AHAUNTEDSCHOONER
Her name was the Albicore and she
hailed from Gloucester;" Mass. She was
one of the prettiest and sweetest looking
schooners that ever crossed harbor bar
bound to the banks for fish or safely
weathered a wintry sea. She had lines
like a yacht, and many a time I have
seen her Bail past a gaudy pleasure craft
and leave her astern as though she were
becalmed. She had a sheer that was de
lightful to look upon and a saucy rake
to her masts that gave her a coquettish
appearance.
Her history was remarkable. She had
been picked up deserted in the Spanish
Main by a ( Gloucester brig engaged in
carrying salt fish to the West Indies.
She was rolling in the trough of the Bea
with only the stump of her mainmast
standing. The skipper of the brig low
ered a boat . and went aboard : of her.
She was as tight as a bottle, and why
tar rew should have abandoned her
was one of those Inexplicable mysteries
-of the ocean upon which not even a" faint
liirK in 1 . ..
There was nothing on board to-give
any clew to-her history of nationality.
She had been left in a hurry, as ' was
shown by unmistakable signs, but her
commander had taken all his documents
with him, as well as his nautical instru
ments and chronometers. She carried
long brass carronades, and there
a stack of fifty muskets and the
same number of cutlasses in the between
decks all highly suggestive of piracy.
The hammocks of the crew were swing
ing to the beams, and the bags and
chests of. tbe sailors were left behind. In
ncr lower noia was a quantity or pig
iron nsed for ballast, but no trace of
treasure or cargo was to be found. Her
boats were gone and the davit falls were
trailing in tho water, while two big
tackles with which the long boat had
been lowered into the sea hung from
The wreckage of the rigging.
Old Billy Cnddington, the skipper of
the brig, rubbed his horny hands with
glee. It wasn't often that he found him-
m i : . tt j . , ,
veil pwjmg in Bncn hick, ne took au
-his crew bnt two aboard the schooner
ana nil wcrlica with a will and soon
rigged jnrymasts. That night be took
-her in tow and at daybreak next morn
ing all hands got to work again and got
lier In shipshape order. There was a
spare foresail in her sail locker, which
was bent as a mainsail, while a storm
trysail did duty as a foresail. The bow
sprit whs uninjured, and after setting up
"the fbrestay a small jib was bent to it.
I There were casks of salt beef and pork
down below, three tanks full of fresh
-crater and any amount of hardtack, flour
four sailors in charge, with orders to
keep him in sight and steer for Glouces
ter, Mass. The brie; was in good sailing
trial, having a quantity of rum and mo
lasses In her lower hold.while thetween
decks were fall of green cocoanuts.
captain : unaamgton, who was ' a
thrifty .New Englander that did not be
lieve in' giving anything, away, opened
ihia heart on thin occasion. He filled a
ten gallon keg with rum and broke out
200 or 300 cocoanuts and sent them
aboard the schooner, with instructions
" to the mate to take his nip regularly and
always to remember to mix it with
oocoanut juice, which had the effect of
- mellowing it and making it less heady.
There was a lovely whole-sail breeze
-wtMtti tha m&tAand hta mm muila anil s,n
the prize. , After they got the foresail,
.mainsail and jib on her she began to
scoot through the water like a steam
boat. . The mate, seeing what a clipper
be bad under mm, thought he would
play a practical joke on old Billy Ond-
aington. - the wind .was on the star-
noara Deam ana ootn vessels were bead
ing about N. N. W. The schooner was
moving about three feet to the brig's
one. Calculating . his distance very
neatly the mate tacked tbe schooner and
ran down to the brig to leeward of her
with lifted sheets and bellying sails.
Then luffing sharp unrter her stern he
' went on the other tack and blanketed
her. Then he hailed the brig. .
-Good by. captain," he yelled. "I'll
tell the Gloucester girls you're coming.
