Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-03-15
CHAPTER v.
The Captain Makes a Friend.

TIVE minutes later he was at the
street corner inquiring Of a po
liceman the handiest way to get
TO Pine street" Following the direc,
tons given, he boarded n train at the
nearest subway station. emerged ut
Wall street, inquired once more, 10.
Gated the street he was looking for
and, consulting a card which he took
from "A big stained leather pocketbook,
walked on, peerlng at the numbers of
the buildings he passed.
The Offices Of Sylvester, Kuhn &
Graves were on the sixteenth floor of
a new and %gorgeously appointed sky.
scrapcr. When Captain Elisha entered
the firms reception room he was &C.
co5ted by a wide awake and extremely
self possessed Office boy.
Informed by the none too courteous
lad that none OF the firm was In, he
left his card. saying he'd return later.
Captain Elisha strolled down Pine
street. looking about him with interest.
1t had been years since he visited this
locality, and the changes were many.
Soon, however, he began to recognize
familiar landmarks. He was approach.
Ing the water front, and there were
fewer new buildings. When he reached
South street he was thoroughly at
home.
The docks were crowded. The river
was alive with small craft OF all kinds.
Steamers and schooners were plenty,
but the captain missed the old square
riggers, the clipper ships and banks,
such as he had smiled In as cabin boy.
as foremost hand and later command.
ed on many seas.
AT length, however, he saw four masts
towering above the roof OF n freight
house, They were not schooner rugged.
those masts. The yards were set square
across, and along with them were furl-
Ell royals and upper topsails. Here ut
last was a craft worth looking at. Cap
tain Elisha crossed the street, hurried
past the covered freight house and saw
"A magnificent great ship lying beside a
broad, open wharf. Down the wharf
he walked, joyfully, as one who greets
an old friend.
The wharf was practically deserted.
An ancient Waterman was doing I'm a
sort of sentry box, but he did not wake.
There was a pile Of foreign looking
crates and boxes at the farther end Of
the pier, evidently the last bit OF cargo
waiting TO be cartcd away. The cap
tain inspected the pile, recognized the
goods as Chinese and Japanese, then
read the name on the big ships stern.
She was the Empress OF the Ocean. and
her home port was Liverpool.
The captain strollcd about, looking
her over, The number Of improvements
since his scagoing days was astouish-
ing. He was standing by the wheel,
near the ComnaniOnWay, wishing that
he might inspect the officers quarters.
but not liking to do so without an in
vitation, when two men emerged from
the cabin.
One Of the pair was evidently the
japanese steward OF the ship. The 9th
er WnS a tall, clean cut young fellow,
whose general appearance and lack OF
sunhurn showed quite plainly that he
was not a seafaring man by profession.
He said he was a friend Of one of the
consignees aud would be pleased to
show the captain over the ship.
Captain Elisha, delighted with the
opportunity, expressed his thanks, and
the tour of INSPECTION began. The
steward remained on deck, but the
captain and his new acquaintance
strolled through the officers quarters
together.
"Jerushy!' exclaimed the former as
he viewed the main cabin. Say, you
could pretty nigh have a dance here,
couldn't your A small one. This re.
minds me Of the cabin aboard the Sea-
gull, first vessel l went mate Gifts
so different. Aboard her we had "a
walk sittin' down, There want room
In the cabin for more'n n to stand
up at n time. But she could sail, Just
the same, and carry It too. I've seen
her off the Horn with studdin' sails
set when craft twice her length and
tonnage had everything furled above
the tops'l yard. Iii hum, You mustn't
mind an old salt runnln' on this way,
I've been out of the pickle tub n good
while, but | c~al'late the brine amt all
out of my system
His guides eyes snapped.
II understand" he said. laughing.
'Ive never been at sea on n long voy-
age in my l!fe, but l can understand
just how you feel. It's in my blood,
guess. | come of Il salt water line.
My people Tere from Belfast, Me-, and
every ma Of them went to sea-
Belfast, hey? They turned out
some A No. l sailors in Belfast. l