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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 9, 1899)
THIS OMAHA DATTjV HEE : FTttDAY , JUNE U , 3 81)0. ) I THE flRE AND THE fARM. | | By CUTLIFFE HYNE , I ( Copyright , ISM , by Cutc'.lffe Ilyno. ) The quartermaster knocked smartly nnd came Into the chart bouso and Captain Kettle's ejes snapped open from deep sleep to complete wakcfulncs. "There's some sort of vessel on flro , sir , to loo'nrd , about flve miles oft. " The shipmaster glanced up at ( ho tell- tnlo compass above his head. "Officer of the watch has changed the course I see. We're heading for It , ch ? " "Yes , sir. The second mate told mo to Bay so. " "Quito right. Pass the -word for the car- renter and tell him to cot port and star board lifeboats ready for lowering In caao ' ' the brldzo In a they're wanted. I'll be on minute. " "Aye , aye , sir , " said the quartermaster nnd withdrew Into the darkness outside. Kettle soon cmerccd attired In hlch rub- her thigh boots and leatherbound black cli cking. The night was black and thick with a drizzle of rain and a heavy breeze snored through the flamingo's scanty rigging. The nrst mate and the third had already turned out and wcro on the boatsklds helping the carpenter. On that part of itho horizon nKalnstwhich the Flamingo's bows sawed with great flwooplns dives was a atroaky , flickering yellow slow. Kettle "went on to nn end of the bridge nnd peered ahead through the bridge binoc ulars. "A steamer,1' ' ho commented , "and a tolg one , too , and nho's finely ablaze. Not much help wo shall bo able to give. It will bo a case of taking off the crew , If they aren't already cooked before wo got there. " Ho looked over the side at the eddy of water that clung to the ship's llank. 'I sco you'ro shoving her along , " ho nald to the second mate. "I sent -word down to the engine room to Klvo her all ithcy know the moment wo raised the slow. I thought you wouldn't grudge the coal , sir. " "No ; quite right. Hope there nron't too many of Ithom to bo picked off or wo shall make a tight fit on board here. " "Funny wo should bo carrying the blg- Kcst cargo the boat over had packed Into her They won't mind much where they Etow as long1 as they're picked up out of the wet. Bcr-rhl" shivered the second mate ; "I shouldn't much fancy open-boat cruising In Hho western ocean this weather. " Captain Keltic stared on through the shiny brass binoculars. "Call all hands , " he said , quietly. "That's a big ship ahead of us. God send she's only on old tramp. At those lifeboats , there ! " ho shouted. "Swing the davits , outboard , and pass your paln'nrs forward. Hump yourselves , now. " "Thoro'fl a lot of Ice hero , sir , " came a grumbling volco out of the darknesa , "and the boats are frozen on to the chocks. We've got to hammer It away before they'll hoist " "You call yourself ft mate and hold a master's .ticket , n d want to get a ship of your o\vn" Kettle vaulted over the rail onto the top of the flddley , nnd made for his second In command "Hero , my man , It your delicate fingers can't do this bit of a Job , give mo that marllissplko. Dy James ! Do you hear mo ? Olvo up the ninrllnsplke. Did you never sco a boat Iced up before ? Now then , carpenter. Are you worth your salt ? Or am I to clear both ends In this boat myself ? " So , toy example and tongue. Captain Ket tle got his boat8 swung outboard , and the Flamingo , with her engines working at an unusual strain , surged rapidly nearer and nearer to the bla/o. Wind , cold and breakdowns of ma chinery the salver accepts with dull In difference ; shipwrecks , strandlngs and disease ho looks forward to as part of on Inevitable fate , but flro goes nearer to cowing him than all other dlsaeters put to gether , and arouses In him the warmest sympathy nnd the full of his resources. But meanwhile , as the Flamingo made hen way up-wlnd against the changing seas , the llttlo shipmaster a fear was beginning to grip master that was deep enough to cause him n nhvslcnl nausea. The burning steamer was on flro forward , and she lay almost I head-on toward them , keeping her stern to could have no wind the seas , so that the help In driving the flames aft. As her slzo became moro apparent , some ono guessed from New Orleans her as A big cargo tramp leans , with cotton that had over heated and flrod , and Kettle took comfort from the sug gestion and tried to bellevo that It might como true. But as they closed with /her / , and came within eaishot of her syren , wtilch wns sending frightened , useless blares across the churning waters , there wns no being blind to the tmo facts any longer. This wns no cargo boat , but n passenger liner , outward bound , too. nnd populous. And as they came still nearer they saw her after decks black and wriggling with people , nnd Kettle structure and recognized got n glimpse of her nized the vessel herself. "The Grosser Carl , " ho muttered , "out of Hamburg for Now York. Next to first class , nnd she cuts rates for