Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1851-12-03
From the Star Spangled Bonner.
OBTAINING LIQUOR; Or, u Sailors
Prank,
BY cot, CLAY,

neat medium sized brig under easy sail,
Before fresh breeze entered one of the
little harbots on the Pacific coast, and
rounded to and anchored in true whale
man style.
No sooner had the anchor fairly rested
upon the bottom Of the harbor than all
was hustle and confusion for moment
only, for the crea1, obedient to the COM
manG of the officers sprang into the rig
ging, and ere many minutes had elapsed,
every sail, fore and aft, was snugly furled
and the men returned to the deck.
THO brig was small whaler, which
after fortunate cruise, had made the
harbdr for the purpose of recruiting.
o. 1t is somewhat general practice with
whalemen on reaching port after lengthy
cruise, to have regular blow out, and
Shis the crew. of the brig Martha, number
ing in all some twenty, were determined
on. The officers permission obtained, a
u boat was despatched to the little village
at the head of the harbor to obtain keg
of liquor On which they were to make
themselves generally happy:
The boat had been gone some three or
four hours when it was returning, but the
short, quick timeless stroke of the oars
men satisfied all ON board the brig that
there was something to pay that the key
so costly slowed away in the stern of the
boat, was as empty as when first placed
there.
This is a hard one, All the prospects
of 'one jovial time which the crew had
so long had in embryo, were dashed to
the earth.
Tho boat neared the brig, and slowly
the crew clambered up the side. Sad
ness was depicted Oh every countenance.
Say, old boy q said one of the crew
to the foremost of those who left the boat,
what lack Q
What luck, Bill, answered the other,
cant you tell BY fellows phiz what
luck there is with us, Not drop
:Not DROP
Nos cussod drop, l tell you, There
isn't liquor enough in the whole village
/" corn mosquito, perdition take it =
Here, there was a general exclamation
Of Course the luck =
Every drop in the village has been
collected by those fellows in that Eng
fish ship over our stern there. They
ranSackcd the village and made raise of
about twelve gallons, and tonight they
are to have time, while We had to run
Go the brig with an empty keg, and suck
our fingers said another of the boats
crew.
But, say boys said one, couldn't we
prevail on that ships crew to let us have
a little for love or money They know
how to pity us, and besides they have so
much
No, We tried them OH our return,
said the first speaker Of the boats crew,
and not cussed drop should we Van
KEGS have, they said.
Blast their stingy souls, chimcd in
one Of the crew, ',They all deserve to
90 to the bottom together. They were
thinking of the late war, perhaps when
YOU asked them
Oily Saint Patrick preserve us from
liver bein' so stingy, said an Irishman, a
good natured fellow. 1T is the nature OF
thi0 John Bulls to be so. But niver a
bit do ne care for them, only if they will
Rot be grateful for our letting them of
so aisy in the last war, we will whip them
harder the next time. Sure and it is
only drap that l would be afther liking
to Rhet this swate whistle of mine, curse
them.
The boys tried to make themselves con-
tented over their hard lot, but there was
set of woeful looking conntenances
about the briggs deck throughout the
day.
Among the crew was a small-sized
chap, Yankee of the real stamp, who
was generally beloved among the crew
for his many excellent qualities,
Charley was a smart fellow, and but
for his love of strong drink, might
made one of the smartest officers that cv-
er trod a ships deck AS it was, he lost
his life by being percipitated from the
fore -topmast yard, on the deck some time
after, while in state of intoxication.
As the evening drew near, Charley was
seated near the forward part of the brig,
his face long, and his countenance indis-
cribable, watching now the shore, now
the blue armament above, and now turn
ing and gazing upon the English ship
Astern, evidently in deep meditation.
Suddenly he sprang from his seat and
leaped some four feet into the air and at
the same time shouting at the extent of
his lungs, hul$op
For an instant all supposed that the
want Of liquor had driven Charley mad.
BUT his next exclamation
Boys have it p satisfied them on
that score, and made them quite as eager to
learn what he had.
Boys, he continued; we will have
our time to-night-blast them. We will
have it, and we will have it on their Ii
quor, too
How now 9 was the general cxcla-