Westbrook High School - Blue and White Yearbook (Westbrook, ME)

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lf' 'HX few days later we read in a lloston paper that Capln Pickett and his wife with a crew of twenty-four men had sailed for Barbados with his ship Urn and a cargo of white pine lumberf, The captai.n's listeners leaned forward tensely, for they knew by the tone of the old man's voice that the interesting part of the story was coming Stltlll. llc never returned from that trip. The solemn tones frightened the youngest grandson. who almost whimpered aloud. The hrst time we heard or read anything about him was three or four months later. when I had opened a newspaper and saw his picture, the mate-'s picture. and a picture of the Urn. What did the paper say? excitedly questioned the older boy. The newspaper stated that the ship had been just a few days out of llarbados when it suddenly started sinking. lt sank so fast that the decks were soon awash and the crew didn't have an opportunity to save their belongings. The crew soon learned that the captain. his wife, and the second mate were missing, but as the captain's stateroom was under water by that time, they didn't have an opportunity to get to it. The newspaper also stated that the schooner Vrn was lost at sea with Captain l'ickett, his wife, and the second mate under very peculiar circum- stances. and that government officials were holding the first mate of the f'rn for questioning. XYhat had happened, K'ap'n asked the boy, 'bkccording to the testimony of the crew. it was believed that the mate had murdered L'ap'n l'ickett. his wife, and the second mate. llowever, none of the crew had a chance to get to the captain's stateroom before the ship sank: so they couldn't testify whether he was alive or dead before the ship sank. The crew did testify that they had felt no jar nor seen any obstacle that could have sunk the ship. They believed that someone had opened the sea cocks in the bottom of the boat. lint, Cap'n, interrupted one of his guests, how did the men escape from the sinking ship? 'lihe captain paused a moment before he an- swered. bnt he patiently explained. You see, the ship itself was wood so that it kept atloat for some timc. The men were rescued with the mate by a passing steamer. When the steamer reached llarbados, they gave to the revenue cutter the location of the sinking ship, and the cutter set out to find it and tow it hack to port if this could be done. The cutter never found the schooner because the dry pine wood mnst have swelled after coming in contact with the water and broken the ship in two, sink- ing it. You say it had a cargo of white pine lumber. t'ap'u cross-examined one of his elder guests. 'Wkliy didn't the lumber keep it afloat F Well, you see the lumber was packed in in such a way that it didn't have an opportunity to escape so that. it would be buoyant. Instead, it became a weight. Oh, I understand now. L'ap'n. tio on. please. Wlien the mate testified in defense of himself, he said that L'ap'n l'ickett. when he saw the ship sinking, had deserted her with his wife and the second inate in the quarter boat. The crew had noticed that the quarter boat was gone, but they believed that the ropes had been cut so that she went adrift, This was held against the mate be- cause the crew testified that no three men could alone launch her successfully. llowever, in spite of everyone's suspicions. the mate was released because of lack of evidence against him. Although we investigated the case thoroughly. since my wife and l were his friends, we could tind nothing to ineriminate the mate. So from that day to this no one actually knows what happened to Liap'n Pickett, his wife, and the second mate. Hee, that was a mighty interesting story, tQap'n, said his boy guest. Could you tell us another one 2 XYell, the old captain smiled. l can't think of one right this moment, but some other time. may- be. l'll have to look through some of my records to see if there are any more happenings like that. .Xnd then the old captain settled back in his chair to enjoy the rest of his cigar and talk politics with the elder guests. So, nothing more was said of the strange fate of liap'n I'ickett and the mysteries of the sea. lt. Xl.. '38,