third and gets the bulk of the German emigrant traffic. She'll have 600 on her this minute , and 100 of a crow. And there's hell waiting for them over yonder , nnd getting worse every min ute. O , great James , I wonder what's going to be dono. I couldn't pack seventy of them on the old Flam hero If I filled her to busting. " Ho clapped the binoculars to his eyes again , and Blared diligently round the rim of the night. If only ho could catch n glimpse of some other liner hurrying along her route , then thcso pcoplo could bo saved easily. Ho could drop his boats to take them till the ether passenger ship came up. But the Flamingo and the Grosser Carl Irnd the stttRo severely to themselves , nnd be tween them they had the mnklug of an In tolerable weight of destiny. The second mate broke In upon his com mander's brooding : "Shall I bo getting der ricks rlsgod and the hatch covers off ? " Kettle turned on him with a sudden fierce ness. "Do you know you'ro asking mo to ri'ln myself ? " "But If wo Jettison cargo to make room for these poor beggars , sir , the Insurance will pay. " "You'vo got a lot to learn , ray lad , before you're fit to take charge of a ship If you don't know any moro than that about the irsponslblllty for cargo , " "By Jove , that's awkward. Birds would look pretty blue If the bill was handed In to them. " "Birds ! " said Kettle , with contempt. "They aren't liable for sixpence. Supposing you were traveling by train , and there was somebody cUo's portmanteau In the car riage , nnd you flung It out of the window Into a rlvor , who do you suppose would have to stand the racket ? " "Wiy , mo. But then , elr , this la differ ent. " "Not e bit , If wo start In to Jettison cargo U means I'm a ruined man. " "Wo can't leave 'these ' poor devils , " eatd the second mate awkwardly. " 0 , no , of course wo can't. They're on unclean pack ; wo should think ourselves too good to brush apalntt them If wo met them In the street , but sentiment demands that wo stay and pull them out ot their meea , and cold necessity Iravoa mo to foot the bill. You'ro young and not married , my lad , I'm , neither , I've worked llko a horeo all my life , mostly with bad luck , aud only lately luck's turned a bit. " "Perhaps somebody else will pay for the cargo > we tavo to put over the side , sir" "It's pretty thin comfort when you've got a "perhaps * of that slzo , and no mortal other slop between you and the workhouse. It's all very well doing thcso things In hot blood , but the reckoning's paid when you're cold , and they're cold , and with the board of trade otandlng by llko the devil In the back ground all ready to glvo you a kick when thtro's a spare place for a fresh foot. " Ho slammed down the handle of the bridge telegraph - graph and rang off the Flamingo's engines. Ho had been measuring distances all this tlmo with his eye. "But , of counsc , there's the blessed cause of humanity to bo looked after humanity to these blessed emigrants that their own country doesn't want , and every other country would rather bo with out. Humanity to my poor old missis and the kids doesn't count. I slift 11 get a sludgy paragraph In the papers for the Grosser Carl , headed 'Gallant Rescue , ' with all the facts put upside down , and twelve months fater there'll bo another paragraph about n 'coso of pitiful destitution. ' 'Birds sco mo through1 Birds sent mo to work up a connection In the Mexican gulf , and I'vo done It , after four years' service. I Jettison the customers' cargo. Customers will get mad and glvo their business to other lines which don't run foul of blazing emigrant packets. " "I'm awfully sorry , skipper. If there's anything 1 can do , sir " Captain Kettle sighed and looked drearily out nt the blazing ship. But ho felt that ho had been showing weakness and pulled himself together again smartly. "Yes. there la , my lad. I'm a disappointed man and I'vo been talking a lot moro than s dignified. You'll do mo a real kindness If you'll forget all that's been said. Away with you on to the main deck and get hatches off , and whip the top tier of that cargo over the sldo as fast as you can make the winches travel. If the old Flamingo Is going to servo out frco hospitality , by James , she shall do It full weight. I'd give the beggars champagne and spring mattresses If I'd got 'em. " Meanwhile those on the German emigrant steamer had seen the coming of the shabby llttlo English trader with bumping hearts. Till then the crew had fought the fire with diligence , but when the nearness of a potential rescuer was reported they dis covered ithat the flrowas beyond control and made at once for the boats , overpower ing passengers and officers who happened to como between them and their desires A-way screamed out the davit tackles , as the boats were lowered full of madly frlght- cnpd deckhands and grimy handlers of coal Panic had sapped every trace of their man hood. They had concern only for their own skins. Ono boat , chiefly manned by the coal Interest , swamped