Phoenix tribune., 1922-07-15
FOR SALE CHEAP

Boilers and engines in excellent shape.
Vessel must be sold to close out an
estate, Address John Coakley, Jack
son Street wharf"
How dye know she's fortune,
Gib?" McGuffey demanded. "Lemme
look at her engines before you get
excited"
81 amt saying she is," Mr.. Gibney
retorted testify. "Lemme finish read
in'!" He continued:
REPORTS PASSING DERELICT
"The steam schooner Arethusa,
Grays Harbor to Oakland Long wharf,
reports passing a dereliet schooner
twenty miles off Point Reyes at six
o'clock last night. The derelict was
down by the head, and her rail just
showed above the water. It was i'm
possible to learn her identity.
"The presence Of this derelict In
the steamer lanes to North Pacific
ports is distinct menace to naviga-
ton, and it Is probable that a revenue
cutter will be dispatched today to
search for the derelict and either tow
her into port or destroy her."
Gentlemen o. the syndicate, them's
the only two items in the shippin'
page that looks likely. The question
Is, in which lies our fortune?"
Neils Halvorsen spoke up, giving it
as his opinion that the fortune-telling
lady probably knew her business and
that their fortune really lay at sea.
The derelict was at sea. How else,
then, could the prophecy be inter-
preted?
"Well, this steamer Victorsisn ex-
actly travelling overland" McGuffey
suggested He had a secret hankering
to mess around some real engines
again, and gave 1t as his opinion that
fortune was more likely to lurk in
solid stern-wheel steamer with good
engines and boilers than in battered
hulk at sea- Captain Scraggs agreed
with him most heartily and tie vote
resulted, Mr.. Gibney inclining toward
the derelict.
AN We sum " 0O dDOul -
Gib?" Captain ScragG demanded.
'When in doubt, Scraggsy, old tar
pot, always play trumps. In order to
make no mistake, right after break
fast you an McGuffey go down to
Jackson street wharf an interview
this man Coakley about his steamer
Victor. You been goin' to sea long
enough to know a good hull when you
see 1t, an If we can't trust Mac to
know good set Of inner works we'd
better dissolve the syndicate. AS for
me an Neils, Wen go down to the
Front an charter tug an chase out
after that there derelict before the
revenue cutter gets her an blows her
out O. the path o. commerce with a
stick o. dynamite"
Forthwith Mr.. Gibney and Neils,
after snatching a hasty breakfast, de-
parted for the waterfront, where they
chartered a tug for three days and
put to sea. At about ten o'clock Cap
tain Scraggs and McGuffey strolled
leisurely down to Jackson street wharf
to Inspect the Victor By noon they
had completed a most satisfactory in.
spection of the steamers hull and
boilers, and bought her in for seven
thousand dollars. Captain Scraggs
was delighted. He said she was worth
ten thousand. Already he had de-
cided that heavy and profitable
freights awaited the syndicate along
the Sacramento river, where the farm
ers and orchardists had been for
years the victims Of monopoly and
a gentiemens agreement between the
two steamboat lines that piled be-
tween Sacramento, Stockton and San
Francisco.
On the afternoon of the third day
Mr. Gibney and Neils Halvorsen re-
turned from sea. They were unutter-
ably weary and hollow-eyed for lack
Of Sleep
well, l suppose you two suckers
found that derelict," challenged Nc
Guffey.
yep. Found her an got line
aboard an towed her in, an It was
tough job. She's layin' over on the
Berkeley tide flats, an at lowtide to-
morrow We'll go over an find out
what we've got. Don't even know her
pane yet. She's practically sub
merged"
Il think you was awful foolish, Glib,
buyin' pig in poke that way.
don't believe In goin' In blind. Me
an Macs bought a real ship. We
own the Victor"
I'm dead on my feet" growled the
commodore, and jumping into bed he
refused to discuss the matter further
and was sound asleep In a jiffy.
Mr.. Gibney was up bright and early
and aroused the syndicate to action.
The tide would be at its lowest ebb
at nine thirty-one and the commodore
figured that his fortune would be ly-
ing well exposed on the Berkeley tide