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IIQIEEIIIIITII 15 Did they come very often, Cap'n? asked one of his guests. Sometimes, and then again we wouldn't see thrm for months. Depcnded on how long a voy- age he took. was the reply. W'ell, how did he happen to be killed? lf you will give me a chance to catch my breath. l'll tell you. the captain said, quietly. Then he continued, A little while after he was married Cap'n Pickett had saved enough money to buy himself a good sized schooner. lle found one to his liking in lingland. She was named the llru. and her former owner had made a contract with his mate concerning the selling of the boat. The former owner agreed in the contract that. if he should sell his ship, his mate would go with her and remain her mate. I 'lihat's mighty peculiar, Cap'n, said one of his elderly guests. l've never heard of that happen- ing before. Was it very common in those days 7' Yes, it was a frequent practice then. Many times officers who were not captains grew very fond of their master's ship and would never want to leave her. lf she was sold by the master. they tried to get the new owner to hire them. lint, interrupted his guest again, wouldn't the new owners object to this sort of agreement between a captain and his officers F Sometimes. but not very often, the old eap- tain replied. patiently ignoring the frequent inter- ruptions. Mostly the new owners would be glad to hire her former officers and crew because they, being fond of their ship. would take better care of her. .Xfter satisfying his questioning guest. the cap- tain resumed. Well, after buying his ship in lingland, Cap'n Pickett sailed her back to Boston. She made sev- eral successful voyages and Cap'n Pickett was quite proud of her. What did she look like. Cap'n asked his boy guest, who was interested in all the details. XVas she very big? Oh, yes, she was a good-sized boat about 350 feet long. She was a four-master, weighing well over a thousand tons. What was she made of, C'ap'n? 4 Jak, bound with steel. The old captain paused a moment to look down to the foot of the table at his youngest grandson, who was regarding him intently with solenm. blue eyes. and winked at him. Then, turning to his guests, he once more continued his story. l lowever. Cap'n Pickett had one trouble with the Urn-aml this was the mate. lfvidently the mate was jealous of Cap'n Pickett because the foriner owner had sold the ship to Cap'n Pickett instead of to him. lt was because of this jealousy that Cap'n Pickett was constantly having trouble with the mate. He couldn't get rid of the mate because of the contract. 'l'he last time we saw L'ap'n Pickett and his wife was when he came to visit us from lloston, lle had put his ship into lloston to load up with white pine boards for the Barbados. This lumber was used to build houses there. llow much lumber could she carry, tiap'n? asked the detailer. Well, being a large ship. l should say she car- ried two or three million feet. Gosh, was the amazed reply. Hilo on, Cap'n. pleasef' urged one of his quiet guests. Meanwhile, thc captains cigar had gone out. and so before he began again. he lit it on one of his listeners proffered matches. After a few seconds' enjoyment with his cigar, he began again from behind a haze of smoke. L'ap'n Pickett had Colne to see us from lioston. bringing his wife and some presents for us. W'e were very glad to see them and enjoyed their visit. When l asked about the ship and the mate. t'ap'n Pickett shrugged his shoulders and said that he couldn't understand his matt-'s attitude. lle said that they had quarreled the day he left to come lo visit us. Did he have trouble with his mate very often. Cap'n? asked the boy. Yes, he did, and Cap'n Pickett was considering ways of getting rid of the man. llowever. the next day he left for lloston, after promising that he would come to see us again as soon as he and his wife returned from their trip to llarbados.

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l!lQlllL6llHl'I'll 17 OUR WORLD A blue ribbon lies on a llanket of green .-Xnd ripples as breezes blow by: A powerful light sends a dazzling sheen From another blue ocean on high. To us tiny mortals, the scene is our world .Xnd for thousands of years has been new, llut ideas would be changed anzl illusions untwirled If we looked down from Go:l's point of view. P. D., '37, JANE HERE -lane! -lane! the nurse tried to arouse the wax-like figure. .Xre you sleeping, lane? Come, wake up. See, we are passing l.ake View liarm. lt's very beautiful. lane. The girl remained motionless. .Xre you ill, .lanei There still was no response. For hours the girl had sat like the sculpture of a nun carved on an ancient cathedral. .Ks the nurse placed her arm about .lane's shoulders, a black Veil, concealing the girl's face, was abruptly pushed back as her rigid body re- acted to what was evidently a mental disturbance. .N white face peered forth: eyes blankfstaring. livery feature was absolutely passive: a suffering, submissive face. Yes, it revealed signs of suffer- ing, mental suffering, perhaps. because her body was a healthy looking one. Indeed, the young woman had the strength of any ordinary girl- sometimes more! That face had been beautiful once, beautiful with stainless innocence that so often finds its place in the expression of baby faces. -lane had been a sweet little girl and innocent, too, ller greatest joy was visiting the church at Maytown, Often her restless feet would tread the beautiful llaytown woods. where, with her rosary, she would slip off into some quiet forest nook to pray. Perhaps that change had been brought about by the unfortunate actions of her drunkard father. .Xt least most people thought so. They knew -lane always disappeared into the forest when her wicked father came home displaying the bad effects of liquor. When such was the case, village folk would Silyl .lane has slipped off to the forest to pray. ller father must be drinking again. There came a day when Joe Here, in an unusual state of intoxication, bellowed: Damn you! XVhy do you pray on those beads ller humble answer only enraged the bully more. Hlteeause the Sisters taught you to he snorted. They filled that good-for-nothing head of yours with a lot of bunk about God, l suppose. lle staggered toward her violently continuing, Go ahead-pray! I suppose you think there's a devil, too? Well, by the grace of your God, I hope you are possessed by the devilfl Sneering, he caught the frightened girl by the shoulders. ller beads slipped from her hands as he shook her. I wish the devil would get into that soft Hip- pant heart of yours and stay there. l!wish-I hope- XYith a tlmmp he fell to the floor-death a curse on his lips. lfrom that very moment ,lane llere was, indeed, possessed by the devil: she was crazed: she was controlled completely by an inner voice that con- tinually spoke to her. It had possession of her mind-her soul-her body. .lane's friends brought her to Father Forbes, the alaytown priest. They had to carry her there. At sight of the priest she became quite enraged and acquired a strength almost unbelievable. llreaking away from the two lrish policemen who held her. she ran to the priest. snatched his rosary out of his hands, and cast it through the window with such force that the glass was broken! The police hurried away: the father prayed: and the girl raged. Nevertheless, liather lforbes continued praying, while the girl struggled with two mocking voices running through her mind! l'ray with the priest, pray with the priest. suggested one voice. l le's making a fool of you, he's making a fool of you, insisted the other. ln spite of this conflict. the girl had promised to attend Mass the following morning. That evening at twelve o'clock liather liorbes was carried to the hospital with a severe case of