alongside be fore It could be shoved clear ; the forward davit fall of another Jammed and let It dangle vertically up and down when the after fall overhauled and only ono boat getaway away clear. The reception which this small cargo of worthies mot with surprised them. They pulled with terrified haste to the Flamingo , got under her leo and clung desperately to the line -which was thrown to them. Butte to the rail above them came > the man who expected to 'bo ' ruined by this night's work. Captain Kettle , being human , had greatly needed some ono during the last half-hour to case bin feelings on and the boat came neatly to supply his want. It was long enough slnco ho had found occasion for such an outburst. Every biting Insult In his vocabulary , every lashing word that Is used upon the seas , every gibe , national , personal or professional , rthat a lifetime of hard language could teach , ho poured out on that shivering boat's crew then. Ho had , of course , many ti time sailed with a forecastle filled with Germans and had ac quired the special art of adapting his abuse to the "Dutchman's" sensibilities. And , as a wind-up , after having made them writhe sufficiently , he ordered them to go back whence they came and toke a share In rescuing their fellows. "But wo ehall drown ! " shouted back one speaker , from the wildly Jumping boat. "Them drown nnd bo hanged to you , " shouted Kcttfe. "I'm not going > to have cowards llko you dirtying my dock planks. " Ho cost off the line to which their boat rode. "You go and do your whack at getting the people off that packet or none of you shall over sec your happy Dutchland again. " Meanwhile , so the Irony of the fate * or dered It , the two mates , each In charge of ono of the Flamingo's lifeboats , were com manding crews made up entirely of Ger mans and Scandinavians , arid pluckier and moro careful sallormon could not havu boon wished for. A heavy sea ran , and from Its crests a spindrift blow , which cut the foco llko whips , and numbed with Its chiU. The boat wore tossed about llko playthings and required constant baling. But Kettle had brought the Flamingo to windward of the Grosser Carl and each boat carried a line so that the steam winches could help her with the return trips. Getting a cargo was , however , the chief difficulty. All vestige of order was swamped In unutterable panic. If a boat had been brought alongside they would hove tumbled Into her Hko sheep till their numbers Bwampcd her. They cursed the flames , cursed the ECO , cursed their bi others and Bisters who Jostled them. They were the sweepings from half-fed middle Europe , born with raw nerves , and under the sudden stress of danger and In the abswico of some strong man to thrust discipline on them they be- icamo practically maulacs. Now , the Flamingo's boats were offlcored by two cool , profane mates , * vho had no nencs themselves anil dla not see the use ot i.tieE In ether people. Neither of them spolto German , but presuming that sirus of these who listened would undcMtan.l Eng lish , they made proclamation In tholr own toticuc to the effpot that the worjoa were to b.i tiiVen off first. "And If any of you rats of men tliovo your way down hern. " said the chief mate , "be fore all the skirls Is ferried acioss , you'll Juat get knocked on the head , that's all. Now , then , got oino bow lines and away out the ladles. " As well might the order have been od- dressed to a Hock of sheep. Then each poor soul there stretcficd out his arms or hers and clamored to be saved and never mind the rest. And meanwhile the flames bit deeper Into the fabric of the steamer , and the breath of them grew moro searching. "You ruddy Dutchmen , " shouted the second end mate , "It would servo you blooming well right If you were left to be frizzled. However , we'll BCO If kindness can't tame jou a bit yet. " He waited till the ewlrl of a sea swung his boat under ono of tlie dangling dsvlt falls , caught It and climbed nimbly on board. Then ho proceeded to clear a space by crashing his ( let Into every face within reach. "Now , then , " ho shouted , "If there are any sailor-men here worth tUfr salt let them como and lielp. Am I to break up the whole of this ship's company by myself ? " Gradually by ones and twocs the Grosser Carl'b remaining ofllceru and deck bands came shamefacedly toward this new nucleus of authority and order , and then the real work began. Llko cattle the emigrants were 'herded and handled and their women and > oung cut out from the gcneial mob. These last were got Into the swaying , dancing boats as tenderly as might be , and the men wore bidden to wait their turn. When they grow restive , as the searching flro drew near , they were beaten savagely. Meanwhile the two lifeboats took one risky Journey after another , being drawn up to their own ship by a chattering winch , and ( lien laboring back under oars for another , The light of the burning steamer turned a great sphere of night Intn day and the heat from her made the * we t