Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-04-25
INTRODUCTORY

noble family that for generations had
furnished distinguished cnvalry com
manders for the armies Of their times
this great grandfather was mar
shaI of France). his father WIS de-
termined he should carry on this CIV
airy tradition. But Felix was enam.
Ored of the sea from his childhood
A husky young devil. fond OF sports, =
he refused to apply himself to his
studies, and when thirteen and a hall
years old he ran away to Hamburg
and with the help OF superannuat.
ed sailor obtained the post of cabin
boy aboard the Russian full-rigged
ship Niobe bound for Australia.
Eighty days of rough sailing and
rougher treatment brought him to
Freemantle. where an inn-keeper's
daughter persuaded him to desert
the ship and work for her father as
a dIshwasher.
Always seeking adventure. Felix
joined the Salvation army In Free
mantle, then In succession became as
sistant to lighthouse keeper. work
er in sawmill. kangaroo hunter,
helper to band Of Hindu fakirs and
prize fighter. But the sea still lured
him and he shipped on the American
four masted schooner Golden Shore
for Seattle. By this time Felfs-wns-
ambitious to be his own master, so
he and another German lad went to
Vancouver and stole a small salboat
to become fshern.e Zen. They were
caught but lenient Judgr> put them
on probation for few weeks. Sign
ing on the English ship Pinmore, the
young adventurer now had a long
voyage around Cape Horn to Liver
pool In the course OF which Gains.
storms, scurvy and beri-beri nearly
did for the entire crew.
Returning to Hamburg, Phelax, ms
he called himself in those days,
signed on the Caesarea, his first Ger
man ship. and then began a voyage
that furnished him with what he
called "a real sea yarn" After not
unpleasant passage to Melbourne they
took cargo OF coal to Chile--where
Phelax spent New Years day In jail
ms result of a spree-and then
sailed for Plymouth with saltpeter.
Off the Falkland islands they were
caught In a terrific hurricane but
managed to reach port. Their next
destination was New York, and on
Christmas day they were struck BY
a white squat, followed BY a hurri-
cane that completely wrecked their
ship Many OF the crew were lost
but Phelax, with broken leg, and
few others got away In the captains
boat. Six days later, their food and
watvr all gone. they were picked up
by an Italian steamer that took them
to New York.
Discharged from the hospital In
eight weeks, Phelax shipped on the
Canadian schooner Flying Fish for
Jamaica. but while discharglng cargo
his other leg was broken and he was
left behind In Kingston. Able only
to hobble he was thrown. out Of the
hospital there and, penniless and
feeble, soon became real beach
cornber. One day the German war
ship Panther came into port and poor
Phelax, hungry to hear his native
tongue, slipped aboard and was Civ
en- food BY the sailors But he was
so dirty and disreputnble In appear.
ance that the officer OF the watch or
dered the "unspeakable creature" off
the ship. Years later. when he had
resumed his own name and station In
L life and was befriended by the
kaiser, he told this story to Wilhelm.
and the ruler declared It would be
appropriate and poetic to put him
aboard that same Panther as an Off
Ger which was done
Another voyage took Phelax to
Tampico, where he and a comrade
went for q horseback ride and lost
their ship. For time they made
living carrying market baskets. and
then Joined the Mexican army. Work
In a railroad construction camp and
on fruit ranch followed, and then
came voyages on q Norwegian vessel
In the course OF which phelax &C.
quired knowledge OF the Norwegian
language that was destined to play
an Important part In his later adyen
lures aboard the Seeadler during the
war.
When he ran away from home
Luckner vowed he would not return
until he could do so as a naval officer
In the imperial seryfee. To realize
this ambition. he must study navira
ton. serve as officer In the mercan
tile marine and then enter the navy
All this he accomplished with much
travail, and on being mustered In for
volunteer service he was recognized
by his uncle. Admiral Count Baudls
sim From that time OF course his
fortune was assured and he was re-
united with his family Before long
Prince Henry of Prussia ordered him
into active service and the emperor
took a warm interest In his advance.
merit
Count yon Lnckner's narrative
from this point. Is given in his own
language, as he told It to Lowell
Thomas. II should be explained that
when he returned to nrcspettaf1te.
life he found thai the vivid nrofon.