The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 10, 1904, Page 8

THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. 3 THE TUE HEO LEFT lIE P ALONE ¥ S mc)r?g 70 - THE Blg DLUE INCOMING POLLERS The stary of how the boarding house crimps of Nan Francisco at- tempted. - ite revenge themselves: .upon the pious -captain of the Hawaiian bark ~Aloha, who had refused to pay blood money — The) cathered® - fogether - a crew of notorious West Coast; ruffians and palm- ed them aff on the unsus- pecting skipper as Chris- tian sailors—Anticipat- ing a fight aboard as soon as the ship 1¢ft port, the boarding masters watch_her depart from the Cliff House, expeet- ing toseeher put backin distress—But - the “ship sails on'Jand is gone a vear—Upon her return seafaring San Francis- cans are-astounded to find the original ruffian crew aboard. very meek and subdued. £ - a O be familiar with maritime af- fairs on the Pacific Coast means that vou have heard of the Ha- waiian bark Aloha. The Aloha has had many commanders, but it is not worth while to burden-your memory with any of their names ex- cept that of Captain Eric Larsen. who, I believe, sailed her until annexation brought her under American colors Captain Larsen’s name will be handed When & master mariner has a tion it means that he inarily good seaman and nose for fair winds, or that ings aboard ship not pleas- E eas, shore-abiding people to contemptate. down tc fame for many years to is either a prer ntempt. A religious master r is never respected, more espe- f he elongs to the Salvation as did the good and pious Lar- When the Aloha lay loading or dis- n Honolulu Captain Larsen is evenings ashore at Salvation h uarter: nd he even § the red-shirted soldiers of Christ heir street corner demonstrations. seafaring population of Hon- olu Wi often behold the Aloha’s skipper, his bare head and broad shoul- z above his fellow Salva- popular disgust he would p forward to deliver his h{ at first, later ically, exhorting zed seam aved. He invariably Be- Dea belofed bredern and ship- mates is almost impossible to ex- press ¢ « salvation. I haf never =0 happy as since I found Jesus. I vas a bad man, far from de drink v righteousness. Vunce I and use bad lanvidge, and »d to my ord, I have vas n lors, but tank d 1 dc now, found salvation, 't be so vicked any more.” Naturally, such sentiments could not be well received by West Coast skip- pers. That a sailorman should declare whisky and swearing to their nothing short of treach- to the brotherhood of seamen. wicked was, minds, ery In San Francisco Captain Larsen's piousness proved equally objection- able. He always insisted that the boarding masters send him Christian, God-fearing seamen who never swore, and would not object to prayer meet- ings in the dog watches. Such men were naturally scarce, but so long as the Aloha's owners stood good for the large shipping fees, they tried to hu- mor the eccentric Norwegian skipper. Those were the days of blood money. But one day there came a change of management in the office of the Aloha’s owners, .and, among other things in- volved, Captain Larsen must hence- Captain Larsen’s reputation was an forth manage the financial part of ship- exception; it was not especially due PINg his crews himself. That was. the to either of these causes. His fame cause of the trouble. The religious was gained by his power to convert the Scruples of Captain Larsen.and blood wicked of heart to the true course of Money fees wouldn't mix in the same righteousness pot Previous to Captain Larsen's advent In those days the boarding masters on the Pacific Coast as mate of ¢ IBrg‘fl’ Frisco stuck together as thick as Pritish four-master the Aloha had thieves, and the shipping commission- been commanded by a bold, hard- ers stood in with them.