USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of shipbuilding on North river, Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with genealogies of the shipbuilders, and accounts of the industries upon its tributaries, 1640 to 1872 > Part 12
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THE BOSTON MARINE MINING CO.
little clipper schooner "Roanoke." She was manned by many " greenhorns," and many who had been to sea before, but all had equal rights. It was a question as to which of all those who were experienced sailors should command the vessel. It was finally decided to put the question to vote, and William N. Shelley was elected captain. After this, every question was put to vote, and several times, when it was thought the captain did not do as they should have done, it was put to vote whether they should retain him as captain or put in another, but he re- ceived a majority every time, and kept his office throughout the trip. The schooner was well officered, as will be seen by the following list, to which is added an account of what became of each, so far as has been ascertained : Master, William N. Shelley, Boston, now a pilot in San Francisco Harbor. First Officer, C. Kirkoterp, Boston, now a wealthy retired coal mer- chant, living in San Francisco. Second Officer, Frederick Mor- ton, Plymouth, Mass ; lost at sea when master of a schooner down South. Third Officer, Henry Williams, of Boston ; died in California. Carpenter, Michael Robert Sylvester, Boston ;
now living at Hanover Four Corners. Sailmaker, William Cole, Boston ; died in California from the effects of poison oak. Boatswain, Henry Haste, Boston; a wealthy retired coal merchant, now living in San Francisco, and a former part- ner of C. Kirkoterp. Blacksmith, Russell Bourne, of Boston, now residing in Plymouth, Mass. Cook, Philip E. Stoker, who was taken sick and left during the passage at Villa Grande, about fifty miles south of Rio Janeiro. Steward, Smith D. Crockett, Boston ; now a doctor among the sailors on the city front, San Francisco. Clerk, George Bartlett, of Kingston ; now dead. The seamen were : John Hathaway Cushing, of Hanover, who died in California. George Marshall Josselyn, of Pembroke, now a wealthy San Franciscan, in the ship chandlery business. Phineas Pettingill, of Londonderry. Isaac Leonard, of South Boston, where he now lives. Charles J. Hillburn, of Boston ; died in California. W. H. V. Gallup, of Boston, died during the voyage. He was sitting in the cabin, with his head bowed on his hands, when suddenly he threw up his hands, fell over, and died almost instantly, Nov. 5, at 5 P.M. He was buried at sea, in the South Pacific, Nov. 26, at 8.30 A.M. This was a sad occurrence for the little com- pany of New Englanders. Philip W. Bell, of Boston, aged about sixty years, the oldest of the company. He died in Cal- ifornia, soon after landing, from exposure in tents, etc. Henry
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THE BOSTON MARINE MINING CO.
H. Barstow, of Exeter ; finally went to Oregon. William B. Josselyn, of Pembroke; now living in Pembroke. Warren Pettingill, Jr., of Londonderry. John E. Sever, of Plymouth ; he finally went to Oregon. Lawrence Panton, of Milton ; now in the foundry business at Petaluma, California. This com- pletes the list of twenty-three souls, "all told," on board this little schooner, with a draft of only seven feet. Is it any won- der that when, at one time, the " Roanoke " bore down on a mer- chantman to get her " reckoning " or position, the merchantman set all sail, and endeavored to get away from this small craft, whose decks were swarming with what the merchantman thought were pirates ? Nearly every man had his life insured. They sailed about 10 A.M., July 19, 1849, and were accompanied down the harbor by many friends. A bountiful collation was served, and when the "Lower Light " was reached, at 4 P.M., those on board who were not going bade adieu to the friends and rela- tives, gave them a rousing cheer, and returned on the tug which had been towing the "Roanoke."