pour down the faces of the men , though the gale still roared and the Icy spindrift stilt wlilnpod and stung , On the Flamingo CopUIn KctUe cost Into the sea with a free hand what rep resented the savings of a lifetime , provision for his wife and children and an old-ago pension for hlmrclf. The Grosser Carl had carried thirty first- class passengers , and these he crammed Into -the - Flamingo's slender cabin , filling It to overflowing. The emigrants Aus- trlans , Bohemians , wild Poles , filthy , crawlIng - Ing Ilusslan Jews , bestial Armenians , hu man debris 'which ' even soldier-coveting middle Europe rejected thcso were herded down Into the holds , as rich cargo was dug out and given to the thankless sea to make space for them. "Kindly walk up , " said Kettle , with bitter hospitality as fresh flocks of them were heaved up over the bulwarks "We're most pleased to strike our cargo to pro vide you with an elegant parlor , and what's left. I'm sure * you'll bo able to sit on and spoil. O , you filthy , long-haired cattle ! Did none of you e\cr wash ? " Fiercely the Grosser Carl burned to the fanning of the gale , and llko furies worked the men In the boats. The Grosser Carl's own boat Joined the other two. once the ferrying was well under way. It had hung alongside after Kettle had cast off Its line. with Its people madly clamoring to be taken on board , but as all they received for their pains was abuse and coal lumps , they were proson'tly ' driven to help , ln the saving work through sheer scare at being left behind to 'drown. Tbo Flamingo's chief mate oversaw the dangerous ferrying , and , though e\ery soul that -was trans-shipped might bo said to have had ten narrow escapes In transit over that piece of tossing water , luck and good seamanship carried the day , and none were lost. And on the Grosser Carl the second mate , a stronger man , brazenly took entire command. "I don't care a rod what > our official post was on the ship before I came , " said the second mate to several In dignant officers. "You should ha\o hold on to It when you had It. I'm skipper hero now by sheer right of conquest , and I'm going to stay on at that until the blooming old ship's burned out. Turn to there 'and pass another batch of these passengers into the boats. Don't jou spill any of them overboard , either , or , by the Big Mischief , I'll Just step down and teach jou handl- ness. " The second mate was almost fainting with the heat before ho left the Grosser Carl , but ho Insisted on being the last man on board , and then guyed the whole perform ance Tvlth caustlo gaiety when ho was dragged out of the water Into which ho had been forced to Jump , and was sot to drain on the floor gratings of a boat. The Grosser Carl had fallen away before the wind and was spouting flame from sternhead to poopstaff 'by ' the tlmo the last of the rescucra and the rescued were put on , the Flamingo's deck and on that travel- worn steamboat wcro some C50 visitors that somehow or other had to be provided for. They were still five dajs' bteam away from port and their official provision supply was only calculated to last the Flamingos them selves for a little over that time. So theio was no sentimental waiting to sco the Grosser Carl finally burn out arm sink , The boats wore cast adrift , as the crews were too exhausted to hoist them In , nnd the Flamingo's nose was turned toward Liverpool. Pratt , the chief engineer , figured out to half a ton what coal ho had remain ing and set the pace so as to run In with empty bunkers. They were cold now , nil hand a , and the prospect of soml-stana- tlon made them regard tholr visitors less than aver In the ) light of men nnd brothers. But , as It chanced , toward the evening of next day , a hurrying ocean greyhound over took them In lier race from Now York to ward the east and the bunting talked out loud sentences In the commercial cede from the wire span between the Flamingo's masts. When the liner drew up alongside and stopped with reversed propellers she bad ix loaded boat ready swung out In davits , which dropped In the water the moment she had lost her way. The buntIng - Ing had told the pith of the tale. When the two steamers' 'bridges ' were level the liner's captain touched his cap and a crowd of well dressed passengers below him listened wonderlnply. "Afternoon , captain. Got 'em all ? " "Afternoon , captain O , we didn't lose any. But a few drowned their silly selves before wo started to shepherd them. " "What ship was It ? " "The old Grosser Carl. Bho was astern of her time. Much obliged to you for tha grub , captain. We'd have been pretty hard pushed U we hadn't met you. I'm sending you a payment order. " The case * ot I'ood were transshipped with frau' i hns'p ' , an ! the boat returned. The grt. ) hound lenped out Into her stride again the moment she had hooked on , and vhot The voyage homo wns not ono of oppres sive gaiety. The first-class passenger * , who were crammed Into the narrow cabin , found the quarters uncomfortable