And Weelum led in the laughter in which everybody joined.
Haunted by Presentiment.
When Weelum passed away suddenly on April 1st four years ago, I was in Los Angeles, and could not sleep the previous night. There was a premonition of impending misfortune haunting me, so I hurried to the local C.P.R. office next morning where Polly—Mr. A. A. Polhamus—handed me two telegrams. While I am nearly as blind as a bat without spectacles, I hastily and distinctly read the despatches without glasses. One was from Charlie Foster, saying that Mr. Stitt was dangerously ill; the other of later sending was from my secretary, Bessie James, that he had died that morning in Captain Walsh’s office, adjoining mine. I was grief-stricken, and sadly walked over to where Alex. Calder and John McKechnie, two dear old Winnipeg friends of both Weelum and myself, were awaiting me, and wistfully whispered: “William Stitt is dead.” Their sorrowing downcast looks were pathetic. There was a sickening tugging of the heart-strings and tear-dimmed eyes, for we mourned as many another did over the passing away of one of the dearest souls God ever put life in.
Captains Courageous.
Vessels of the C.P.R. plough the waters of two oceans, and I don’t know how many lakes and rivers, but enough to require a large fleet. Let me tell you something about the sailors bold who have been for years in the company’s service, and some of whom distinguished themselves during the great war.
Capt. Troup, now manager of the B.C. coast steamers, was a “swift-water” man whose early training among the rapids of the Columbia River served him in good stead on the Columbia and Kootenay lakes. He has made a wonderful success of our coast fleet, and is still going strong. His able assistant was Capt. Gore, who is now pensioned.
Capt. Rudhlin, who was of the original crew of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Beaver, the first steamship to ply the waters of the Pacific Ocean, served many years with the C. P. Navigation Company, and after amalgamation with the C.P.R., he was the first commander of the crack Princess Victoria. Capts. Hickey and Griffin keep the boats on the triangular run going with such regularity in all weather that residents of Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle set their watches by the Princess boats.
Of the transpacific officers, Capt. Marshall brought the Empress of India out in 1890, and after successfully sailing her for many years was appointed an Elder Brother of Trinity House, the highest honor open to men of the mercantile marine. Capt. Lee commanded the Abyssinia, when first chartered for the China trade, and took the Empress of Japan, when built in 1891, and had great success with her until his retirement on a well-earned pension.
Capt. Harry Mowatt fitted out the Athenian for the Skagway trade when the Klondyke firs opened up. He made a wonderful record for his ship as a horse and troop transport to the Philippines during the Spanish-American war, and went to Liverpool as marine superintendent when the Atlantic Steamships Line was inaugurated in 1903, where he did yeoman service during the early anxious years of the new venture.
Capt. William Stewart, a fine example of the old school North Atlantic skipper, was in command of the Lake Champlain when first acquired by the company. He took over the Empress of Britain, when built. Originally a ship’s carpenter, he helped to build and was the first commander of the barque Lake Simcoe. She was also his first ship. Going home on the Britain on his last voyage before retirement a vessel on fire was sighted. Approaching closer, the barque was found to be abandoned but was identified as the Lake Simcoe. He and his first ship ended their career together.