Evening star., 1928-11-04

ing loop of the following letter "p" as
to be almost invisible.
The Ranger had been newly built by
Col. John Langdon at Portsmouth, N.
H. She was crank causing Jones to
cut down her guns from "a to 18, and
to shorten her maStS, but she was very
fast.
On October 80, 1777, the Rangers
captain was ready to SAIL being ap-
pointed messenger, to his great pride,
to carry the news of Burgoyne's sur
render to Deane, Franklin and Lee, the
American Commissioners in Paris. He
pushed the Rangers nose out into the
Atlantic, free at last of politics, free
of intrigue, free of self-tortue, and with
exhilarating prospects before him.
Brimming over with energy, Jones
could scarcely be induced to sleep. He
spent only or hours out of
the ID in his bed. He chose the north
erly and more stormy passage and
drove his ship dead into the wind.
Rangers raking mast bent backward
and her straining hull lay almost fiat
on her beam ends.
The men were eight hours on duty
and four hours of. but since their cap
tain worked even longer, no one COM
planned When they grew chilled from
exposure, Jones hurried about the deck,
serving them grog with his own hands.
Once when Squall struck the ship, he
saved her from capsizing only by cut
ting her fly-sheets with hatchet.
But, despite the strain and the cold,
no one fell sick, and only Solomon
Hutchings, seaman, was hurt when
boarding sea bowled him over. And
throughout the voyage no one was pun
ished, no one was even reprimanded.
On the last day he paused to take
two prizes, sent one to BreSt, and con-
voyed the other. He cast anchor in
the Loire, below Nantes, on December
2, 1777, and hurried by coach to Paris
with his dispatches. He placed them,
with bow, in Benjamin Franklin's
hands on the 5th, only to find that
Jonathan Lorin Austin, the Boston mes
Senger who had come on fast French
ship, had beaten him to Paris by IL
hours.
X X n
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, who was
= canny Judge of men, must have
looked curiously at this self-assured
young Sea-rover who had come to him
with no introduction save that of LETT
ter from the marine committee describ-
ing him as IAN active and brave COM
mander of our navy" but he was ap-
parently impressed with him, for he in
troduced John Paul Jones to his good
friend, the Countess d'Houdetot, with a
letter which said, when face to face
with him, neither man, nor, so far as
can learn, woman, can resist the
strange magnetism of his presence, the
indescribable charm of his manner"
AS for Jones, he regarded Franklin
| from the first with veneration. In let
ter after letter he addressed the sage in
terms of f1lial piety, signing himself
| with grateful and real affection and
respect" and finally as your most de-
voted and obedient foster son." Jones
had an openly expressed scorn for cer-
tain men in high places, but word
from Franklin could bring him hunbly
to heel.
Franklin and Deane listened atten-
lively to Jones proposals for harassing
Britain, and at length they dispatched
q letter to him giving him virtually a
free hand.
we advise you," they wrote on Janu-
ary Is. 1778, after equipping the
Ranger in the best manner for the
cruise you propose, that you proceed
with her in the manner you shall Judge
best for distressing the enemies of the
united States, by sea or otherwise, con-
sistent with the laws of war, and the
terms of your commissions. We
/ rely on your ability, as we'll as your zeal,
to serve the United States, and there
fore do not give you particular instruc-
tlonS as to your operations"
This was an order exactly to Jones
liking, and in his joy he scarcely noticed
1t was not signed by the third commits
sioner, the sulky Arthur Lee. Lees ex-
cuse was that he had no confidence In
Gourlade, one of the prize agents named
=, by Franklin and Deane; but the real
reason was his inceSSant feud with
Franklin and Deane, due to his own
megalomaniac vanity and to the scant
| respect showed him during the negotia-
tlons with the French court In addi-
t1on was his peculiar hatred of Jones
! as a Scotchman. Beware" Lee, who
| had been educated in Edinburgh, re-
peatedly counseled his friends, "of the
| Scotch
Jones hastened the repairs on the
Ranger and on April 10 he drew out of
Brest, heading north into the Irish
Channel through the teeth of a gale.
he carried with him, as company,
TWO gentlemen volunteers" Jean
Meyer, a Swedish army officer, and C..
f. Morris, an American. The watch
was doubled and changed often, for the
WORD OF his coming was out, and Jones
| had been warned that IL captured he
! would be hanged to yardarm as a
renegade and pirate.
He was no sooner out OF sight of land
than he discovered eight of his crew
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