As previously stated, every question was put to vote. They all had cabin fare, and all fared alike. Several of the green- horns were seasick for a few days. July 29, they spoke the ship " Shannaca," New York to San Francisco. Nothing of im- portance came up until they were near the Equator, when they decided to vote on the question whether or no they should see the line. It was voted that Gallup should see the line, though all the landsmen expected to ; accordingly a bucket of lather was made of slush and tar, and with an iron hoop Gallup was shaved while they were crossing the line, Aug. 20. Previously, or on July 31, Russell Bourne was injured by the breaking of a belaying pin, around which "the watch" had a turn of a rope ; he being at the end of the rope they fell on him. The first land they sighted was Pernambuco, but they did not " put in." Sept. 6, another member of the Company, Hilborn, paid one hundred and fifty dollars and became a passenger, having tired of sailor life, Gallup having previously done the same. Some of the Company wanted to "put in " to Rio Janeiro, and, when the question was voted on, it was found to be the minds of the majority so to do. They then consulted their many consular and marine books and guides, and found the port charges were some sixty dollars. They took up a subscription, but could only raise thirty dollars ; so decided it was useless to attempt to "put in" to Rio, for fear they could
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not get out without selling the schooner. Morton had been to the Isle of Grande, Latitude 20° So., and told the crew of the delicious yams to be got there, and it was voted to go there for a rest and to "provision up." At first they were unable to find the Island, but, while searching, they saw a little vessel which, from her appearance, they thought was making land. They followed her until they reached the coast of Brazil ; and they inquired along the beach, of the natives, and, following their directions, on Sept. 17, at 10 A.M., found themselves in the bay of Ila Grande, at Ville Grande, a village with a nice harbor, situated about fifty miles south of Rio de Janeiro. Immediately they dropped anchor, the natives, seeing so many men on deck, all armed to the teeth, fled to their houses and barricaded the doors. Capt. Shelley then ran up the Stars and Stripes, and soon there appeared along-side two men in a boat, which was loaded with oranges as a present to the "Capitaine," as they called Capt. Shelley. Not long after, an Englishman came out and told them that it was not a port of entry, and they would not be allowed to stay ; and if they did not get out pretty soon, the Governor would probably send to Rio for a revenue cutter. Things were looking pretty bad, when a boat came out, and in it they recognized an American. He had been cast away while on a whaler, many years before, and married a native woman. He had spoken their language so long that his English was quite broken, but good enough for all purposes, so he was en- ployed at two dollars per day as interpreter. He told them that, if they invited the Governor off, and gave him a good dinner, everything would be all right. They accordingly in- vited the Governor off that night, and gave him the best the vessel afforded. So well did they treat him that at midnight they were obliged to carry him ashore. He had a glorious time, and, during his short visit, signed a permit allowing them to remain in port ten days ; and to properly account to his superior, at Rio Janeiro, the cause of a vessel being in port, he sent word that a vessel had put in there in distress. That they enjoyed every moment of the ten days it is needless to add. One of the watches had freedom one day, another the next, and they made excursions through the narrow guts or inlets into the beautiful bights or bays, which were enclosed by high moun- tains, and surrounded on the shore by large orange groves and coffee plantations. At first, the Spaniards showed much fear, as the crews were always heavily armed ; but their fright was soon quieted by the interpreter, and they invited the strangers
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THE BOSTON MARINE MINING CO.
ashore, and into their thatched houses, giving them eoffee, with- out sugar or milk, so strong they could not swallow it, and sending their little black slaves up the trees after oranges, and also having them set their seine for the amusement of the vis- itors. On the trip down to Villa Grande the crew used to practise with their guns ; and many bets were made with Wil- liam B. Josselyn as to whether they could shoot a bullet through the waving corners of a silk handkerchief which was hung up by its two other diagonal corners, a trick hard to do ; also whether they could shoot a tallow candle through an inch board ; and one bet was made that a bullet could be shot through the blade of a broad-axe. An axe was procured from the carpenter, who valued it at three dollars. If the bullet went through, Wil- liam B Josselyn was to pay for the axe; if it did not, the marksman was to pay for the damage done. The first bullet indented the axe, and left its perfect form on the other side, but did not go through ; the others made no impression. Such were the amusements of the Company. A favorite target was a bottle hung from the end of a swinging boom, but one ball being allowed in the charge. The only man who succeeded in hitting this mark was Morton, who made no pretense as a marks- man, but who one day quietly loaded his gun with buckshot (only one other person being aware of the fact ), called the crew to witness, fired, and caused the bottle to disappear as if by magic. George M. Josselyn had presented to him, by Josiah Dunham, a friend of Cyrus Alger, a new breech-loading rifle before leaving Alger's foundry, at South Boston, where he was employed. He became quite disgusted because he could not hit anything with it, and explained it by the rolling of the vessel ; so when he got ashore, and while at Villa Grande, he bought a rooster, and set him on a wall to shoot at. At his first shot, two bullets went off, nearly wounding Mr. Josselyn. This ended his shooting with that gun.
