The Velasco Times (Velasco, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 28, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 24, 1892 Page: 3 of 8
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00 VOU R£MfcMBEWy
D yon remember how that ulglit waa sweetf
Yon called it aweet aud aoiuethiiiK more as
well.
The tine white tnootibeatu* drifted at our feet. {
And ut'HtU'il iu uach ilower'a trembliuic bell.
I
The hollowed wave# came creeping to the
beach.
And broke there with h joyous sound ill lost.
D* you remember how there waa no speech'/
No need for that. Our lmirtbeut throbbed
too faat.
A email white railing atar shot through the
.«ray.
You bid me "wish!" before it could depart; >
Do you remember how I answered, "Nay'/"
Because there waa no wish left in my heart. ¡
—Cora Fabbri. |
THE YOUNG SKIPPER.
"Is that tho chap we shipped under?
Why, he hasn't grown a beard yet?"
"Nevertheless he is th skipper of this
craft, and a right smart one, too, as
you'll find out if you cruise many months
aboard of her."
"That may be, but I'd rather seen
man 011 the quarter deck than a boy."
"What's tho difference, if the boy has
a man's head on his shoulders? It
isn't always those who liaVe lived tlio
longest in this world that kuow the
most, as 1 have found out. Now hen?
are you and I; we have been following
the sea these twenty years, and I'm not
afraid to say that we could handle a
vessel in any weather, but if we were
asked to take a ship from New Bedford
to Cape Horn, do you suppose we could
do it? 1 tell you, Tom, no. That's be-
cause when we were young we wasted
our time iu skylarking instead of study.
It was different with our skipper, as
1 know well, for he and I were ship-
mates together on the voyage that he
jumped from before the mast to the
quarter deck."
"Don't see how he could do it," grum-
bled the one addressed as Tom.
"Well, I'll tell you, mate, when wo
get below," replied Bill Becket, one of
the boat Bteerers of the whaling ship
Grampus, which had just left her home
port for a three years' cruise in tho Pa-
cific.
"It was this way," began Bill that
same evening in the "dog watch" when
he and his companion Tom, who was
also a boat steerer. were leaning idly
over the weather rail, gazing out on the
vast expanse of waters over which their
vessel was bounding before a fair wind.
"It's little over four years now since J
joined the Race Horse down in one of
the Kanaka islands. I had run away
from another ship and had 'beach
combed' it (nautical parlance for tramp),
until I got a chance in the Race Horse.
We were going north to cruise in the
Ochotsk sea. Tho skipper was before
the mast then; he was a chap that didn't
have to see a thing done more than twice
before he could do it himself.
"I handled the harpoouB in the mate's
boat, and little Blue Fin, as we called
our cap'n that is now, pulled the bow
oar in the same craft. One morning, 1
just a little after daylight, the lookout j
in the crosstrees raised a school of sperm j
whales. We had a pretty stiff breeze :
the night before and the sea was still i
running high. Wo lowered away, how-;
ever, our three boats—mate's, second 1
mate's and third's."
" 'I'll take that fellow up to wind'ard,'
called our officer, as he pointed to a big
whale that was playing around on the
outside of tho school, as though ho was I
placed there to protect the cows aud
calves that were huddled together in the
middle from any danger.
" 'Look out, Bill,' says tlie mate to mo |
as he stood grasping the steering oar. j
'Look out, man, and don't miss him. !
There's a good hundred barrels there.' |
" 'Ay, ay, sir,' said 1. 'Lay mo on
close enough and I'll drive both "irons"
into him clear to the beckets.'
"There was no danger but what he'd j
do it, for tho fellow didn't know what it
was to be afraid of a whale. 1 warn't
going to take any chances, so I waited j
till the boat almost touched the big j
brute, then I let fly both harpoons, one
after another, and sutig out, 'Stem all.'
When the boys wero backing so as to
give the whale room to play. 1 went aft
to change places with the mate, and he
walked forward to his station in the bow
to kill the iisli with a lance.
"Now this whale was one of those
kind of fellows that takes his medicine
easy at first, but fights like fury before
ho h'ists his red flag. He didn't 'sound,'
bu£ lay and wallowed for n minute or
two, then began to swing 'round so as to
get sight of us.
" 'He's going to give us a tussel,' call-
ed the mate.
" 'Ay, ay, he's a fighter,' says 1.
"Then 1 caught sight of Blue Fiu's
face. All tho other chaps wore glalicing
over their shoulders and beginning to
get a little shaky, but he sat on his
thwart with his hand grasping the oar,
just as quiet and unconcerned as if he
were in a skiff on a mill pond, and not
within half a cable's length of a tnad
bull sperm that threatened to send him
and his shipmates to Davy Jones' locker
at any minute.