- All this was handed Irishman, who divided his for mutual benefit. Any skipper that time at sea between drinking whisky refused to put up their price brought and comn 1g assault and battery on Upon himself their united displeasure, his sailors. This latter pastime of his and that was something no sane skip- made life miserable to the Marine Hos- pital officials in San Francisco and Honolulu whenever the Aloha put Mto those ports. That sort of thing went a good ways those days, when mari- time laws were vague and seldom en- forced, but finally the Aloha became too notorious even for those parts and the owners obliged by public opinion to remove Kanaka Hogan from his command. From one extreme they were went to another. To take his place they engaged the meek and gentle Larsen On the first trip he broke the Aloha's previous records between ’Frisco and Melbourne, and that placed him in high favor with the owners. But by his brother commanders of other ships Captain Larsen was regarded with su- per ever cared to do. Then it was usually to a skipper's advantage in a financial way to stand in with the boarding masters; it was another case of mutual benefit. But Captain Larsen- conceived the idea that biood money did not chime in with the moral scheme of things, #0 he pave voice to that opinion just about as he voiced his testimonies on the street corners of Honolulu. He met Seattle Mike and Al Black, president and shipping master of -the Boarding Masters' Association, in their \ office partitioned off in the Fair Winds saloon. “Two months’ advance for each man,” demanded Seattle Mike. “Just $40—twenty for us and twenty to square up the men’s accounts. You've got to en to mend thejr *” pony upn same’s the rest of ‘'em.” “You bet,” added Al Black, drinking his beer with a dark frown, “we doesn’t stand no foolin’.” Captain Larsen’s mild blue eyes wan- dered wearily about the dingy office. “Twenty dollars shipping fee is too much,” he protested meekly. am will- ing to gif the men a month’s advance, but I von't gif you more dan $2 apiece Dat is choost vat de as shipping fee. law allow: “Two dollars!” snorted Al Black sav- agely. “We say $20, and we mean it. If you don’t come up with that price, you get no men.” But they came to no agreement. The Aloha’s skipper returned aboard with a war against the Boarding Masters’ As- sociation on his hands. Next day he opened negotiations with Chinese Charley for a crew of Ka- nakas and Chinamen. The United Boarding Masters smiled—that meant trouble for Captain Larsen “with the union. For a while they decided to let it go at that, but Seattle Mike con- ceived a plan whereby they might have even a more complete revenge. This he at once communicated to his assoclates and they grinned more broadly than ever. It was a game they had played before, and always successfully. Per- haps you have heard of the mutiny of the Harvester. Next day they sent a note to Captain Larsen stating that they acceded to his terms—a month’s advance . for each man. send you,” added the note. “We'll give him Three-Fingered Jack for bos'n,” chuckled Seattle Mike sig- nificantly, and the idea sent the beer down Al Black’s wrong throat. “An’ Lager Beer Pete,” suggested Al Black, when he recovered. “He gets out of choky to-morrow; an’ we'll give him six chaps off the Sioux Queen, an’ Bill Simmens and Big Steve.” ‘Whereupon the two plotters chuckled “And a nice Christian crew we'll immoderately ,over {heir’ beer and nudged each othet in joyful ‘anticipa- tion of what a-shere person would con- sider a ghastly joke.. : Next day the new crew of the:Aloha ent aboard — sixfeen notorious. ruf- flans. Trig Olafsen, ‘the A!uh‘n's‘ chief mate, received them at the gangway. Olafsen had been on the coast a long time, and he knew. most of the men. Perhaps he even 'then realized the game that was being plaved on his commander, but if he did, his stolid, high cheekboned face ‘betrayed no in- dication of the discovery. That afternoon the Aloha was towed out to sea. ' On_.the glass - covered veranda of the Cliff House, overlook- ing Seal Rotk and “the Golden Gate, sat two men, sipping brandy and soda. Taking (urns through a brass binocu- lar, thel were watching'the Aloha set sa ¢ w hey'll never get beyond the Farallones,” remarked ‘Seattle Mike, as the big topsails of the Aloha were being sheeted home. The tug had left her, and alone she ducked to the big blue incomlng rollers. One by one her white sails were loosed and bellied out to the northwesterly breeze, driving her through the water at increasing speed. All -the square sails were set; then, one by one, arose the topsails. The two boarding masters watched them with keen interest. “Why t'ell don’t those fellers begin the fun?” growled Al Black, irritably. His companjon took the