The ten days soon passed and they received word from Rio to leave immediately and they reluctantly sailed away. Before sailing they bought 10000 oranges at $1.00 per 1000. Their eyes were bigger than their vessel: barrels, lockers, and buckets were filled, and even berths had to be given up to make room for the oranges. A few days out they realized they had bought nothing but fully ripe fruit which was fast decaying. They would find hundreds spoiled every morning and remem- ing their snow-balling days they obtained permission from the
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THE BOSTON MARINE MINING CO.
captain and putting on their oil clothing appeared on deck, which had been cleared for action, with arms full of decaying oranges. They chose sides and the battle raged ; they pelted each other until the allowance of rotten oranges was exhausted. They then washed down each other and cleared the vessel, which looked very much like the inside of a swill cart. These battles were repeated until the supply of oranges gave out. Whist was the favorite game of cards and it was usually played during the dog-watch from 6 to 8, P.M. One night when off the River Platte, South America, the watch were down in the cabin playing whist with the captain, excepting two men, one at the wheel and one on the lookout. The latter, seeing a squall approaching, called repeatedly to the captain to send up the watch, but the game was probably very interesting and it was hard to break off. Finally the lookout could stand it no longer and he " hollered " down the gangway. "Say, Captain, if you don't send that watch up to take in the flying jib you can take it in yourself. I'll be damned if I am going to get wet."
As they neared Cape Horn, the question was put to vote whether they should go round the Cape or through the Straits of Magel- lan, and the majority voted in favor of going through the Straits. They entered the Straits Oct. 12. In forty-eight hours they were one-half way through, but it was twenty-eight days before the passage was accomplished. While in the Straits they shot white, speckled and steam boat ducks; they saw the natives building fires to attract them ashore that they might rob and plunder the vessel, and often saw bottles hanging to trees near the water's edge, inside of which would be the full account of the vessel preceeding them ; they would hang other bottles in their places containing an account of the "Roanoke." They would weigh anchor and start again and again only to return at night to anchor in the same place, usually in one of the harbors or inlets that were entirely sheltered from the storm. These harbors were so completely surrounded by high hills that it was necessary to send a boat around the point in the morning, where it was often found to be blowing a "living gale " in the "Straits" of which there was no indication in the harbor. After they left Port Famine they discovered a vessel beached, which proved to be the "J. A. Sutter," of Warren, R. I. Part of her cargo had been a frame house which her crew had erected on shore from which they were rescued by a steamer. With an
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eye to business the Yankees of the " Roanoke " took what lumber they could conveniently carry from the house and wreck, and also fished out of the wreck about 100 lbs. of lead pipe. The humber they afterwards sold in San Francisco for $300 per thousand and realized from the sale of this and part of their cargo, about $1500. When they reached the last harbor in which they could anchor in the Straits, called the Harbor of Mercy, the storm was still heavy, with a thick fog and no sign of abating. It was dangerous to sail out, for they could only lay three or four points free and might go ashore as the current was strong. They put it to vote and voted to sail out Nov. 9th, but there was very little talking on board the " Roanoke " until she was fairly into the Pacific, when they probably had an extra glass of punch all around and a grand time generally. Among the harbors in the Straits in which they anchored were Possession Bay, Playaparda Bay, Marion Bay, Morton's Bay, and Tamar Harbor. Little of consequence occurred before they made the port of San Francisco, except about Dec. 22 in the night, when Mr. Barstow caught a porpoise. When he struck the porpoise he was so excited that he sung out loudly for help, and the crew rushed out of the forecastle half dressed, not knowing what was the trouble. The porpoise was eight feet long, and it took six men to get him on deck. They arrived in the harbor of San Francisco after dark, in a heavy rain on the last day of December, 1849, just in time to enable them to become California Pioneers, the ever memorable "forty-niners," the highest of all honors in that now beautiful country. The next morning was dreary and the country looked rough with its tents and cotton cloth houses, in and out of the sand banks. Nearly all were homesick. The first thing in the morning Wm. B. Josselyn called down the cabin to Leonard, "Wish you a happy New Year ;" he answered, " It will be a hard New Year for me, I guess." So thought many of them. They came out as a company, but now decided to separate and scatter over the country, after selling the lumber, stores, etc., including some of the butter they had brought in kegs, packed in hogsheads of salt, at $1 per lb. They sold the vessel and what was left on board for about $10,000 and gave $525 to each of the 21 men now left. The vessel was afterward used as a river boat on the Sacramento. Michael R. Sylvester went to work as a carpenter at $16 per day. Some engaged in mining and others kept stores. William B. Josselyn's cousin, George, afterwards sold his $14 gun for him to a Spaniard for $100. William was
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CAPT. ELIJAH BARSTOW.
