The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-06
TAKE LADS Of 20
AS SHIP OFFICERS
Many Being Accepted for Training by
the United States Shipping Board
for Merchant Marine.
GOES BACK TO THE OLD DAYS
Traditions of the Service Justify the
sitions---Carecr of Captain Sii~hec.

AFhoitiohS oi inc @cFNtce oU7ttiN 'hs
Choice of Lads for Responsible Fo-
rjtfone--Carecr of CANAAN ~ff~her
WASHINGTON Feb s-f.aas less tfqn
twenty airesd,. ,l,na,ia~ns5 43fIors
are annfvtns tb.se G,<'. a. .1,a I-r5fe1
states sbinfine hosrg ~ training AS
officers IN he n.Y. mar fstrt marine
Afanv of then, mn. accented and mot
a few ALREADY arr. Serving AN an.or-
on tho bridges ,f come ~ fha LARGEST
linay.s rasa{n1 t1-rgf,g} fts va zann
waters Of f7urore
A@@aS u twenty WI @''i0s -
liIs hieH' rui.lE lhs1' 4tot yea u g ~
ana tanning the fo4El conn. 1i.< ~ VI
lhTlr IoreSaalie7 oH s-.g4 "f ~ ~ y
anu t'S u te' uii4s@F' 10 tiS ''-'' ''e'i
our to'etalil were es7.....'t st me. =
chaht marine "a-4@t +''.-eE e'''t= 'ltS
RoFhl one Oh AAe Hi+e7s i7As.7 90 - ''t''a r
can history
Nathaniel Silsbee. Of Salem who
afterwards became United states sem
ator from Massachusetts In company
with Daniel Webster. took command
Of the new ship benjamin. Of 1871
tons burden laden with Il costly cargo
of merchandise aua bound out from
Massa chtisetts bay to the Cape of
Good Hope and India, ia }T42. when
not nineteen years Old.
The first American flag had entered
the harbors Of bombay aud Calcutta
only four years before. oH The ship
Atlantic.
beginning in 1877. with a capital
consisting of "a Testament. q Bow
ditch, quadrant, chest o. sea clothes
and "a mothers blessing, Nathaniel
Slsbee, then only fourteen wears old,
left the paternaI mansion in Salem
full Of hope and good resolution Ia
embark on his first voyage, which was
to Baltimore as captains clerk, at
twenty eight he had made his fortune
and retired from the sen at thirty
six was the head OF the largest Amer
lean house in China.
The resourcefulness nf Nathaniel
stsbee was never better illustrated
than by his first voyage In command
of his first ship. the Benjamin.
Sold ut Big Profit.
on the passage from the Cape Of
Good Hope to the Isle OF France
tMauritius), Captain SHshee fell fir
with French frigate that gave him
news Of the beginning If the war be
tween France and England. con- this
news reaching the Isle Of France
prices rose Icy leaps ard bounds The
cargo OF the BENJAMIN was quickly
sold At profit that dazz'ed her com
mander.
Az fast as he could. he turned the
paper currency he received into Span
t9h dollars. Then tpr six months au
embargo was laid on all foreign ves-
sells In port During this time the
spanish dollars increased ia three
times the value Of paper money and
get for lack Of an outlet. the products
OF the slsnd did not advance in price
nathaniel Silsbee abandoned his
tia1 ~ Keeping on u Calcutta He
sold his Spanish dollars, loaded coffee
aI3 spices. and started for home.
Proceeding no further than the
Cape OF 'tpod Hope, he scented an
other chance to fatten his owners
pocfe BOOK
The Cape Of Good Hone VAS held
ny the bn+eh' he said Va. later ears,
and II SO happened that I WIS the
ohiv master Of a fcreig7 Nessel fheD
in rart W whom = bond lad 80. r,aa
required to proc eed 10 FreE.h port
Two other salem ships were Ia port.
/ pat on board them such portion Of
my cargo as | knew would consider
ably more than pay the whole cost
Of nay ship and cargo, 'o}d the resi-
due. and invested the proceeds I'm u
fun cargo oe wine and other articles
which knew to be in great demand
In those Islands.
Captain Solsbee sold his cargo for
three times its cost ut the Isle of
France and again loaded for home
Warned by Governor.
lie was nearly ready 20 sail when
he got word that another embargo
was likely Hastily putting 20 sea-.
he was Obliged to anchor next day at
the Isle nf Bourbon for provisions.
"A mystifying experience that he met
here he related thus:
lust as I was about stepping from
the wharf into my boat, the French
governor Of the island ordered ma to