A Diplomatic Salute in Fort Blakely
A French ship captain, confused by the celebratory shouting in a local harbor, fires a salute in honor of the wrong man.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
There is a large French ship at anchor in Fort Blakely harbor named Petit Bourgeois, with a French commander who cannot speak or read a word of English. Yesterday morning on the arrival of the PORT INTELLIGENCER at that place announcing the nomination of James G. Blaine for President, this Frenchman noticed an unusual stir among the men on shore and inquired the cause. A gentleman explained that a great man had been chosen for President. The Captain hastened back to his vessel and proceeded to fire a salute in honor of, as he supposed, the new President of the United States.
“The Captain hastened back to his vessel and after trimming her out in fine shape proceeded to fire a salute.”
Small harbor towns like Fort Blakely (now part of Bainbridge Island) were vital maritime hubs in the 1880s where global news intersected with local industry. This story serves as a charming reminder of how disconnected communities were from the political centers of the East, relying on ship-delivered news that could sometimes lead to amusing diplomatic misunderstandings.
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