Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-09-06
Conquering a Sea Dog.

Cong uering a Sea Dog.
Some years ago, when the old ship
.Liehtheart was new and stanncli, and
when had command of her, there hap.
pened on board an incident. over which l
have laughed many time, when memory
has brought it back to me. loaded al
Mobile with cotton and ran to Liverpool
Among my crew was young man named
Rannot-Sam we always called him. He
was then one Of the largest formed men |
ever saw. and came from somewhere In
New England. He stood six feet and five
inches in his bare feet, and was stout and
bulky in proportion. He had one fault.
and that was an inOrdinate pride of strength
He was not quarrelsome. nor had he re-
vengeful point in his character. and yet he
was continually annoying and Fostering
the crew. Hardly a day passed that he
did not give one or more of them bodily
pain by his freaks. He would catch a poor
fellow by the legs, and swing him over his
head, at the imminent risk OF smashing
his br ins out against the mast or hull
warks. and then he would laugh hugely at
the poor mans fright. Sometimes he
would seize man by the arms and lav
him upon the deck, and in no easy manner
either. 1t was no use for a man to reinon-
strate for he would be sure to repunish
them i'll some way.
OF course forbade Sam from doing
such things, but he could not remember
my orders longer than over one MI ight.-
The love of fun US he called it, was fixed
too strongly upon him, and it could not
be taken out of him. He did not realize
how unpleasant his pranks We're. nor did
he know that the rest Of the crew had
grown to dislike him. They had adopted
many eXDedients to cure him. but they all
failed. and Though he had often been made
the butt of practical jokes-sueh az sud
den drenching in cold sea water Will, he
slept and other .hings equally unpleasant
vet he always paid his to-inrntors off
with interest. He was in fact, the worst
practical joker ever saw, aud not whit
did he care. SO long as he exhibited his
herculean strength and hroke no bones.
When nv ship arrived at Mobile. on the
return voyage. another cargo of cotton
was ready for me. and was ordered to
load and he off lis quick as possible But
no sooner was the snip cleared than my
men-all but Sam Rannot-caine aud in
for,ned me that they could not go with me
again unless Sam was discharged. Was
not prepared for this. In heavy work Sam
was worth any other three men OIL board.
and always willing and ready. Yet
knew how the crew suffered from his
thoughtless prauks, ana could not blam,.
them. told the men to come to me on
the following day, and l would give them
an answer.
At first I thought Of promising til en-
that would sec that the old sea dog would
not annoy them any more. hut | soOn con :
vnced myself that that would be of no use.
Sam would cut up his capers when
could not see him. and the men would not
report him every time he hurt them. But
soon new idea entered my head. had
"A brother who owned large cotton planta
tion on Chickasaw. dis place was
not over fifteen miles from Mobile. and he
had Just the man | wanted. His big arms
were like iron. and his breast aud shuul-
drrs like large bundle Of wire done up
in raw OK hide.
bantered my brother to let me have Ca
to for one or two voyages.
Take him and welcome, said he
Hes getting too important here.
What's he ugly ? asked.
%. no; just the other way. He's ton
good n,tured altogether. He sets the very
sancho into the other boys. I've mad,
too much of him.
And will he work 2
Yes.
So got Cato for twelve dollars month.
as long as | wanted him, with the privilege
of having him for one cruise only for moth
ing But took him, for better or for
worse, and agreed to pay for his services.
On the next day l went ON board the
ship, and when the men came to ME for
my answer. asked il they would sail
with Sam if would produce a quiet inof
fensive man who could handle him and
take said man to sea with lne. The,
said they would have gone for nothing. fol
the sake OF seeing Sam conquered. ltol,
them he should be, and enjoined them t.
secresy, which they promised
When Cato found he was going to sea
with me he was beside himself with Joy
aud when came to tell him what wan
ted ot him. he laughed TIL the tears rolled
great black checks
On the very day of sailing brought Ca
to oa board. Al first the men exhibited
some signs of dislike, but when they found
what u Jolly good hearted old fellow ht
was, they gave in. Sam Ranuot winkcd
proaisiously when he saw the new man