Life — September 10, 1885 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

152 > LIFE which always attended the Petroleum, and upon which he entertained everyone who was worth it in the most magnifi- cent style. Elisha Cadoudle was now without doubt the most promi- nent man in America. Sporting and society papers had his name set up in a dozen different varieties of type. Men famous on Wall street and Fifth avenue, men famous in the society columns of our daily papers, men whose pedigrees reached back to the civil war—all were proud to be seen with this upstart, the great man of the hour. The fact that he never invited anyone to sail on the Petroleum only made him the more notorious, Ii, The day of the great race was here. Cadoudle had crowded his steam yacht with friends and naval experts whom he had asked to witness the performance of the wonderful Pefrolewm, He mentioned casually but invari- ably in his invitations that he had given the captain orders to keep close to the Petroleum all through the race. As the two famous antagonists moved down toward the starting line, the rude and ugly model of the American yacht did not compare favorably with the beautiful English racer. Nor did she move with that speed which one would expect, but rather with the sluggish movement of an East River lighter with a head tide. Nevertheless, Cadoudle looked confident. At first the Petroleum did very badly and was left almost out of sight. When she was out of sight, however, she commenced to go. Sailing almost in the eye of the wind, with the steam yacht just ahead of her, she started after her flying rival. Faster and faster she went, while Cadoudle kept shouting wildly at the steam yacht to put on more steam and keep out of his way. A mile from the finish the English- man was caught, and the Pefro/eum was rushing through the water at a speed never before or since exhibited by a sailing vessel. The fast steam yacht, which was now doing her best, could not increase the distance between them. The brass bands on the big excursion steamers bellowed forth, “See the Conquering Hero Comes.” “Go it, Cadou- dle!" yelled ten thousand patriotic hoarse throats; and as the craft shot like an arrow across the line and took in her spinnaker, Elisha Cadoudle and his boat received an ovation which no one who was there can ever forget. III. Of Elisha Cadoudle’s subsequent career it is not necessary to say anything. The world knows the histories of its great gentlemen and prize fighters by heart; but the Petroleum will always remain a mystery to the nautical world. She never sailed another race, for, as is well known, having been strained severely in her great race, she was lost on a short cruise in too deep water to be raised; and no one ever noticed a hawse hole below the water line in her bows or a fine steel cable coiled up forward. Several yachts were built after her model from drawings kindly furnished by Cadoudle, but they were all failures. CRM. IMPRUDENT PRUDENCE. RONDE-AU CONTRAIRE. HEN Prudence was a bud untaught, And took the caramels I bought, With golden ribbons ‘round the box, The very color of her locks, She was a paragon, I thought. Each idle word she lisped was fraught With sentiments that came unsought, Yet well I knew to play the fox When Prudence was. The countless battles then I fought With Cupid all have come to naught ; My heart withstood his rebel knocks And never fluttered for her frocks ; Egad, I found I was n't caught When Prudence was. Idle Idyller. ERVOUS old lady boards a train; when about to seat herself, discovers a horrid man with a gun in the car. “ TL hope that thing is not loaded.” Frolicsome Sportsman: ‘Yes, Ma’am; it is. However, I will insert this cork in the muzzle. There! Quite safe now.” -The timid one is satisfied, Traveler; WHY 1S THE FARE SO MUCH MORE FROM CuHicaGo TO NEW YORK THAN FROM NEW YORK TO CHICAGO? Ticket Agent: EVER BEEN TO CHICAGO? Traveler: No. Ticket Agent: WELL, YOU WILL FIND IT IS WORTH TWICE AS MUCH TO GET AWAY AS IT IS TO GO THERE comicbooks.com