and the little shipmaster's manner repellant. The riffraff In the hold plotted mischief amongst themel\ct . fitolo when the opportunity eamo to them , and when they gave the matter - tor any consideration at all decided that this fiery little captain with the red torpedo board had taken them on board merely to fulfill some selfish purpose of his own. The Flamingo picked up the landmarks of the southern Irish coast , and made her number to Llojd'a station on Brow head , stood across for the Tuskar and eo on up St. Georgc'fl channel for Holyhoad. She flow a pilot Jack there , and off Point Lynus picked up a pilot. "Well , pllcit. what's the news ? " said Ket tle , as the man of narrow waters swung bin self up on to the bridge. "You are , " said the pilot. "The papers are Just full ot jou , captain , all ot them , from the Shipping Telegraph to the London Times. The Ctinard boat brought In the yarn. A pilot out of my schooner took her up. " "How do they spell the name ? Cuttle ? " "Well. 1 think It's 'Kattlc' mostly , though ono paper has It 'Kelly. ' " "Curso their ctioek ! " said the little sailor , flushing. "Starboard a point , " said the pilot , and turned to KeUlo with some amusement. "They don't seem to have done you much harm this Journey , captain. They've made the country Just ring with you and this old packet. Why , they're getting up subscrip tions for j'ou nil round. " "I'm not a blessed mendicant , " said Ket tle , stlllly. He walked to the other end of the bridge , and stood there chewing sav agely at the butt of hla cigar. "Rum bloke , " commented the pilot to himself , though aloud he offered no com ment. Still the pilot was right In saying that England was ringing with the news of Kettlo's feat. Tlio passengers of the Cunardcr , with nothing much else to Inter est them , had como homo thrilled and ting ling with it. A smart Now Yorker had got a "ecoop" by slipping ashore at Quocns- itown and cabling a lavish account to the American /press / , so that the flrst news reached London from the states. Parliament was not sitting , and there had been no nowbpaper sensation for a week , and as a natural consequence the papers came out next morning with accounts of the rescue , varjlng from two columns to a page In length. But let the trillings In this case bo fact or fiction , there was no doubt that Kettle and his crew had saved a shipload of panlc-Btrl ken , foreign emigrants. The prldo of race bubbled through the British dally presa In iprosalc long primer and double- loaded bourgeois. There was no saying aloud , "Wo rojolco that an Englishman has done this thing , after having It proved to us that It was above the foreigner's strength. " The newspaper man docs not rhapsodize. But the sentiment v.as there all the same. The Fiamlngo was worked into dock , nnd a cheering crowd surged aboard of her In unreatralnabla thousands. Strangers came up and wrung Kottle's unwilling hand and dropped tears on his coatsleevo ; and 'when ' ho swore ut them they only wept the moro and smiled through the drops. It was magnificent , splctndtd , gorgeous. Hero was a man ! Who eald that England would never lc c her proud place amongst the nations when she could still flnd men llko O/lver Kell ) or Kettle or Cuttle , or what ever this man was. called , amongst her obscure - scuro merchant captains ? i\en Mr. Isaac Bird caught some of the general enthusiasm , nnd withheld for the present the unpleasant remarks which oc curred , to him as suitable , touching Ket tlo's neglect of the firm's Interest , In favor of a parcel of bankrupt foreigners. But Kettle himself had the subject well In mind , and whilst the crowd was cheering him he was figuring the value of the Jettisoned cargo , and whilst pompous Mr Isaac was shaking him by the hand and making a neat bpeoch for the ear of casual reporters , poor Kettle was conjuring up visions of the \\orUiouso and pauper corduroy. But the fntea were moUng now In a man ner which was bcj-ond his experience. The I tibllc , wdlch had Ignored hlu bare existence before for all u lifetime , suddenly discovered that he was a hero , and that , too , without knowing half the facts. The press , with Hi finger on the public's pulse , published Kettle literature In lavish columns. U gave twenty different "eye-witnesses' accounts" of the icscue. And dually took all the little man's affairs under It : consideration and settled thnm wild a lordly hand. "Who pays for the cargo Captain Kuttle threw overboard ? " ono paper beaded an article , while another wrote fervidly about "Cattle mined for his bravery " Hrro was a new and striking side Issue. Should the week' * hero pay the bill himself out ot tils miserable savings ? Certainly not. The owners ot the Grosser Crl were the benefiting parties , and It was only Just thit they should take up the expense. So the entlro press wired off to the German firm , and the next morning were able to publish n positive assurance that ol course these grateful foreigners would reimburse all possible * sible outlay. Tbo subject of finance once broaohed , It was naturally discovered tliat the hero tolled for n very meager pittance ; that he wns getting on In years , and had a wlfo and family depending on him and promptly there opened out the subscription lists. People wcro stirred , and the Hits totaled up to 2,400 , which to some people , ot course , Is gilded affluence. Now' , Captain Kettle had endured nil this publicity with a good deal of restlvcncss , and had used language to one or two Inter viewers who managed to ferret him out wdlch fairly startled them ; but this last move for a public subscription made him furious. "If they call a meeting ; to glvo mo any thing , " eald he , "I'll chuck the money In tholr faces and let them know straight what I think. By James , do they suppose I'vo got no pride ? Why can't they let mo alone ? "THC LIGHT OF TUB BURNING STEAMER TURNED A GREAT SPHERE OF NIGHT INTO DAY. " If the Grosser Carl people pay up for that cargo that's all I want. " But the eternal healer , time , soothed mat ters down wonderfully. By the time the subscription list had closed and been brought together the Flamingo had sailed for the Mexican gulf and when her captain returned to flnd a curt , formal letter from a firm of bankers stating that 2,400 had been placed to his credit In their establishment ho would have been more than human If ho had refused It. And , as a point of fact , after consulting with madam , his wife , he transformed It Into houses In that terrace of narrow dwellings In Blrkcnhead which represented the rest of his savings. This house property was alleged by a sanguine agent to produce at the rate of 15 per annum apiece and there were thirty-six houses. The "trado connection" In the Mexican gulf had been very seri ously damaged. As was somewhat natural , the commercial gentry preferred to send what they had by "boats " which did not contrive to meet burning emigrant liners. And then the second part of the prophecy evolved Itself naturally. Messrs. Bird re lieved Captain Kettle from the command , handed him their check for wages due there was no commteslon to be added for such an unsatisfactory voyage as this last and presented him their best wishes for his future welfare. I Kettle had thought of telling the truth In | print. But the mysterious law of libel , I which It Is written that nil mariners should dread and never understand , prevented. Bo ho Just went an4 save his views to Mr. Isaac Bird personally and privately , throw the Ink bottle through the office window , pitched the box of business cigars Into the flro and generally pointed his remarks In a way that wont straight to Mr. Bird's heart and then prepared peacefully to take his departure , "I shall not prosecute you for this , " said Mr. Isaac. "I wish you dare. It would suit mo finely to get Into a police court and bo able to talk. I'd willingly pay my 'forty shillings and' for the chance. They'd glvo mo the option fast enough. " "I say I shall not prosecute you , because I have no tlmo to bother with law. But I shall send your name round among ship owners , and with my word against you you'll never got another command so long as the world stands. " "You knock-kneed little Jew ! " Kid Kettle - tlo truculently , "do you think I'm giving myself the luxury of letting out at a ship owner , after knuckling down to the breed through all of a weary life , unlrej I know my ground ? I've done with ships and the sea for always. I've taken a farm In Wharf- dale , and I'm going to It this very week. " "Then , " said Mr , Isaac , sardonically , "If you'vo taKen a farm , don't let me wish you any further 111. Good morning. " But Kettle was not to bo damped out of conceit with his Ufa's deslro by a few Ill- natured words. He gave Mr. laiac Bird his final blessing , commenting on his ances tors , hie personal appearance , his pros pects of final salvation and then pleasantly took his leave. The farm ho had rented lay In the Wharfe valley above Sklpton , and he hired a capa ble foreman as philosopher and guide. And here I may * ay that his hobby by no means ruined him , as might reasonably be ex pected. But , though It Is hard to confess that a man's Ideal comes short of hie ex pect * ( Ions when put to the trial , I am free to confeu th&t although be enjoyed It all , attending crops or his nhcep , or haggling with his fellow farmers over fnt beasts In Sklpton market , h ( * had gone back to one o ! his more practiced tflPtcs If ono call It n taste the cultivation of religion. The farm stood bleak and lonely on the slope of a hillside , and on both flank * of the ilalo wtro other lonely farms ns far ns the eye could see. There wa * no village. The nearest place of worship wnn four mllen ft way. But In the valley was n email gray chapel. Kettle got this Into his control. Ho wns by no means A rich man. The row of houses In Hlrkenhead wns for the most part tenanted by the -who * of mer cantile marine engineers nnd officers , who were chronically laggard with