Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1921-11-30

one-a condition OF affairs which had
tended TO sour a disposition not nat
uraly sweet. The yearnlng TO COM
mand a steamboat gradually had de-
Neloped into an obsesslon. Result
the fast and commodious s. S. Mag
gie.' as the United States marshal
mad had the audaclty 10 advertise her.
In the beginning. Captain Scraggs
nad planned TO do bay and river tow
me with the Maggie. Alas! The
first time the unfortunate Scraggs at
tempted to tow a heavily laden barge
up river. a light fog had come down.
neeessliating the frequent blowing OF
the whistle. Following the sixth long
blast. Mr.. McGuffey had whstled
Scraggs on the engine-roOm bowler;
swearing horribly. he had demanded
10 be Informed why IN this and that
the skipper didn't leave that dod-gast-
ed whistle alone. II was using up his
/ steam faster than he could manufac-
ture II. Thereafter. Scraggs had used
a patent foghOrn, and when the hon
est McGuffey had once more succeed
ed in conserving sufficient steam TO
crawl mp river, the tide had turned
and the Maggie could not buck the
ebb. McGuffey declared a few new
tubes In the boiler would do the trick.
but on the other hand. Mr. Gibney
pointed out that the old craft was
practically punk aft and a stiff tow
would jerk the tail or the old girl. In
despair. therefore Captain Scraggs
had abandoned bay and river towing
and was prepared 20 jump overheard
and end all. when an opportunity Of
fered for the frelghting OF garden
truck and dairy produce from Half
moon bay 10 San Francisco.
But now a difficulty arose. The new
run was an outside" one-salt water
all the way. Under the ruling OF the
inspectors. the Maggie would be run
ming coastwise the instant she en-
gagged In the green-pea and string-bean
trade. and Captain Scraggs' license
provided for no such contingency. His
ticket entitled him 10 act as master
on the waters OF San Francisco bay
and the waters tributary thereto. and
although Scraggs argued that the Pa
cific ocean constituted waters "tribu-
tary thereto" II he understood the
English language. the inspectors were
obdurate. What n the distance was
less than twenty-five miles7 they
pointed out. The voyage was unde-
niably coastwise and carried with II
all the risk OF wind and wave. And
In opier 10 impress upon Captain
Scraggs the weight Of their authority,
the inspectors suspended for six
months Captain Scraggs' bay and
river license for having dared TO ne
gotiate two coastwlse voyages without
consulting them. Furthermore. they
warned him that the next time he did
Il they would condemn the fast and
commodious Maggie.
In this extremity. Fate had sent 10
Captain Scraggs n large. imposing,
capable. but socially Indifferent per
son who responded 10 the name OF
Adelbert r. Gibney. Mr.. Gibney had
spent part OF an adventurous life in
the United States navy, where he had
applied himself and acquired a fair
smattering OF navigation. Prior TO en-
terlng the navy he had been a fore
mast hand I'm clipper ships and had
held a second mates berth. Follow
ing his discharge from the navy he
had sailed coastwise on steam schOon-
ers. and after attending a navigation
school for two months. had procured
n license as chief mate OF steam, any
ocean and any tonnage.
Unfortunately for Mr.. Gibney, he
rad a falling. Most OF US have. The
most genial fellow I'm the world, he
was cursed with too much brains and
imagina ION and a thirst which re-
auIred quenching around pay day.
Also. ne had that heastly habit OF
comm.nd which is inseparahle from a
born leader: when he held a first
mates berth. he was wont 10 try 70
run the ship" and, on occasions,
ladle out suggestions TO his skipper.
Thus. IN time. he acquired a reputa-
ton for being unreliable and a wind
bag. with the result that shippers
we're chary OF engaging him. Not 10
be too prolix. az the time Captain
Scraggs made the disheartening dis
covery that. he had to have skipper
for the Maggie. Mr.. Gibney found
himself reduced 10 the alternative of
longshore work or a fo'castle berth In
n windjammer bound for blue water.
With alacrity. therefore, Mr.. Glib
ney had accepted Scraggs' offer "
seventy-five dollars a mon'h-"and
found~-to skipper the Maggie on her
coastwise run. AS a first mate OF
steam he had no difficulty inducing
the inspectors TO grant him license
70 skipper such an abandoned craft
as the Maggie. and accordingly he
hung M his ticket In her pilot house
and was registered as her master, al
belt under a gentleman's agreement
with Scraggs he was not TO claim the
title OF captain and was known TO
the world as the Maggie's first mate,
.,o,a rnate third mate. duartermas-