shipkeeper for a short time, then in company with George M. Josselyn and John H. Cushing, who in their boyhood were companions at Miss Wales's school at Hanover, bought a whale boat for $325, and ran on the Sacramento River, with pro- visions and supplies, from Sacramento to Marysville. John HI. Cushing afterwards sold out and went to the mines. Wil- liam B. Josselyn, later, sold his interest to his cousin and went home via the Isthmus of Panama. Later the boat struck a rock and sank, a total loss. Of what became of the other members of this company there is little to relate other than is found in the beginning of this account. It would here seem appropriate to suggest to the remnant of this little band that, before many more years pass over their heads and before their number get fewer, they meet, not for an hour, at dinner, but for a day, or several days, that they may live over the old times and perhaps put on record some account of them, and join the Argonaut Society in the east.
To take up again the history of the Barstow ship yard : As was before stated, Capt. Elijah Barstow returned to Norwell and resumed business at his father's yard in Hanover, in 1844. This year they built the brig " GEORGE OTIS," 175 tons, for George Allen of Scituate. Capt. Nehemiah Manson commanded her in the South American trade. In 1845 Capt. Barstow built the brig " ANN CAROLINE," 190 tons. Capt. Reynolds, Chatham. She left for Ireland with a cargo of provisions, struck an iceberg when near the end of her first voyage off the coast of Ireland and was lost. Owned by Alpheus Hardy of Boston. Samuel H. Church and Isaac Haskins, (fathers of the present Samuel S. Church and William C. Haskins, ) under the firm name of Church & Haskins, were caulkers, and worked on Foster's, Briggs', Barstow's and many of the other yards. The Eellses did the iron work on all the vessels built on the Barstow Yards as long as they carried on blacksmithing.
Capt. Elijah Barstow also built in Hanover in 1845 the bark "JUSTICE STORY," 199 tons, of Boston ; owned by Hardy & Baker, and used in the Mediterranean and Southern trade. Commanded at one time by Capt. Percival. She was built entirely of oak, copper fastened, and in 1859 she was under the command of Capt. Rider, sailing for Baker & Morrill, Boston. In 1865 she was under command of Capt. Moulton and owned by R. H. Yarrington, Boston. The last vessel built at this yard, and probably the last vessel built in Hanover, was by
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CAPT. ELIJAH BARSTOW.
Capt. Elijah Barstow in the year 1846. This year he built the schooner "DEANE," 89 tons, fisherman, Capt. Linnell and owned in Scituate by Elijah Barstow and George M. and Wil- liam P. Allen. From here Capt. Barstow went to the Fox Hill Yard, where he built in company with Capt. Waterman, the full account of which will be found in the chapter devoted to that yard.
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CHAPTER VIII.
MISCELLANEOUS YARDS IN HANOVER. 1736-1844. JOHN CLARK, NATH'L CLARK, BELCHER CLARK, SOLOMON BATES, COL. SETH BATES, DAVID KINGMAN, SAM'L ROGERS, ELIJAH HAYWOOD, JOSHUA TURNER, DEA. ISAAC PERRY, WM. COUSII- ING & CO., CALVIN TURNER, ICHABOD THOMAS, BENJ. STOCK- BRIDGE, MARTIN STOCKBRIDGE, ISAIAH WING.
Included in this chapter are accounts of the yards where ship- building was carried on for a brief time only by any one builder or firm, or yards about which little information is obtainable. There are many vessels whose builders cannot be ascertained. A list of these vessels is inserted at the end of this chapter. The following is from an old newspaper.