*" 'Stand by to jump,' called the mate.
'He's coming for us.'
"Now you know there's no boat quick
enough to get out of the way of a whale
when he makes a rush, so the only tiling
to do is to leavo her. The other men
sprang to their feet, but the boy still sat
there and I began to think ho was para-
lyzed with fright.
' " 'Stand up to jump. Blue Fin.' 1
called. 'And when yon go leap straight
"The lad smiled aud nodded liia head,
and standing up. unshipped his oar from
ue mole pin, new it readv ana c«c
about.
"Then the whale started.
" 'Jump!' yelled the «ate.
"The next instant we were all floun-
dering around iu the water, while the
ball caught the boat in his mouth,
crushed it to pieces and sounded.
"The third mate, who had just killed
one small chap, was not far away, so he
came aud picked us up—all but the
mate; we never saw him afterward. He
must have been fouled in the lines and
gone down.
"We got two out of the Bchool, but all
hands felt sad at the loss of the officer. I
couldn't help telling our Bkipper how cool
Blue Fin was through the whole thing,
and when he shoved the officers ahead
he rated his own boat steerer third mate
and ordered Blue Fin to take charge of
the irons in his craft.
"1 tell you the boy was proud enough,
but lie had nerve and good luck, both of
which are everything to a whaler. This
was destined to be an unfortunate voy-
age for the After Guards. The whales
were plenty in the Ochotsk sea, and
there was hardly a day but what we
were outing in or trying out blubber.
"One afternoon the cap'n lowered
away for a 'right' whale. Our boat was
close alongside, but the skipper sung
out:
" 'Don't you meddle with him, he's
my fish.' So of course we hung back,
only standing by to lend a hand in case
we were ueeded.
"Blue Fin made a pretty dart. Ha
hurled his first iron about six feet aft
the bow hole, and tho other ho planted
in the belly as tho follow rolled. It was
a death blow, but before tho whale be-
gan to spout blood he brought his flukes
around, caught the boat before the boys
could back out of the way and stova
her to pieces. We pulled iu and picked
up the crew. 1 grabbed the 'old man'
just as he was going down, and when I
hauled him up I saw that lie was hurt
badly and was unconscious. Ho was
smashed up in a frightful manner ami
never recovered.
"Next morning at eight bells we
launched the dead body of tho captain
from the starb'd gangway, while the
fish that had killed him was moored
with chains to the port side of the ship.
Poor Blue Fin felt awful bad, and he
kept mourning as the mate read the
burial service, saying:
" 'Oh, if 1 hadn't struck the whale
that last blow. 'Twas tho second iron
that touched his "life," and our cap-
tain's too.'
" 'But, shipmate,' went on the boat
steerer. 'it was to be. and it's the way
of the world. 1 suppose. One man
mounts to a position through the death
of another, just as a new ship is built to
take the place of a craft that has found
a bed on the rocks.'
" 'Yes. there's a great deal of truth in
what you say. Bill. But how was it
that your cap'n's loss rated Blue Fin
skipper?"
" 'He wasn't skipper in every sense of
the word, but 'twas this way: The offi-
cers that were left were the same as you
and 1—good sailors and good whalors-
but they kuow nothing of navigation
Blue Fin, of all our company, was the
only one who could handle a quadrant
or "work up a sight." As 1 said, the
whales were plenty, and wo didn't want
to leavo tho grounds till the ice drove us
out, for we were making money, so we
finished our cruise, and when we reached
Honolulu were lull to tho hatches with
oil and bone.
"There was some talk of shipping
another man to take the vessel home,
but the agent and the American consul
said, 'If that young man knew enough
to bring the craft safely out of the
Ochotsk sea, he knows enough to find
his way to Now Bedford.' They just
engaged another mate 'by tho run' who
was a navigator, and gave the boy
chargo of the ship.
"We made a quick passage around ¡
the Horn, and the owners were so much j
pleased with Blue Fin that they gave |
him command of the Race Horse on tho \
next voyage, and while away on that j
cruise they built him this one here, tho j
Grampus, and that's how the lad be-
came skipper so young. It goes to prove j
the truth of what I said a few moments j
ago, that "It's not always gray haiio.
"which cover the wisest head.' A boy is I
sometimes more fit to command than a |
man who has seen twice or thrice his
number of years."—True Flag.
—-
Sptirlmm Sliawl*.