their rent , and whom esprit de corps forbndo him to press , nnd to what with this deficit , nnd repairs , and taxes , and ono thing and on- other. It was rarely that half hla projected 600 A year found Its way into his banking account. But a tltho of whatever accrued to him was scrupulously set aside tor the maintenance of the chapel. Ho Imported there the grim , narrow creed ho hod learned In South Shields , and throw open the door for congregations. Ho was entirely In earnest over It nil , nnd > astly serious. Falling another minister , ho himself took the services , nnd , though on occasion some other brother waa Induce , ! to preach , It wns ho himself who usually mounted the pulpit beneath the sounding board. Ho purchased an American orgnn , nnd sent his eldest daughter In weekly to take lessons In Sklpton till Mio could piny It. And Mrs. Keltic herself led the singing. Still further , the chapel has Itn own col lection of hymns , specially written , printed and dedicated to Us service. The book la Captain Kettle's first published effort. Heaven and Its author alone know under what wild circumstances most of UKMO hymns -wore written. The chapel started Its now span of life with a congregation that was meager enough , but Sunday by Sunday the number grew. Some came once and were not seen again. Others came and returned. They felt that this was the loneliest of all mod ern creeds ; Indeed Kettle preached as much , and ono can take A melancholy prldo In splendid Isolation. I am not sure that Captain Kettle does not find the restfulness of his present life a trifle too accentuated at times , though this Is only Inevitable for ono who has been so much n , man of action. But ho never makes complaint. Ho Is a strong man , nud ho governs himself , oven as ho governs his family and the chapel circle , with a strong , Just hand. The farm Is a model of neat ness and order ; paint Is lavished In a way that makes dalesmen lift their eyebrows , and the routine of the household Is as strict as that of a shlo. The house Is unique , too , In Wharfcdalo for the variety of Its contents. Desperately poor though Kettle might be , on many of his returns from his unsuccessful ventures ho never came back to his wlfo without some present from a foreign clime ns a tangible proof of his remembrance. But ono nilfitit turn the house upside down without finding so carnal an instrument ns a revolver , and when I suggested to Kettle once that wo might go outside and have n llttlo pistol practice ho glared at me , nnd I thought ho would have sworn. Ho let mo know , stiniy enough , lliat whatever circumstances might have made him at sea , he had always been a very different man ashore In England , and there the matter dropped. But , speaking of mementoes , there Is ono link with the past that Mrs. Kettle , poor Jady , never ceases to regret the loss of. "Such a beautiful gold watch , " tha says It was , too , "with the emperor's and the cap tain's names engraved together on the back , nnd Just a nice mention of the Grosser Carl. " As It 'happened ' , I saw the letter with which It was returned. Kettle had returned It , re fusing to accept a present from one ho bud talked about. STOUV OF GIJNHKAIj SlIUUMAX. A Sliiprulnr Iiilcr\lo\v nt Jiioknon , MINN. , DurliiK " > AVnr. Yes , Joseph E. Johnston had crossed Pearl river on his retreat to the east and It was known that Sherman would evacuate Jack son and pursue him as soon as possible. With great difficulty , relates n writer In the Sunny South , I had secured from the federal authorities the assurance that my cotton factory would not 'bo ' burned , but on the night when the evacuation was In prog ress I learned from reliable sources that a change had been , made in the orders and that the torch was likely to bo applied to the property at any moment. I resolved to seek an Immediate Interview wilth General Sherman himself , entertaining , however , but slender hopes , especially at such an untimely hour for It was past mid night of reaching the presence of the fed eral chief. I had llttlo trouble In ascertain ing that his headquarters wcro In the residence In West Jackson , and before many minutes had passed I was at the front pate of the place , where , to my great surprise , I found no guards to check my progress. The house WAS quiet an I u iliRhlod , * o far n I could tlwcurn. So. e hnt puttied , t paused for n. minute or iwo ami Mid to no- self , "Surely , this In not the hrndqimrtcia of A great I'nltod Btntm army. " But seeing no one < o Inquire of t opened the Rati" , went up to the Ju > u e and onto tlio porch. Tor * omo minutes I flood there listening. But I hoard no sound within , nor was there any guiinl to challenge my Intrusion. Through a shaded tranmm I caught itho reflection of a light. I tried the hall door , found It ajar , pushed It open and stepped Inside. The plaeo was silent -there was nothing to Indicate occupancy by the military. "I h.