American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1859-10-20
OITY OR LANCkgTER:
Thursday. october so,1sss
THE CABIN BOY
A sHIPMAsTER,s STORY.

On nv way across the Sound, fell 10
with two old sea captains--John Streeter
and Asa Morton with whom bad some
slight acquaintance. Capt. Streeter was
about three score, and bad followed the sea
during most ofhis life. Morton was con-
siderably younger but still a seaman of
much experience. The SUBJECT Of the alb
oli,ion ofiilogging in our navy came up in
course of conversation, and Capt. Morton
expressed himself very decidedly in favor
OF that aimeshonored institution the cat o.
mine tails. ,''2f} ~ r.
al am not prepared to say" remarked
Capt. S,reetsr 10 reply. "that the condition
'oi our man wars.men will be in every
.oase benefited by tie dbohtion Of hoggiug
though am sure that it,might be so. j
mean to say that the officers have 1t within
4heir power to do sway with oil kinds OF
.punishment RImean Ct course. for such
offences as are usually punished on ship
board" 5Tt. cata 1'a -'ol
"For my part" returned Morton, vi
shouldn't care to take command OF ship.
if the power Of Furnishing refractory sea-
men as I thought proper were tsken from
me-"
~. "Weil,n slid Capt. Streeter, II used to
thinkiust so. In fact. there were but few
masters more passionate or severe than !
was Men used 10 runawsy from me,and
on more than one occasion my life has
been in danger from che violence Of men
whom had abused. / used the cat and
the ropes end almost as freely as / used
my tongue; and ] used to wonder how n
happened that had the luck to get such
bad men. . ~ ....
When I was about forty years ofsge, I
took commend Of the ship Petersham. Sire
was an old craft, and had seen full as much
service as she was capable Of seeing with
safety. But her owners were willing "a
trust valuable cargo IN, her, SO ! would
not refSse to risk myself. We were bound
to Liverpool, and nothing unusunl hap
pened until sbour the eighth day out. when
We ran foul ofa small iceberg. It wss
early in the morning, before sanrise, and
not more than six or eight feet of ice was
above wassr,itbaving nearly all been aredt
'ed in the warm water, of the Gulf streams
did not think We had sustained much in
Jury, for the shock was eight; bat I wal
very angry and gave the lookout q sever'
punishment, withou. stopping to enquire
whether be could have seen, the berg Il
time to escape It.
My oabin.boy was named Jack Witbers
He was fourteen years ofage and this wa
hiSiifst voyage. i had taken him from Z
widowed mother. and had promised be
that / would see him well treated-that va
il he behaved himself. He was bright
Y,quick, Intelligent lad / soon made my
self believe that be had On awful disposi
tion. / faucied that he was the mos
stubborn piece Of humanity ! bad eve
come across. / made up my mind tba
=. be bad never been properly governed, an
resolved to break b,m in. told him L,
curb his temper before I'd done wi b him
In reply he told me that might kill hir
If | liked; aud Ifloeged ! him with the en-
Of the miszen top-galant ballards, till b
could hardly stand. I asked him il h
- had got enough, and be told me ] nigh
Rog him more If / wished H.. / felt
strong inclipaiion to throw the hoy over
board, batat that moment he staggere
back against The missep- mast from Sbsc
lutte weakuess, and / left him to himsel
4 When reasoned calmly about the boy
r. disposition was forced y acSnowledg
tlat be was one OF the smartest aud wos
faithful lads bad ever seen. When
asked him 10 do anything he would be o
iiksA Ecckes; but whenI ronghiy ordere
him 10 do il, then came the diSpoSitio
with which had found fault.
One day when il was very near noon,
s, spoke 10 him, and told him to 20 belo'
and bring up my quadrant, He va
loOkirg over the quarter rail. and i kne'
he did not hear me. aud the next time
{ tsroke. ripped out an oath. aud intimate
,sa u be Sidn'tmovs I'd help bin.
ri didn't hear ye," he said, with an il
dependent tone.