A good deal of indignation has been !
excited by a discovery recently made by 1
the Calcutta customs of a trade in spu-1
rious Cashmere shawls. It appears that
large quantities of shawls have been im-
ported into India from Germany, with
imitation Cashmere marks on them.
On arrival in Calcutta the shawls are:
treated by some peculiar process and
then sent into the interior and sold
there as real Cashmere productions.
Their actual cost in Calcutta is about
$5, and they fetch when sold about £{•">.
—Exchange.
A Whiter Char in.
A Wilmington man carries in his vest
pocket a piece of skin that was taken
from a man's neck and then tanned. He
—the Wilmington man. not the other
man—claims that the possession of that
piece of tanned skin will keep him fryin
slipping on the ice. The boys in the
neighborhood are watching him now
to see what virtue there is in the odd
charm. The owner of the piece of skin
argues that if its pos;;es*iuii does not pre-
vent him from falling it will, ¡tt least,
not cause him to fall. —Wilmington
Wonderful Cur*.
A. J. Mercer, living near Burden,
Kan., lias some corn which is the rarest
ever grown. The patch was small, but
the corn is a kind that has uever been
seen in this country before.
Last spring Mercer opened a mound
on his farm, and iu it found a lot of
coru, aloug with prehistoric relics, show-
ing that the corn had been put in there
ages ago. It was in a sealed jar, and was
peck ti
away hair of it to his neighbors and
others who heard of it and wauted a few
grains for a curiosity.
When planting time came he thought
it would be a good idea to plant some of
it, and prepared a patch of groufld near
his house and planted about two quarts
of the seed. It came up and thrived
well under th# cultivation given it. The
ears came well. The ears were about
six inches long and the grains were
close together, standing up with sharp
points. The grains are small, being
about one-fourth the size of an ordinary
grain of corn.
Mercer thinks that this must undoubt-
edly be tho original corn of this country
from which the present has sprung
through long and high cultivation.
What is remarkable about it is that the
mound from which it was taken' has
every evidence of being very old, for
trees were growing on it that could not
be less thau 200 year old. The relics
found with the com are similar to those
found in the mounds of Illinois and Ohio,
and this mound must have been co-
existent with those, which are believed
to have been over 1,000 years old. Mer-
cer has sent samples of his corn to
friends iu the east and to the govern-
ment officials at Washington.—Fort
Worth (Tex.) Gazette.
HdKKari* In Cold New York.
The number of beggars in the streets
is appalling. It is impossible for any
one to resist their appeals, for the suf-
ferings which many of these unfortu-
nate go through is apparent from their
wretched condition. Half of tliem are
only partly clad, aud in some instances
the physical sufferings must be intense.
A day or two since a lady of my ac-
quaintance told me of a woman and
child who had taken up a position on
the corner near her house, the woman
turning a small organ in an effort to
attract a few pennies. She was actually
sitting in the snow and she remained
there two hours, until one of the neigh-
A Ciirioua Custom.
There is a curious custom in Massa-
chusetts which dates back to tho time
when Nathaniel P. Bauks was governor
of that state, wheif'by each succeeding
governor has been called upon on tho
recommendation of the executive coun-
cil to pardon on Thanksgiving day two
prisoners undergoing imprisonment for
life. Mr. Banks—his commission as
general originating with our civil war-
was governor of Massachusetts in 18.">7,
tyid since that time, thirty-four years
ago. at each recurring Thanksgiving
day. two prisoners for life, making
sixty-eight in all. have been pardoned.—
Baltimore Sun.
file Etílica of Story Telling.
It deems to us that in good fiction evil
must appear as a foil for good: that it
must bo set over against righteousness
so its to make black black iudeed aud
white purely white. The story teller
need have no express moral hobby to
ride post haste: his tale will be all the
better if told with the puro love of story
telling: but we may bo quite sure that
his taste is unsound if he chooses a
salacious story to tell and gives it the
unction of personal rehearsal. Here, in-
deed, is where we would draw the lino.
Evil can be used by tho artist with clean
hands and to wholesome effect by con-
trasting it .with a healthy, solid protec-
tion of good.
The chief trouble with current realism
is that it does not do this, but chooses to
set hopeless evil and nerveless common-
place side by side without any trium-
phant moral heroism to dominate or neu-
tralize it. Tho ethics of fiction shine in
the character, tho moral nature of tho
story, more than in the ostensible or
even the actual moral purpose of the
author. It is the general effect that tho
work is likely to produce when read by
the aggregate of readers, which must bo
a largo element of the test.—Chautan-
quan. _
A singular suit.