I guess 111 get there three weeks before
you. Tour durned old booker can't get
ont of her own way. .
lieu yon oia tsmy juaamgton was
nm,i w.wj n luaivu unio. lid always
t l . I. . . . . f V. I r , ,
nad tnonght his brig was a hummer,
and to see this schooner, with her jury
rig and meager sail spread, walk away
like a witch was too much for him. He
hailed the schooner and ordered . the
mate to heave to, but that worthy was
as full of mischief as a wagon load, of
monkeys, so he only laughed at the old
man. An hour later, he set a sort of
apology for a spinnaker. It seemed to
, have the pulling power of several dray
horses, and nnder its .influence the
schooner forged ahead' and by nightfall
was out or signt, mucn to tbe surprise
Tint nn faith 111 hlltniamtv on1 hth o
. sure that his mate would not put into
some southern port and sell the craft
And ran Hvar txrit.H t Vi mnnpv
That's what Cuddington would "have
done if he had been in the mate's
ooota, out tbe mate was constructed on
different and fairer ' lines. The sailors
on the brig bad a hard time of . it the
. rest of the voyage. It was clew up and
hoist up continually. The old man-gave
- i ne Doat no rest, out cracked on canvas
tat the hope of catching up with the
"""schooners making sail - between the
squalls with no regard for his scanty
- crew. The sailors said he was like
Portuguese devil; when he Was good he
was too good, but when he was bad he
was d d bad. . - ' ;;' ...
One night not so very long after Cape
Ann. light was sighted, and at dawn the
. brig sailed Into Gloucester harbor.. The
schooner was there moored to a wharf,
looking as pretty as a picture. She had
arrived ten days before the brigv having
been' blessed ' with fair' winds all the
way. which made her reel off the knots
" in regular clipper style. " '.-'"-
After the brig bad been made fast to
- her dock aboard came the mate and
walked aft to where the skipper stood
on ' ne quarter deck.- He lookea pale as
a ghost a:.ii sicker than a dog.
Jack, my hearty, how are you?" ex
claimed the captain as he seized hold of
the - mate's starboard flipper. '.'Come
belowand take a nip." - v -i "; J-.";.
The mate followed the old man into
the cabin. He moved in a liBtless, slip
shod sort of way. His former energy
and smartness had departed. '.. He looked
as limp as a wet swab. Was this the
man that had played the skipper the
iractical joke of sailing around him and
making fun of him a . few short weeks
before? . . ; . . -
Why, what's the matter with you?'
asked the old man, pouring himself out
half a tumbler of rum and passing tbe
demijohn to the mate.
rll ' tell you what's the matter," re
plied the mate; "that infernal schooner
Is haunted. My God, what a time 7 put
in aboard ofherf" ' ' ' "" " '
'Avast there! Johnny, my lad, soft
softly! There are no such things as
ghosts. Besides, if there are, it is ho
use making a song about those on the
schooner. - 1 am going to sell her for a
fisherman, and 1 want no ghostly yarns
spread abroad about this craft. So just
clap a stopper on your jaw tackle until
we get a good price for her. And hark
ye. my lad. I'm going to do the hand
some thing by you. -' If you keep your
tongue between your teeth this schooner
will be a matter of $200 m jrour pocket.
Take another ' nip, and when the vessel
is disposed of yon can spin me the whole
yarn."
About a month afterward the schooner
was sold to old Eben Fish, who was the
owner of a little fleet of fishing vessels.
Some of them used to fish on St. George's
bank for the 'Boston market. Others
were engaged in the codtisheries on the
Newfoundland Great banks, and it was
for this industry that the schooner was
fitted out. She seemed well, adapted
for this work, being au excellent sea
boat and - very fast, as was proved
by her remarkable passage to Glouces
ter nnder jury rig. She was hauled
np on the. ways and the necessary
alterations were made in her to iit
her for her new business. Her hull
was constructed of live oak and teak
and she was as sound in all respects a?
on the day she was launched. Old Fish
stnek twolteantifnl sticks of Oregon
pine in her and "her new sails had as
Ezrh trcnblc tz-?n oyer them as the
canvas of a yacht.
It was a proud day for old Fish when
the schooner slid off the wavs. and hi
pretty daughter Polly broke a bpltle of
wine on her sharp and graceful s'uari
and shouted at the top of her sweet
voice, "1 christen thee Albicore, and
may you be lucky." . . -
An rtlccre is a fish of the tunny
hind and of remarkable swiftness, and a
gilded head of one carved quite artistic;
ally adorned the bows of the schooner.
