But she was never built for a lumber boat, though she carried six
million five hundred thousand feet; she was so big and it took so long
to load and discharge her that she lost twenty-five thousand dollars
on the voyage. Run her in the lumber trade and the demurrage would
break a national bank.
"Well, sir, after that lumber charter, old man Webb had a fit. He
tried her out on a few grain charters, but she didn't make any money
to speak of; and about that time the P. & S. W., with a view to
grabbing some Oriental freight for their road, got the control of the
steamship company away from Webb. The Oriental trade boom never
developed, and the regular steamers, carrying freight and passengers,
were ample to cope with what business the company was offered; so they
didn't need the Narcissus.
"As I remember it, she was expensive to operate. She had a punk pair
of boilers or she needed another boiler--or something; at any rate,
she was a hog on coal, and they laid her up until such time as they
could find use for her. I suppose after she was laid up a few years
the thought of all the money it would cost to put her in commission
again discouraged them--and she's been down in Mission Bay ever
since."
"But the Canal will soon be open," Matt suggested. "One would suppose
they'd put her in commission and find business for her between Pacific
and Atlantic coast ports.
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