Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-10-12
was cordially invited to make one of

ouO patty n pdii VI nSaiCO
trowsers, with wide cut legs and wi
der terminations, a white shirt, just
from his bureau, white socks, neat seal
skin pumps, dandy Panama hat,
flowing black silk cravat, an immense
pongee silk handkerchief Of many col
ors, completed his costume. He dis
dained to wear coat or jacket in
such weather, and the sleeves of his
shirt were turned each half way up
the forearm, revealing strong, mus
cular and well-strung limb. He cvi-
IDENTIFY believed himself to be in ire
proachable costume. ..
Mr.. Knowlton, we are delighted
to see you. Walk in, and take a seat,
and help yourself to some refreshment,
We are much indebted to you for this
delicious retreat"
"Thank you, gentlemen; thank you
kindly come to see if lhe thing snit-
ed. You don't owe me nothin'; all
was paid fair and squarf. Eff I ever
take refreshment it's about this time,
arter my days works aone. 'Tis
kind of comfortable, amt it?"
awe find it exceedingly so; but
pray, help yourself; the decanter,
glass, and water stand before you
Gentlemen and ladies, | looks
toward you. May you all pass over
the ocean of life with fair winds, and
never be popped by the sea of adver-
sity."
"Have you been long settled here,
Mr.. Knowlton ?"
al hev lived here forty year, and
was Sc year old when I settled upon
that ere farm" exclaimed the old man,
pointing in the direction ofhis house.
What! do you really mean to
say that you are 96 years Of age?"
Every day on it. l went to sea
forty year afore | came here, and was
l6 year old when | ran away from
my boss, who was ship builder in
New York"
Your life must have been very
regular and exemplary; probably you
were abstemious in your food, and es-
pecially in your drink"
"Sartin | never eat more'n | want,
and generally limit myself to a quart
Of New England day; hut | hev
seen the time when that much warn't
counted worth talkin' about
Here was a revelation which non
plussed the sages, shocked the disci-
Piles Of total abstinence, and filed the
ladies with surprise, while the militia
ry men present twisted their NOUS
taches and silly winked at each other.
"You say that you were a sailor
for forty years: you must have seen
much of the world, Mr.. Knowlton."
"Reckon | hev. Many's the ups
and downs old Knowlton hes he'd, and
none the worser for it neither"
MAY l ask if you followed any
particular line of trade, or did you
ramble about indiscriminately ?"
"Ramble! l didn't do anything else.
l sailed the ocean in every kind of
craft, from a frst-rate line-ofbattle
ship to sloop drogher, and followed
all kinds of business, from a regular
trader to a black-bird catcher, and
from that to pirate"
" Good heavens You really do rot
mean that, Mr.. Knowlton. You would
not make such an assertion if it were
true"
Vast heavin' and b'lay all for a
while, till tell you more'n you seem
to know jes now. There amt nobody
alive nowadays as can prove anything
again old knowltOn. No, Stree
whatever | says here might or might
not be true, and l reckon it would
puzzle you to ketch old knowlton
a-doin' fool thing at his time of life
but ef you hev mind to hear a yarn
and the ladies amt Objectionable, III
spin one for you, and tell you how
came to be pirate"
"You certainly have no enemies
here, Mr.. KnowIton, and your life for
forty years has been without signal
reproach. You are called a good
generous neighbor, and you are not
among those who would mislead you
under any circumstances. We shall
be only too well pleased to hear youl
narrative"
knowlton arose, bowed his &C
acknowledgements, gave bis trowsers {
fresh pull, reflled his glass, squared
himself in his seat by lifts and bra
ces,' as he termed it, and gave us th'
following episode in his eventful ca
reer:
"KiDg George of England was King
of Ameriky when | run away from oil
Mark Bolton, ship-builder, New York
and devil of a life | led with him fo
two years. His wife was a goodisl
woman, who used to help out my low
ance of grub, and parcel over my dev
ilishness to keep old Knowlton iron
boxin' the compass bout my ears ev
cry time he came home half drunk
Many's the time I'd gone to bed with
out shot in my bread locker but 70
the old woman, who, arter Bolto
had come to an anchor in his big arm
chair, would bring me bait of goo
meat and bread. But the good oil
woman was nigh worn out with trout
lie, and one night she slipped her CT
BILE and put to sea upon what parson
call the ocean of eternity | see
the old woman slowed away all righ
and then shipped as cabin boy aboar
a West Injy trader. The skippe
took likin' to me, and showed m
all the navigation he knowed, whic
.
, warn't much, but would answer fc
the trade he was in. | sailed wit
! Captain Jones three voyages, whe
he made me second mate. | was nea
! ly nineteen, and a smart, active la'
able to navigate the brig, and coul
r stow cargo of sugar of molasse
t bilge and bilge, or bilge and cuntlir
, 'gainst any man in the trade. o.
next trip was to St. Jago de Cub
where Captain Jones took the Yale
: fever and slipped his wind. All tt
r crew follered except me, and thel
!. was dozen or more craft lyin' the
J. without soul aboard, and their yart
;. playin' Isaac and Josh, whilst the