The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-04-07
CONTINUED from last issue)

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CONTINUED from last issue)
,,'Tn the early nineties both lines still
were young; Stafford had, believe,
two ships; Coryet had three" z. .
+ $50 few? Yes,;3it grows plainer!"
'In 1894, Stafford managed stroke
which, If fate had not INTERVIEWED. must
have assured the ultimate extinction
OF Corvet's line or it's absorption into
StaKord's. Stafford gained as hts part
ner Franklin Ramsdell, wealthy man
whom, he had convinced that the: lake
traffic offered chances of greatRpr0ht
and this connection supplied him with
the capital whose lack had been ham
pering him, as it was still hampering
4Corvet. The new flrm-Stafford and
sRamsdell--projected the construction,
with Ramsdell's money, of number
OF great steel freighters. The first Of
these-the Miwaka, test ship whose.
experience was to guide them in the
construction Of the rest-was launched
in the fail of 1895, and was lost on it's
maiden trip with both Stafford and
Ramsdell aboard. The Stafford and
Ramsdell interests could not survive
the death of both owners and disap-
peared from the. lakes. Is this what
you wanted to known a,Es:~ .5..
The priestsEnodded. Alan leaned
tensely forward, watching; what he
had heard seemed to. have increased
and, deepened the priests feeling over
what he had to tell and to have aided
his comprehension Of it. Ill.,
His name was Caleb Stafford" Fa-
Their Perron began. "(This Is what
Benjamin Coryet told to- me when he
was dying under the wreckage on the
ferry.) He was as fair and able
man as the Takes ever knew. I had
my will of most men in the lake trade
In those days; but I could not have
my will Of him.. With all the lakes to
trade in, he had to pick out for his that
traffic which L already had chosen for
my own. BYf 7 fought him fair, Fa-
ther-I fought him fair, and I would
have continued to do that to the end.
~ was at-Manistee, Father, in the
end of the season December fifth Of
1895. The ice had begun to form very
early that year and was already bad;
there was cold and q high gale. had
laid up one Of my ships at Manistee,
and 4 was sdrDssing that night upon
tug to Manitowoc, where another was
to be laid up. I had still third one
loading up on the northern peninsula at
Manistique for a last trip which, If it
could be made, would mean good
profit from q season which SO far, be-
cause of Staffords competition, had
been only fair. After leaving Manis-
tee, it grew. still. more cold, and was
afraid the ice would close in on her.
and keep her where she was, SO I deter
mined to 60 north that night and see
that she got out. None knew. Father,
except those aboard the tug, that II had
made that change T.,
"'At midnight, Father, to westward
Of the Foxes, I'VE heard the four blasts
Of steamer in distress-the four long
blasts which have sounded in my soul
ever since! We turned toward where
we saw the steamers lights we went
nearer and, Father, it was his great
ship-the Miwaka! We had heard two
DAYS before that she had passed the
500: we had not known more than that
OF where she was. She had brokenSher
new shaft, Father, and was intact ex-
cept for that but helpless in the rising
sea d - : .'~---s% -. e. 80,
The priest broke off. 1.-THE Miwaka!
I did not understand all that that had
meant to him, until just now-the new
ship. Of the rival line, whose building
meant for him failure and defeat !!
'.There is no higher duty than the
rescue Of those in peril at sea. He,
Benjamin Corvet, who told me this
swore to me that, at the beginning
none upon the tug had any. thought ex--
cept to give aid. A small line was
dfifted down to the tug and to this
thawsers, was attached which they
hauled aboard. There happened then
/ the first of those events which led
those upon the tug into doing. a great
wrong. He Benjamin Corvet-had
taken charge Of the wheel Of the tug;
three men were handling the hawser
Ia Ice and washing water at the stern.
The whistle accidentally blew, which
those on the Miwaka understood to,
mean that the hawser had been BE-
cured, so they drew in the slack the
hawser, tigfitened unexpectedly by the
pitching Of the sea, caught andrrushed
the captain and deckhand Of the tug:
and threw them into the sea. se"Ff. - :.t-.'
Because they were short-handed
now upon the tug, and also because
consultations was necessary over what
was to, be done, the young owner OF
the Miwaka.. Captain Stafford, came
down the hawser onto the tug after the
line had been put straight. He came
to the wheelhouse, where Benjamin
Corvet was, and they consulted. Then
Benjamin sCorvet learned that the
other owner was aboard the new ship
as well-Ramsdell-the man whose
money you have just told me had built
this and was soon to build other ships.
/ / did not understand before why learn