A crew was shipped, about half of
them being Portuguese, and under the
command of Captain Peter Osrden she
started out on her first trip to the Great
banks. : 1 . was aboard, having shipped
as ordimuw seaman. .. We piled the can
vas on her. and with a splendid quarter
ing breeze away she flewon her course
like some strong and beautiful bird of
the ocean. All hands were delighted
with her.
The skipper went into ecstasies over
her behavior, especially as she passed
every craft she encountered. She made
an excellent passage to the banks and
let go anchor in a favorite spot of the
skipper's, where the codfish always were
bnngry. I he ten dories were put over
board, and the fishermen Were soon haul
ing up their finny prey. We met with
so much success that a few of us deter
mined to fish all night. It was a lovely
night. ..The moon shone on the placid
water, which was as smooth as a land
locked pool without a ripple. There
was a slight haze on the silvery sea, and
the stillness and silence were actually
oppressive.
ine gooa iuck or tne nsnermen con
tinued. The codfish were biting well.
The phosphorescent gleam of the fish as
they were hauled from the dark depths
or the sea illuminated the water and
they could be seen struggling wildly .on
the hooka many fathoms beneath the
surface. There isn't very much senti-
mentalism in a fisherman, and the fel
lows m rue aories sinoKed-tbeir pipes
and spun their yarns in the intervals be
tween bites. - - - -
The striking of eight bells on a French
fishing vessel anchored a few hundred
yards from the Albicore announced the
midnight hour. - A dago on one of the
schooner's dories began singing in a
melodious voice the "Hymn to the Vir
gin." It was.either Spanish or Italian,
I don't know which (having been edu
cated in the forecastle, where there was
precious little book learning). Bnt this
I do know, that the strains were the
sweetest and most thrilling I had ever
listened to. . Of course the somber sur
roundings made the hymn more impres
sive.
My dory mate was a Portuguese.
Suddenly he clutched my arm. : "My
Godl" he cried.- "Look at the schooner!"
And 1 looked.' She was about fifty yards
off, and in the brilliant moonlight every
thing was clearly visible. On her quar
ter deck, which seemed to be enveloped
m a luminous mist resembling the halo
which encircles - the moon and gives
Warhing of the coming tempest, armed
men were fighting, clad in picturesque
garb, with crimson sashes around their
waists and red caps on their heads. We
could hear their cutlasses clash and
their imprecations ring out on the still
air. ;
"They are Spanish pirates, and they've
seized the schooner, said the Portu
guese. . ' ; . - v-'i :
Three bodies were thrown overboard
from the Albicore. We heard the plash
as they struck the water and saw the
bubbles rising as they sank. . Then sud
denly the noise -ceased and the midnight
assassins vanished into thin air. " - .
Then a cheery voice sang out loud and
clear from the-Albicore: "Come along
side, boys. . I've got- a steaming: , kettle
of coffee for you on the galley fire."
- It was the voice of the cook; and was
the most welcome -sound that ever
reached my ears. -' We pulled alongside
and climbed aboard. .The cook had been
in the galley since 10. oVlc caking
himself a suit of canvas clothes. . He ;
bad heard and seen nothing of the mys- i
terious conflict on deck and laughed at !
us as we described ' it." After drinking I
our coffee we - turned in, having had
enough fishing for that night.- 1
At dawn next morning I had occasion
to go aft on i he -quarter deck, which
was raised about three feet from the
main deck. At Gloucester the decks. !
which had - become covered with slime 1
while the derelict was wallowing dis
masted ' in : the trough of the' sea, bad !
been planed smooth. The skipper took !
great pride in his little quarter deck,
and it had been holystoned" until it
shone like a hound's tooth. Ko fish were
allowed in that part of the ship, and the
sailors were 'made to wipe off their sea
boots whenever they took their trick at
the tiller or went aft to haul in the
mainsheet. Imagine my surprise when
I saw a deep crimson circular stain just
abaft the cabin skylight. It was about
three feet in diameter and it seemed to
have been made by a pool of blood that
had soaked into the snowy deck planks.