binocular. “They’re at {t!” exclaimed Seattle Mide suddenly. “The ball is openin’ up!” S 4 Aboard the Aloha strange things were happening.” Her foreyards, braced up on the starboard tack, swung loose, swaying until the wind had them aback. Through the binocular Seattle Mike made out figures on deck in.vio- lent commotion. The poop was cledr, but amidships some great event was taking place. A confused mass of men were surging about the deck, but dis- tance made it impossible to distinguish just what was taking place. Suddenly the leee clew of themainsail, which had been raised to the yard, came down on the run, and hid the scene of trouble from view. #“Now, he’s getting it,” chuckled Se- attle Mike. Al Black seized the glass gleefully. “They'll be raising police signals presently,” he remarked. “Yes, or squaring in for shore,” prophesied Mike. But none of these things happened. To the amazement of the two board- ing masters, the foreyards of the bark were suddenly braced up again and she ploughed on to the southward, sending out long foam whiskers from her cutwater. Smaller and smaller she dwindled, until she was hull down on the horizon, beyond the Farallones. Then Al Black and his companion arose and returned cityward, much perplex- ed and not well pleased. P The Aloha was gone for almost a year. The usual reports of her safe arrival at Melbourne and Port Ade- laide were cabled by the underwriters, but beyond that no news came to 'Frisco of Captain Larsen and his crew for a long time. One day the Hawaiian mail steamer came in, and the passengers aboard told that the Aloha had reached Hono- lulu. But more astonishing was the report that she still retained the same crew shipped in 'Frisco: By this time the game put up on Captain Larsen was common knowledge among sea- faring men all over tpe coast. But the laugh seemed to be turning on the Al Black gang. Then one day the signal station at Fort Point reported the Algha standing in for the Gate. The custom-house of- ficers started out to meet her in their launch, impatiently anxious to learn the state of affairs aboard. They, too, were on to the game. They boarded the Aloha a few miles off shore. Captain Larsen received them at the gangway with his habit- ual Christian smile and mild blue eyes. But when the inspectors be- held Three Fingered Jack, Lager Beer Pete, Big Steve and their equally no- torious shipmates briskly pulling in brages, ye-ho-ing and clewing up sails in as orderly and shipshape a man- ner as ever obtained aboard a man-o0'- war, they swore aloud in their amaze- ment. Finally one of the inspectors got Three Fingered Jack aside for a moment. “I say, Jack, what happened?” he asked. “Didn't you everlastingly bombast him?" “You're a child of wrath,” retorted Jack, indignantly. “We've learned the ways of the meek and lowly, thanks to our noble caotain.” “Oh, come off!”” exclaimed the reve- nue man, impatiently. “Don’t come any of that guff on me.’ What hap- pened ?” “Go soak yer head,” responded Jack, with a return of his old-time manner. “Ye want to know more than what's good for ye.” And that was all the information that was forthcoming. Big Trig Olaf- son smiled significantly as the board- ing house runners boarded in the bay, and the crew refused to have anything to do with them. The Alolgn dropped anchor off Mission Flat, and with sea- manlike promptness the men furled sails and cleared up decks. “The Lord loveth those who are in- dustrious,” said the skipper, with pious meekness, to the harbor officials about him on the poop. That evening Seattle Mike and Al Black sat impatiently smoking big, black cigars in the latter’s establish- ment on Pacific street. They were waiting for the appearance of the In a recent article about the brilllant career of Albert Son- nichsen, the young author of this serfes of deep-sea tales, there oc- curred the sentence, “Pufing away at one of the big cigars that his Filipino wife taught him to love.” That was a grievous and to Mr. Sonnichsen a very annoy- ing typographical error, and one which The Sunday Call, for the young man’s peace of mind, takes pleasure in correcting. It should have 'read, “His Filipino life |*taught him “to love,” etc. Mr. Sonmichsen is not even married, | much less being the husband of a Filipjino, woman. 