The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-11-08

those boats" said a Nova Scotian
master to me, than in an Atlantic
liner when there's bad weather
about. They are thoroughly sea-
worthy, and will weather a storm
that would terrify an Atlantic
liner. But you don't have to be
subject to sea-sickness if you go
aboard a rum.runner."
Beautiful Ships Too.
And they are beautiful ships. One
afternoon / stood on Hog Island and
watched a well-known rum-runner
putting to sea with her cargo of
whiskey. She rounded the Nassau
light under motor power. and then
hoisted her sails as she danced on
the open sea. A light breeze filled
her white canvas and she floated
away in the sunshine like a fairy
ship.
Her captain was one of the most
reckless men in the trade-a man
who would stop at nothing and
she carried goodly supply of arms.
If you want to find anyone in
Nassau you first search the hotels
and liquor shops; and then make
your way to the water front at
Rawsop Square.
II guess If you don't find the
guy you're loking for by then"
remarked an American resident
you can write and tell his wife
she's a widow. for he's drowned
or run away
An Honest Smuggler.
It was from Rawson SQUARE that
I embarked on my trips to the
rum-running vessels and heard the
philosophy Of a skipper, who was
just as honest a man as the cap
tain Of any everyday trader along
the British coasts.
Captain Bunting was a big, bluff
man, of British colonial birth. He
was frankly engaged in the bust
ness of carrying liquor from the
ilsand to the bootleggers' market /
had visited his comfortable bunga-
low home and made fast friends
with him. He commands a boat
Of 400 tons. and although she has
TWO engines, each Of $50 horse
power. always goes under sail. His
great ambition is to take his cookie
shell across the North Atlantic to
England. to bring back a cargo of
liquor, and he intends to make the
trip in the spring.
The schooner carries a small crew
but is built for bad weather. and
the skipper is confident that he
could make the English trip safely.
He is in the employ of q dealer
who spent the summer in England
ordering supplies.
Morals of Rum Running.
One morning we had been taking
provisions on board. and as we sat
on the shady side Of the deck.
captain Bunting gave me his views
on the morals of rum-running.
what law are we breaking?" ne
asked. We get the stuff shipped
out from England to Nassau IN the
ORDINARY way. 1t is paid for and
the bahamas government gets the
duty II imposes. We employ labor
N the island and we have brough,
prosperity to "A poVerty-stricken
pace. We unload it from the big
boats and load it up again on
rum-runners like mine.
II goes up off the American
coast, breaking no American Or
nsllsh law, for we keep in inter
{ "CtciS ana no one
touch US. Then we sell to whoever
VIII buy. True. it is Struggled into
the United States by other people.
but the revenue is cheated of no
money, for. as liquor is forbidden,
there Is, Of course, no duty liable
me skipper went on to tell me
OF ms experiences in Rum Row
during the winter.
nave lain there" he said
curing real booming gales and in
cold weather that has frozen the
seas we shipped On our decks. We
nave mad to free the ropes and
guy from Ice wit hchoppers before
now. The boats lie there for
weeks, and the seas are sometimes
immense"
How One Was Captured.
one OF the tragi-comedies of Rum
Row was provided by q British