" Boston, June 7th, 1714, at a Court of Assize held here the first Tuesday of May last, a certain person convicted of forging and counterfeiting and uttering 5-20 shilling Bills of Credit of this Province and putting off the said Bills of Credit, or some of them, at the value of true Bills of Credit, was ordered and sentenced by the said Court to be set in the Pillory in the Market Place near the Town House on Thursday 27th of May, have one of his ears cut off, branded on the right cheek with the letter F and suffer 12 months imprisonment &c, which was accordingly put into Execu- tion on the said day."-Boston News Letter.
If a punishment less severe could have been inflicted on the people who kept the records of these days at the Ports of Entry with almost criminal negligence and the same punishment inflicted on the British who took away at the evacuation of Boston, nearly all the records, we might in a measure feel revenged for the harm done our history of the shipping interest. Although we have proof that many vessels were built here between 1715 and 1780, the records of scarcely half a dozen have been preserved. The papers often referred to these
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EARLY SHIPBUILDING IN HANOVER.
vessels in a general way, an instance of which is found in the following extract :
. Boston (June 12, 1727). We hear from the Towns on the Cape that essels which have been employed on the Whale Fishery off at Sea this Spring, are generally upon the Return, the Season for their taking of them being near over, and the Whales being wild and a moving posture, in which they run with incredible Speed, and to a vast distance, which has been too long a run for our Vessels hitherto to pursue them in, so as to know their resort, but one vessel has been (we hear) fitted out for, and sent out upon a discovering Voyage, for that end; the return of which some are even impatiently waiting for: Great Success hath this Spring attended that dangerous design in the general, altho' some have returned empty : the Value of what has been taken that way in Oil, Bone, &c. within the 3 Spring Months by the Vessels Crews fitted out from the Towns on the Cape, from Rhode Island, and Nantucket, is what will amount higher than usual; the Bone of one Whale lately brought in, weighed fifteen hundred and fifty Pounds. Divine Providence has wisely ordered it, that the places adjacent to the Sea, in some of which the Farmis are inconsiderable, to what they are elsewhere, may be supported by various ways sucking of the abundance of the Seas, and of the Treasures hid in the Sand."-The New-Eng Weekly Journal.
Barry says that " during the palmy days of shipbuilding in Hanover, 1800 to 1808, five or six yards were in active opera- tion and at least ten vessels were fitted annually for the sea. The scene of North River was one of animation and industry. Every morning the carpenters might be seen, crossing the pastures or walking along the river bank, or over the tiny RAINBOW BRIDGE' to the place of their daily toil." "The pastures too were strewed with timber, and teams of 'fat oxen' daily brought in, from the forests around, their loads of white oak, beech, hacmatack, maple, pine and other timber." All were active and when, on a Saturday night, 400 shipcarpenters gathered at Hanover 4 Corners it presented an appearance which has not been seen since the prosperous shipbuilding days. But the village is growing in wealth and in population, and though the alewives and the rum are fast growing scarcer, the town is on the eve of a prosperous future. 300 of herring were sold in 1799 at the Four Corners for 4 shillings, and 4 gal. of W. I. rum for £1 6s. In Barber's "Historical Collections " appears the following about Hanover :
" In 1837 there were 12000 pairs of shoes manufactured valued at $10500; males employed, 35 ; females, 26; There were three forges ; 130 tons of bar iron were manufactured : hands employed, 14. Two air and cupola furnaces, 2 anchor shops, I tack factory at which S hands were employed. Considerable business is done in shipbuilding."
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BARNEY GOULD.
In the summer of 1888 an elderly man passed through the " Corners," who will be remembered by the old people at least ; BARNEY GOULD, who made periodical trips to Boston with his handcart or wheel-barrow, over the old stage road years ago. Barney hails from Hyannis, and his yearly advent, as he toiled along the dusty road, was the delight of the small boy and excited much sympathy from older people in his partially demented state of mind. Most people thought he had made his last trip long since and he was almost forgotten, but he again made his appearance minus his trappings. Old age has claimed him and the vigor of his youthful days has departed, but his old habits cling to him and he thought that he would make one more journey and bid farewell to the many friends, who, in old times, welcomed him and furnished him entertain- ment on his lengthy tramps. He remained over night at the "Corners" with Mr. Hutchins, and started with renewed courage the next day. This was probably the last time that Hanover people will see poor Barney. He once took a letter from Hanover to San Francisco and brought an answer back for six cents. He travelled all the way on foot and loves to tell of his experiences with the Indians and in the mining camps in the mountains ; he is now 69 years old.
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