2 : “Aloha’s crew. The mystery must be “solved. | At about 10 they showed up—the entire sixteen—all more or less drunk, ‘and with Three Fingered Jack in the lead. ,The two, boarding masters re- ceived them with sinister smiles of welcome, barely concealing the im- patience 'and anger within them. They were of course, too tactful to broach the main guestion at once. All' hands crowded about the long table and Al ack’s bartender was Kkept busy serving, first beer, but later whisky ‘and: rum. ;The men were hilarious, noisy, apparently in excel- lent humor, but not aj,word referring to their late voyage came out. The two masters waxed more and more impatient, especially as the drinks were as yet not being paid for. Much against their wills they had been obliged to” ‘drink with ™ the crowd. Finally Al Black could no longer con- tain hirgself. ~He detérmined to de- mand an'éxplanatign: " “Boys,” he said, rising and hitting the table with a muy, “T think it's up to you te tell us’ ¥halithé devil al this medns. ~Did y8u fellers, flunk out there 2! s Therd came 4 :pagse—4ll hands turned ‘toward Three F‘inger:yl Jack. He arose, shoving away his drink. “Well, as ye ask an explanatio he said, “I might as well tell ye w come up here to have a few words with you.” “That's what—you Det,” several of the others. p “Yes,”: continued . Ja¢k, “‘we have come: up here to’ maké youf see the sinfulness of “yer- ways: < We've come to offer’ye the- salvation we got through you. Ye once shipped us on a craft wot ye said would be a home for us.. Ye told us'the skipper was a kind; ‘fatherly el’ man" wot would look well“arter ‘our -weifare. He did, He looked ‘arter us.all 'right.” Here- Jack pushed .back the long hair ffom over his forehead, revealing a long white scar. ” “Buf’ ye' siiined .against that same kind; fatherly ol” skipper, Al,” he con- tinued, “an’ we want ye to repent. It was™a sin, Al, to work off a lot of wicked, worldly men ‘like us on that kind o’ man. ~ But, thank the Lord, he showed us the sinfulness of our way, just as we're goin’ to show you.” “What, damned rot is this?” broke in Al Black, purple with rage. “What t'ell d’ye mean, ye drunken swabs?” “Hear the child of wrath,” said Jack, piously. “Boys, the time for the Lord's vengeance has come.” The bos'n kicked back his chair, and as though this were a signal all hands sprang up, and in a moment the room was in a savage turmoil, in the center of which were Seattle Mike and Al Black. Both of tlLe crimps drew re- volvers, but their weapons were hurled 4§ across the room before they could use them. Down the two went under the feet of the mob, fighting fiercely. The bartender and two runners attempted to help them, but the first went down with a split scalp and the other two were trampled insensible in a second. Next the infuriated sailors dragged the two boarding masters into the kitchen, where {hey ducked their heads into the dishwasher's tub, full to the brim. Dishes, pots, pans and even the lamps were piled on top of them and scattered ove: the floor. Shattering glass and trampling feet raised a most unearthly o= Ducked into insensibility, the two boarding masters were then dragged into the barroom. which was wrecked in a similar manner. There would certainly have been murder done had not a squad of police burst in the front door just then and charged the drink- crazed saiflors. Most of them were rounded up after a desperate fight and hauled off to the police station, but not until a squad of reserves had re- enforced the original patrol. Al Black, Seattle Mike and the bartender were taken to the hospital. Next day Captain Larsen appeared at the police station and paid the fines. “It griefs me,” he said, as the men followed him meekly out into the street, “to find you in dis condition. You haf given away to sinful wrath again. Vat did you do to dem?” “They’'re in the hospital,” replied Jack, with a sickly smile. “Vell,” continued the skipper, “in dot case, 1 cee de hand of de Lord, who smiteth in His agger. ‘Vengeance is mine.” saith the Lord. You hav been His instruments of vengeance, and so shall be forgifen. “Say, boys, dis afternoon I ship again for de next voyage. You vant to sign on again,” “Aye, aye, sir,” they all responded. broke in (Copyright, 1904, by Albert Sonniche sen.)