At this moment the skipper came up
the companion ladder. The first thing
that attracted his attention was the stain
on the deck. "
. . "So some of those infernal Portuguese
sons of guns have been gutting fish On
my quarter deck, have .they? By the
great horn spoon, I'll teach -the yellow
bellied lubbers a lesson yet!"
"Then 1 up and told the skipper what 1
had seen the night before, - and . con
vinced him . it was no blood of a codfish
that had dyed his quarter deck. He was
a superstitious man, and turned white
as a shroud.
That morning' all the crew came aft
and told the skipper they would fish no
more. The schooner was haunted, they
declared, and they insisted on heaving
np anchor and putting back to Glouces
ter. "
It is my private opinion that he was
glad of the chance to go back. He was
an excellent seaman and an expert fish
erman, but he came of an old seafaring
family and of course a belief in the su
pernatural was hereditary.
, Well, we manned the windlass, hove
up anchor and made sail on the Albicore
and pointed her nose for Gloucester.
We made an nnusnally smart passage
and our arrivr.l in the old fishing port
created much excitement. (We hadn't
been troubled with ghosts during the
run back.) Everybody thought we had
come back laden with cod. The old
owner came al-.or.rd- as merry and light
hearted as a three-year-old. He went
ashore in doleful dumps the most dis
gusted man in Gloucester. . We landed
what few fish we had and then all
hands left her. Mr. Fish tried his hard
est to ship another crew, bnt those dagos
had spun such -yarns about the schooner
that nobody would go to the banks in
her. Ss ? sails were unbent and she
was laid up.
1 kept a logbook In those days. The
date of the mysterious apparition was
April 13, 1857. -
five years afterward 1 happened to be
in Boston. The sharks and crimps had
left me stranded, having got every dol
lar out of me' that I was paid off with
from a bark that brought hides and cop
per ore from Iquiqne. I was wander
ing around the docks in search of .. a
chance when I came across the Albicore
fitting ont for a cruise to the banks. A
Boston firm had bought her and had put
Captain Bayliss in charge. He was
built on different lines from ' Captain
Ogden. caring nothing for man nor
devil. I shipped aboard of her, never
mentioning anything of my past ex
perience on her. We sailed for the
banks, having good hu h on ur passage.
We anchored and :-began our fishing
operations, being fairly successful .
One evening, when putting off" in my
dory to fish, I happened to .remember
that the date was April 13. 1802. My
dory mate hailed from Canso, Nova
Scotia, and had us much intelligence as
a clod of clay. We hauled in the cod
fish hand over flipper. About 11 o'clock
a thick fog came np suddenly. I didn't
mind - this a bit. as I had a ocket com
pass with me and ; had the Albicore 's
bearings carefully-noted. She wasn't
more than 300 yards off anyhow, so we
kept on fishing without . the slightest
alarm. It was. within a few minutes
of midnight wheii we. heard the blast of
a steamer's whistle, hoarse, yet strident,
ft seemed to penetrate the fog and was
certainly quite close. The next thing
we heard was a crash of timbers, and
an instant afterward an enormous black
hull glided by swiftly.- Her propeller
churned np the water and we heard the
throb of her engines.'
The Nova Scotian took the oars and I
steered the dory to our schooner. When
we got aboard we found all hands on
deck in a state of terror. The steamer
had run into her aft. cutting off a por
tion of her long overhanging stern.- The
well wH.s sounded and no water was
found.- ' Her- stanch construction had
saved her. The steamer went on regard
less whether she had sunk the schooner or
not. Next morning the captain got
aboard my dory and I paddled him round
under the stern so that he might see what
damage had been done. The steamer's
cutwater had shaved . a clean slice off
the stern. Jammed under the transoms
we saw a shriveled corpse dressed in a
Spanish costume richly adorned with
gold lace. We got a stage out over the
stern and -hauled the body on deck. Im
bedded in his left breast was a dagger
bearing the inscription, "Guerra al cu-
fchino,' April 13, 1855."' He Tnad'ieen
carefully planked up and concealed.
