moment to
give utterance to his innermost feelings.
No one dared to offer their sympathy
and he tramped up the hill to his home,
leaving a trail of sea water. He came
down to the store that night after his
mail, but there was a glare in his eyes
that warned against broaching the sub
ject of the Dolphin.
capt. ANDERSON SUCKS TO IL LndL at Lne
moment Capt. Lon went overheard the
May and Lille wasn't pulling pound
and that he looked astern and saw big
wave roll from Capt. Lon to the pinkey
and at that instant she started and slid
off He says that if he hadn't gone
overheard they wouldn't have started
the Dolphin.
Others said that the churning of the
boats started swell, that there was a
little sea rolling in from a puff of wind
and it didn't stand to reason that one
man falling in could make wave to set
afoat six-ton pinkey.
Capt. Anderson has some supporters
who say that when Cap'n Lon went in
he made wave most two feet high or
perhaps bit less, and it just lifted the
old schooner when it reached her. The
disputants tried to draw in the school,
master, but he said that he would have
to be provided with data before he could
decide and no one seemed to know ex-
actly what kind of stuff that was, and
whether fresh or sailed.
Eczema spreads rapidly, itching almost
drives you mad; For quick relief, Doan's ONT
ment is we'll recommended. Soc at all stores
Prohibition Points.