The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-10-09

ON one OF the A. Y. A, ships.
STRANGE OLD FLEET
OF ANCIENT VESSELS
Instead. we drew up al Pier 20. a
Few blocks north Of the Ferry build.
Ing.
u was larry spring morning ma I
stepped out on the pierhead for the
tlrst look at my ship. drawn up be.
side the dock. She was three.
masted wooden bark OF medium
length. Her sides were dlnEy red.
with black and yellow border, and
her furled sa.'s dirty gray.
Sic was one OF the great feet OF
surerannuatcd windjammer which
have been driven from ths byways OF
The SCI by steci and steam. UNIT fot
any other nade. they are sent .nto
the 'honeyarti- OF the OAKLAND ostu.
airy. or 20 the flats off velvcdero,
across from tse Golden Gate. Here
They 70 during tho winter months.
IN the spring they arc hauled forth.
sNen goini.over and sent up To
he Alaskan fisheries.
Many OF them are CIV haiers, but
some aro right proud and mobie oln
craft. which. IN their day, have bat.
tied their way around tho Horn, or
10 the South Seas and China ia mer.
chant service. with precious oarsocs
In their holds.
One ship which made the trip this
year. the star OF Chile. was built In
England. In is65. Several others
which took the voyage were built In
the '7os. The one on which I had
shipped was built In New Boston, In
isss.
As she lay there. being Tapped by
the blue ripples OF san Francisco
bay. she seemed strangely out OF
place. In the bright surroundings o.
that gorgeous spring day. she sug.
scsted a pirate ship that had slipped
into hareor In the dead OF night.
TINY SCHOONER
MEMBER or FLEET
I climbed aboard over rops
ladder. hauled up my suitcase with
me and dropped onto the deck. Tho
decks were dirty and the surcii OF
pigs permeatcd tho air.
A fisf.rnccd chinaman. wearing
carpet slippers. was feeding cover
ed penfui OF swine. laniSd aboard
Just forward OF tho boat deck. AT
was another penful. being tended by
a white man. The two were engaged
in violent quarrel over some feed.
and were calling each other vile
names across the length % tho ship.
found that the sang had come.
but had left because tho papers
we're not ready. I Deposited my suit.
case with a grcasy.icoking youth. 1
later learned was second cook OF the
Chinese galley. and told him I would
call for II later on. Tho tall Mexican
WAS waiting for mo ASHORE and In.
ssructcd me to rcvurn In thS after
noon.
A I wandered around the dock.
I noticed another and much smaller
ship tied aionguhorc on tho opposite
side. Sho was a little schooner
Beuiah bound. l learned. for tho
salt station" 20 miles farther north
than our own destination
The schooner was much usaser
and cleaner than our old bark and
was fiiled with q cargo OF lumber.
but her sire made me shudder when
I thought Of the seas thru which We
were about 20 plow.
determined that I would not 10
TO the salt station " could help Il.
was relieved 70 learn later that all
the Chinese gang would go on tho
bark. ] went uptown for my las,
usai ashore.
At about o'clock IN the after.
noon I showed up again at the dock.
was bit late. for already big
crowd OF men had gathered on the
forward part OF the deck.
Meyer was In tire center. directing
operations Near his sido was a
Mexican I had not seen before. hold.
ing a paper to which the members
OF tho crew" were signing tirir
names. Nearby was a tall. lean
Chlnaman. As soon ms thsy had
signed the paper. the Chinaman
handed them a paper book. contain.
Ing $40 bill A policeman stood
nearby.