Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-10-01
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Personal "REMINISCENCES.
BY George L. Norton, Editor of the
Marine Journal, New York.

As we grow older, and consequently
spend more time indoors, not seeking or
caring for outside entertainment, we get
10 thinking OF our early career and won
der how it has been possible to get so
much varied experience out OF life. Those
who have followed our "reminiscences in
the past will recall that we have had.
| perhaps, more to say about the Tapley
brothers, OF West Brooksviile, Me-, than
any other group OF shipmasters, in con-
sequence OF their having been townies of
ours, besides having been shipmates with
| four of them-namely, Captains Thomas,
George, jerome and Abram-and to
whose kind treatment and personal in
terest in our welfare We were greatly in.
debted for our early training for a life on
the ocean wave.
Capt. Thomas Tapley was my first pre.
ceptor in nautical education, aud it was
lucky day for me when he suggested
that ship as ordinary seaman on board
his brig, the Beaver, of $50 tons, which
was then loading at Bangor, Me-. with
lumber, on the owners account, to be
sold by the captain at one of the West
India Islands. After leaving the Penob-
scot river, our course vas shaped for
Barbados, one of the windward islands,
so that il we did not lind market for
our cargo there we could take advantage
OF the trade winds, giving us fair wind
to the leeward islands.
Our first night at anchor off Bridge
town, the principal port OF this island,
we had an amusing experience Our
harness cask, which held salt beef and
pork for daily con :umption, was located
at the forward end of the after house,
just under q window OF the mates
room. Shortly after midnight the latter
heard boat come alongside as noiselessly
as possible, and in looking out OF his
widow he saw two naked negroes climb
over the rail and make their way on tiptoe
to the harness cask. and Just as they
lifted its cover the mate ran on deck and
grabbed one of them, calling to the
second mate for help. The negroes had
slushed (greasedg their bodies before
coming on hoard, and were therefore N
slippery as cells and slid away from tbs
mates grasp, Ieaping overheard, swim
ming to their bsat, whieh was drifting
astern. By this time all hands were on
deck. but could do nothing in the way of
pursuit, as our one yawl beat was dashed
in its chocks on deck, not having been
put overheard and boosted oR the davits, |
on account of our arrival after dark.
The Beaver had a bone crew Of young |
men who had been in soastiug and fishing |
vessels out of Castine,. and when they |
came on deck the darkies were quite a /
distance away, rowing their best toward |
shore. They were much disappeta,te ed in |
missing scrap with the thieves.
We learned the next day that this |
method of robbing vessels of wha. they |
could carry off from the deck was q
common one, and almost every new ar
rival had to pay the penalty of the loss OF |
something of value to these CREASED |
negroes.
AS dictate these lines l can recall many |
acts OF kindness received from the late |
Captain Tapley and his brsther George, |
who vas our mate, and who is still living |
at ripe old age in West BrooksEille. |
recall Capt. Thomas inviting me in the |
cabin frequently evenings when the |
weather was ane, saying: ''Sow, bGeum, |
(the nickname be gave mel We will |
imagine ourselves in the little Brooks
willie church on a Sunday evening sing |
ing these good old hymns" Then he
would get out his hymn book and we
would sing those that were familiar to
US; and, il do say it, we had very good
singing voices. After We han sung our
selves hoarse and it was time TO turn in"
we would chat while about home folks,
as we lived within quarter Of mile of
each other when ashore. can imagine
some of our shipmaster readers smiling
when they read OF such familiarity and