Back in 1902, my grandfather was skipper of the Gloucester fishing schooner EMILY BEAL out of Portland Maine. They had a very good trip, and, coming home with a hold full of Cod. All went well, until, about one day out of Portland, the wind pooched completly. Not a breath of wind, mid summer, and the fish, already a week old, were in danger of rotting in the hold. This cargo was worth thousands of dollars, (1902 dollars) and Gramp was very concerned. He tried everything he knew to get some wind in the sails, he whistled, he soaked the sails, he had the crew run back and forth from port to starboard, but, nothing worked. He even had them lower the life boats and tow her. They came back aboard totally exhausted, and sprawled on deck in the summer sun. Finally, Gramp took to swearing, something he was very good at. That didnt work, so, he resorted to profanity. Everything in the book and some he made up as he went. "Why you mossy faced, snuff colored.... skin of a nightmare hauled over a ...bootjack!"

That didn't work either. Finally, the cook came up from below, a very pious old man. He had had all he could take of the blasphemous language, and he said to Gramp, S "Skipper, you are the best boats Captain in the state of Maine. If it was humanly possible to move this vessel, you would do it. Well, it aint. The best thing you can do is call on the Lord for help, give up a love offering, and I guarantee you will get your wind."

I guess Gramp figured that it was worth a try, so, he pulled from his pocket a silver dollar, threw it as had as he could, and yelled "Sell me some GD wind!" That coin no sooner hit the water when a gale blew up Sou'th East, and drove the EMILY BEAL a full 30 knots straight for Portland Head Light. As she approached, the main ripped right off the yard, and took the gaff with it over the side. Then, the jib let go, and she was at the mercy of the wind. She drove ashore at Cape Elizabeth among the ledges and piled up in a great mess. There was fish, men and what was left of the EMILY all washed up on the shallow beach. It was a miracle, and, as Gramp looked around to see that all hands made it safely ashore, the cook, waving his hands around yelled "YOU GOT YOUR WIND, I TOLD YOU IF YOU CALLED ON THE LORD HE WOULD GIVE YOU SOME WIND, YES SIR!" Gramp, still looking at the wreck said "Ayah, but if I'd a known wind was that cheap, I wouldn't have ordered so much!" .