\\o come to the wrong hoiiso , " I said , but observing that A dim light was rotlcctrd through the half open door of a room open- Inn Into tha hall I ndrancrd nnd entered the apartment. U bad but a. slimlo occu pant. Ho win sleeping upon A lounge nnd my steps aroused him. Ho turned over and looked at me. "What do you want ? " ho demanded. "I want to sco General W. T. Sherman. " "I'm General Sherman. What do you want ? " I explained as briefly nt possible. Ho eald abortly In substance that his orders were to spare the factory , and they would bo obeyed. He said that ho wanted to go to sleep. Ho stretched himself and shut his eyes , and I walked out nnd returned up town. A few hours later the factory was In nshrs. " "And you say that General Sherman had no bodjgunrds ? " "I say that I entered lila bedroom and left U without being challenged In fact , without mooting A soul except the general blmself" Thli remarkable Incident wan told In Green's bank , and the narrator was Joshua Green , Its founder nnd president. PAMCS AMOMJ nnuons. Secret or n MlKli < r rintrn on the ! ! r < > \ \ nlf * of l.uroii. The officers hesitated. It was n desperate chance. The Filipinos wcro strongly Intrenched In a position that wemed naturally Impregna ble , relates tlio CMo > eland Plain Dealer. The American force was wiull and owing to tlio nature of the Ground It could only bo pre- elpltoted against ono angle of the enemy's w orks. No wonder the officers hesitated. They felt thcyi would bo sending the gallant fol lows Into a veritable death trap. The men themselves were huddled together on the ground behind n slight rldga that afforded them temporary protection from the Filipino sharpshooters. They bad been con versing In low tones , but the fatlguo of cramped Inaction was having Its effect , and they wcro silent. Then Private Tom Hooper spoke up. The firing had ceased and his words were clear and distinct. t'l Hind a letter yesterday from my wlfo , " ho said , "and you can bet , bo > s , I waa mighty glad to get It. " There was no com ment from the lluo of recumbent forma ns lie went onVo : have a little 3-yonr-old daughter , nnd my wlfo writes that eho IB getting Just too cute for anything. " The men shifted uneasily , ns these who had been Ijlng on their backs rolled over on their faces. "Her mother writes that It's Just wonderful how many funny things she does. " Tlio men clasped their rlflca n llttlo more firmly and drew up their knees. "Just the other day , when her mother waa wash ing her , Bho said " With a wild roar the soldiers struggled to their feet , swept over the rldgo , nnd fell JOBBERS AND MANUFACTURERS OF OMAHA. HARNESS-SADDLERY. J H Haney & Go W JU'Prf HARNESS , UADDT.K AND COLLAllt Jobbtri of ttuther , ftodd/wy Hardware , JCtfe We solicit your orders. 313-315-317 B. 13th. BOILER AND SHEET IRON WORKS Hrake , 9ncce orVIUon & Drake. Manufacturers boilers , smoke Htaoka and trcechlnes , yressura , rendering , sheep dip , lard and water tanks , boiler tubes con- itantly on hand , Koconft hand bollem boucht and sold fiprrml nnd prompt to repairs in city or country. 19th and Pierce , BOOTS-SHOES-RUBBERS , ri nierican Hand 1 V Sewed Shoe Go M'frs J Jobbers of Foot Wear WESTXBN XQINTB roil The Joaoph Banigan Rubber do. CHICORY he Amoriean T flhicory Go. Orowcn anA manufacturer * ot all fonni ot Chicory Omaba-rremont-O'NUL DRY GOODS ; E , Smith & Go. Uip iUr iid Jobber * ol Dry Goods , Furnishing Goods AND NOTIONS. upon ttio Filipinos with such terrific force that they fled without firing a volley. And the atna/cd officers never know what had caused UUs panic of heroism In the ranks. Hull Plxcil fur MnlliiiMix. NEW YORK , Juno 8. On application ot Attorney Battle , Judge Ncwbttrger In the court of general sessions today flxcd the ball of Roland B. Mollneuv at $15,000. Ball wlir bo furnished either this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Ahslstaut District At torney Osborn was present nnd did jiot object to the amount of ball fixed. This ball was flxcd In the only charge now actually pending against Mollneux , namely : That of assault In the flrst degrco for having , ns alleged , sent cynnldo oC mercury through the malls to Harry S. Cornish. . Bears this Kind You llava Always Bought Signature of . Bears the Kind You Have Always BougM Signature of Bears the lha Kind You Have Always Bough } Signature of DRUGS. E. Bruce & Co. Druggists and Stationery "Queen Bee" BpecUHlea , Clf nv Wlnoo und Ilrondlci. Oeniw 10th and Ilarnty 0tnti > ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES. W esfern Eieciraca ! Electrical Supplies. Bleotrlo Wlrlntr Bolls nnd Gas Llghtlnr 0. W. JOUNHTON. Mcr. 1310 Ilowird BU John T. Burke , CONTRACTOR POT * ELECTRIC LIGHT and PO WER PLANTS 421- South IfithSt. HARDWARE. I ee-GIass-Andreesen Wholesale Hardware. Bicycles and Sporting Goods , 121S-H-23 ney Street , SAFE AND IRON WORKS. The Omaha Safe i and Iron Works , % G. ANDKEUN , Prop. Makes a ipoclnlty of T3TT ? r * EflOAI'EH. X XJtJW UUUTTKItH. ioa Burglar 1'roof b'afat uno Vault Ooors , etc. O1O 8. l-Itb St. . Ouiuh-i , Neb ,