Nino months ago a. popular actress,
tho A'if o of a comic actor named
Pauly, committed suicide, and a
newspaper published an account of
tho private life of tho couple, alleging
that tho unfortunate woman shot
herself in shear despair at tho ill
treatment she had received at her
husband's hands. Copies of the ní-
tido were laid on the grave of Mine.
Pauly and were there found by her
husband. Ho brought an action for
defamation of character against tho
owner of the newHjMijier, but before
the case came op" for trial M. Pauly,
through grief, committed suicide by
shooting himself.
His mother, anxious to clear his
memory from any suspicion of stain,
asked permission to carry on the case
in the place of her deceased son. and
tho editor had to defend himself
against accusations which were prac-
tically raised by a man who had been
dead for several months. lie was
found guilty and sentenced to three
month 'imprisonment. Vienna Cor.
DEMOCRAT* AT (¿UISTASA.
I They Heft, ISetolate and «melse With a Good
| M rone follow lug. quia tana join Hand
With VcUm'o In the I'iicht for llouent
Uoverniiient.
The democrats of Quintara, Texs
| met en masse at Qulntaua Thursday
at 8 o'clock i , m. for the purpose of
organizing a democratic club. L. W.
Waller was chosen temporary chair-
man aud ('. 8. Cleveland temporary
secretary.
Motion was made and carriod that
I the club go into permanent organi/.a-
i tiou.
On motion a committee of three,
¡consisting of L. R. Bryau, W. J.
j Bryan and I)r. K. H. Weisiger, were
i appointed to draft by laws and eon-
j stitution to govern the club.
I On motion a committee of three j
I were appointed to recommend the |
¡ permanent officers ot the club sub-
ject to the approval of the club.
Tho committee recommended for
permanent officers the following
named gentlemen: for president, W.
W. Stinnett, for vice-president, L. W.
Waller, for secretary, C. S. Cleveland.
Oil motion the above named gentle-
men were declared duly elected.
Motion made aud carried that all
democrats of precinct number 0 be
allowed membership of the club upon
signing the roll.
On motion a committee of four com-
posed of L. W. Waller, C. N. Hill, J.
H. Weems ami E. F. Campbell were
appointed to draft resolutions of in-
dorsement for governor, same to be
submitted to the club at their next
regular meetiug.
On motion a committee of three,
composed of 8. M. Jack, J. H. Weems
and W. J.Tackaberry were appointed
to invite speakers to address the club
at the next regular meetiug.
Motion made aud carried that L. W.
Waller be added to the committee on
by-laws and constitution.
Motion made and carried that the
democrats of Velasco be especially
invited to become members of the
club.
On motion made and carried that
J. L. Bates of Brazoria and E. 10.
Bryan of Ghidings be elected honor-
ary members of the club.
Oil motion the club adjourned to
meet at Mr. Rugeloy's store next Sat-
urday, March 10,1802, at 7:80 p. m.
C. S. Cleveland, L. W. Wa IiLKH
Secretary. President
Notice til' ANHlviuiifiit.
The public will tako notice that on
March 8, 1802, Eli Gordon and Morris
Harrison, composing the firm of Eli
Gordon ¿í Co., of Velasco, Texas, ex-
ecuted their deed of assignment to me
as assignee for the benefit of accept-
ing creditors. W. M. Holland.
Strawberry Kin! hill.
The strawberry festival given by
the Ladies' Aid Society of the Central
Christian Church Friday night was
indeed a grand success, socially and
financially. The ball was brilliantly
lighted and comfortably warmed for
tho occasion. Six tables were most
beautifully decorated with luscious
strawberries, delicious ambrosia, most
excellent cakes and fine sweet oranges,
which wero enjoyed with a relish that
would warrant us iu giving the load
on each table more extravagant praise
were we capable of so doing—to say
nothing of those two freezers of par
excellent lee cream so unexpectedly
brought in, and which was so veiy
good that it took a very little while to
dispose of it, leaving many loudly
calling for more, even though freezing
cold out doors. Tho plain> was pre-
sided over by Mrs. Tibbetts, .Mrs.
Langford, Miss Wallace and Miss
Campbell. Mrs Langford rendered
some soul (and foot) stirring music on
the violin, accompanied by Miss Wal-
lace on tho piano. Miss Campbell sang
several most excellent songs, to tho
enjoyment of all present. Messrs.