There was the same old blood stain on
the quarterdeck, but-it seemed much
fainter than of old. I told the captain
the whole story. He determined to take
T the body ashore and give; it Christian
I burial, We "nailed two -thicknesses of
canvas over the shattered, stern, staid
long enough on the banks to fill np with
fish, and .then set sail for .Boston, where
we gave ; the : corpse a splendid long
shore funeraL" This " broke the speU.
The Albicore ever after was the luckiest
craft that sailed to the 'banks. I think
she is running. yet.. But 1 neyer.met
anybody who could clear up the mystery
of the derelict and her ghostly combat
ants A. J. K. in New York Recorder; .
FREflCH t CO.,
BANKERS
TRANSACT A GENERAL B.VKKIXG BUSINESS
Letters of Credit issued available in the
'; Eastern States.. " - - t
: Sight Exchange and Telesranhio
Transfers sold on New York, Chicago, St.
LAjiws, can rrancieco, .roruana Uregon,
Seattle Wash., and various points in Or
egon and Washington. , -
Collections made at all points on fav
orable terms. ;
. S. 8CHSKCZ,
President.
H. M. Bbau.
Cashier.
First Jlational Bank
:he dalles.
OREGON
A General Banking Business transacted
: Deposits received, subject to Sight . -.
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Collections made and proceeds promptly
remitted on day of collection.
Sight and Telegraphic Exchange sold ou
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DIRECTORS.
D. P. Thompson.
Ed. M. Williams,
H..M
"' J NO. S. SCHEKCK.
- Geo. A. Libre.
Bkall.
MRS. C. DAVIS
Has Opened the
REVERE RESTAURANT,
In the Xew Frame Building on
SECOND STREET, Next to the
. Diamond Flouring Mills.
First Class Meals Furnished at all Hours.
Only White Help Employed.
FARMERS' BOARDING HOUSE
MRS. A.J. OBARR.V. .
. Proprietor
Meals 25 cents, Lodging 25 cents.
Table well supplied with everthing in market.
Comfortable beds as any in the city.-
Second St., near Madison.
Dalles City.
STACY SJlOlflH,
Has opened an office for Cleaning and
Kepairmg watches, Jewelry, etc .
, .. All work guaranteed and
promptly attended. - -;,".
AT C. E. DUHTOS OLD STflHD,
. : Cor., Secsnd nd Union Streets.
Jacob Moser
- . ' .
Has opened a shop in the. building im
mediately east of Skibbe'a Hotel,
. ' - for- - -
Making and Repairing
LADIES' and GENTLEMEN'S
BOOTS AND SHOES.
. Firet-Class Work and Low Prices
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W. E. GARRETSOH.
Jeweler.
SOLE AGENT FOR THE
All Watch Work Warranted.
Jewelry Made to Order.
188 Second St.. The Dalles, Or. -
G. IV. Johnston & Son,
CarDButBrs aniff Buiiflers,
Shop at No; 112 First Street
- All Jeb Work -promptly . attended
and" estimates given on all wood work. "
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Carpets take up, cleaned and 'put down,
- also Closets and Chimneve cleaned
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Orders' received through the poetofSce
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S mr - n -- J
c .
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grant;
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MORSE
-ARRIVING
E. Jacobsen & Co.'
Largest Line of Baby Carriaees. Books. Statinr.
and Musical
162 Second Street,
A. A. Brown,
Keeps a full assortment of
le
and Provisions.
which he offer at Low Figures. '
SPECIAL :-: PRIGES
to Cash Buyers.
Hilhst Casl Prices for lis anfl
otter
170 SECOND STREET.
Of the Leading City
During the little over
Stan
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THE DALLES CHRONICLE
has earnestly tried to fulfill the objects for which it
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industries, to advertise the resources of the city and
adjacent country and to work for an open river to
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expression of their approval. Independent in every
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for what it believes-to be just and, ri 2 ht.
Commencing with the first number of the second
vclume the weekly has been enlarged to. eight pages
while the price ($1.50 a year) remains the same.
Thus both the .weekly and daily editions contain
moie reading matter for
published in the county.
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DEALERS IN
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Remember our place on Second street,
next to Moody's bank. - .
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a year of its existence it
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