lived in company housing.  But he still dreamed dreams of becoming a ship’s captain.

One night as he was coming home from worker a beggar in a dirty green suit with funny shoes approached him and asked for $ .50 so he could eat. Poor Edgar didn’t have much money but felt sorry for the guy and gave him a couple of quarters. Just as he handed the beggar the quarters there was a bright light and the beggar revealed himself as an elf. Because of his kindness the elf was willing to grant him one wish. Well Edgar had heard the fairy tales of elf wishes backfiring but he so wanted to be a Captain that he blurted out “ Make me a Captain of a great steamship “.The elf said as you have asked so shall it be.

Suddenly Edward John Smith and family found themselves back in England. The year was 1887 and he was Captain of the Republic in the White Star line.

The elf had  even provided them with a house worthy of a ship’s Captain.

Captain Smith rose rapidly in the quality of his commands until he was Captain on the maiden voyages of the biggest and best of the White Star ships. He took command  of the Baltic, then the Adriatic, and finally the Olympic on their maiden voyages. He ate in the Captains dining room with the rich and the famous. From time to time he would remember his roots and invite a family from steerage to eat with him.

In April of 1912 he was asked to Captain the newest and greatest of the White Star ships on its maiden voyage. He stood on the deck and thought back over his life as a Captain. He remembered the elf and the wish. Then he thought he had always been told not to accept a wish from an elf because it would backfire. But here he is the most important ship Captain in the world. He would go down in history as having Captained every major ship of his time.  He thought that stuff about not taking a wish from an elf is just nonsense or I’m not the Captain of the Titanic.