Cal vert Brothers sang some old-time
melodies that took tin back to our
boyhood days, and " When Springtime
Comes, Gentle Annie." Wre could not
say less, and be truthful, than that
the ladies — God bless them!—nil
looked simply lovely ami vied with
j each other in making us old money
loving sinners have a grand good
| time, and "fumble" in our pockets till
they gol. our last nickel for their deli-
cious repasts. We nearly forgot that
, pot of aromatic coffee, with cake ac-
I coinpaniment. It could only be ap-
preciated by being enjoyed. Wo hope
these entertainments will be encour-
aged, as they cultivate a social feature
which our city greatly needs.
qultilmifi Contention.
A mass meeting of the citizens of
Quintana will be held Thursday night
instead of Wednesday for the purpose
of nominating a full city ticket, every
citizen of Quintana should attend.
Uoail Cuten.
A great deal of "street talk," has
been goicg en in regard to working
the road oi rather not working the
road, as U eeems most of them did
not go to the road working and now
refuse to pay the $5.00 which was the
amount assessed, In consequence of
which fivegentlenlen of this city have
been prosecuted—as test cases—and
their trial will take place to-day at
Quintana in Justice Jack's court.
Something over two huudred have
failed to comply with the law—if it
was lawful In this case—aud all of
them are subject to prosecution if
these test cases are convicted. The
Timbs is in favor of obeying the law
to the letter, but if repor:s are correct
Tiik Timks is under the impressiou
that they will all come clear aud that
the entire proceedings are illegal for
the following reasons:
First, that no petition has ever been
presented to the commissioners' court
asking for the road, and if Tub Timks
Is correct the petition was sent from
old Velasco and Quintana.
Second, after the jury of views
was appoiuted by the commissioners'
court the law requiros that they pub-
lish the route that the road is to take
or the field notes of same for twenty
days in a newspaper published In the
county.
Third, the Jury of views did not
agree. Some of them favored what
Is known as the lower route and some
the upper route.
Fourth, The property owners along
the proposed road have never all
agreed to give a right of way through
their property.
Tiik Timks does not kuow that
these are facts in tho case, but if The
Timks has been correctly informed
they are, and if they are not The
Timks thinks that It was a very short
sighted move to summons tho entire
malo population of Velasco, several
hundred iu number, to all go at the
same time and work the road for five
days in succession, because no busi-
ness man could aflbrd to leave his
business for five days at one time, and
no poor man or working man could
afibrd to pay that mbch at once or, to
lose his position by leaving for five
days at '.vice. If they had been sum-
moned York, say for two days, a
great m ■ > / more would have went
out and worked w hot her legal or not
and most all of them who «lid not
work would have paid the two dollars.
As it Is over two hundred have re-
llised to pay tho five dollars and some
few have left town on the strength of
it and a good many are anxiously
awaiting tho result of to-day's trial.
As above stated The Times is in
favor of enforcing the law to tho let-
ter but this five dollars or flvo days
road business, is too long for a work-
ing man to stand at ono time those
hard times.
Never wait 0|i|ioki>iI to "Tlmt Ki'noIiiIIoii."
Brazoria. Texas, March 17, 1801.
Kiiitor ok tiik Times,—
Please give space to these few lines
In your dally paper.
I see by your issuo of the dally
Times of March 17th, that I am quot-
ed as once being opposed to a resolu-
tion passed by tho Democratic Club of
Velasco—to this effect, "We pledge
ourselves to support tho nominees
from president to constable." I was
never at any time opposed to above
\ resolution. The resolution is proper
! and correct in all organized democratic
1 bodies, but, let me say to you right
j here than I am opposed to a straight
| democratic ticket (iu county aflairs)
! being placed in the Held by the party.
i am ready at any time to express my
i views to any public gathering or dem-
ocratic club, or meet in public debate
any democrat that favors a straight
! ticket In this county, though I am a
j strict party democrat, If the democ-
{ racy deem it best that a straight ticket
I be placed in the field and so decree it,
j I will bow to their will, and will
¡ work zealously in the cause, but sir,
if my views are over ridden, and
! there should be placed In the field a
I straight democratic ticket, I want the
nominees of that ticket to have au un-
stained record, not men who have a
1 record of being bolters from tho
democratic party and whenever an
I opportunity exists conlve with kicked
out radicals to defeat the will of pure
democrats. Respectfully
Wharton Bates.
Do you lis Envelopes.
'I'llk Times iob office has just re-
ceived a fine assortment of
IOO.OOO Enelopes
! of the very best quality, and will sell
them at a very low rate. Call and
eaxmlne them.
j
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The Velasco Times (Velasco, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 28, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 24, 1892, newspaper, March 24, 1892; Velasco, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth185313/m1/3/: accessed May 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .