The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-11-26
JOHNNY SHRIMP'S COMPOST.
TI0N.
ON BOATS AND BOAT-MAKING.

| like boats. When | am big |
mean to have as many boats as | want.
l once read book written by Mr..
Sparrowgrass. He said that boat
was good thing to have in the house,
especially if there be any water near.
1 think SO too. Pa says he'll buy me
a boat when he gets rich. He says
be is so poor now he can hardly get
clothes to his back. He bought a
nice new coat only last week. He
says he can't afford boat, though he
has to buy cigars, and a new pew in
church, and John Barlcycorn and,Oth-
er necessarics of life. think Il boat
is more of a necessary of life than .
pew in a church, any day. | wonder
who John Barleyeorn is, and Why he
wants to buy him. Aunt Jerusha
says if that boy has a boat he'll be
sure to tumble overheard, and be
brought no re wringing wet and dead
as a door nail, by the police, on a
shutter. 1t would be fun. The cops
bring me home by the coat collar or
ear. 1t hurts-I think a shutter
would be much better. l rowed pa
over to Hoboken once Pa says it's
good for boys to row, and good for
men to sit iu the stern of the boat and
be rowed. Sometimes boys have too
much of good thing. 1 had it then.
| caught crabs when rowing to HO-
boken. 1 caught 'em with my oar,
and they knocked me off the seat. Pa
said not to care-it would make me
grow to be knocked over in the bot
tom of a leaky boat; it vets their
trousers and makes them feel sick. l
don't cali that growing. don't like
to bail out boats. When the boat is
leaky l take Dicky Mopps with me-
He is littler that l am and [ can make
him do all the bailing. Once pa said
he could not pay the rent, and must
be ARRESTED. and who should he get
to bail him out? 1 said "Dicky
Mopps.' Pa said, "Don't be a fooll'
Ma says that pa sometimes asks very
things of me and ex
poets too much. l like to build little
steamboats,. Aunt Jerusha says l
used up all her spools of cotton for
cylinders and rigging. l borrowed
some Of the wheels once from the
kitchen clock to make machinery with,
and it has never went since. Ma
found it out and told Aunt Jerusha
that 1 had a wonderful talent, and
would make a good mechanic. But
when / took a needle and some other
things out of her sewing machine,
ma said l ought to be whipped sound
ly. l don't see why one thing don't
show as much talent as the other
Aunt Jcrusha says that l am drag
giug her to an early grave, because
took the old glasses out of her spec
tacles and her old thimble and pill.
boxes and the top of the tea-kettle to
make up the things for my boat. She
says shel tell pa. Pa says my boat
is very nice. So l didn't tell him l cut
out the hole with his razor, and made
the sails out of q piece of his shirts.
Ha says the washerwomen are very
careless. One of them washed the
back all out of his shirt. l think
stiff shirts make good sails. mean
to make a good many boats, and l
know a boy whose father keeps a
watch store, and has lots of little
wheels and things. That boys name
is Spriggins--Hank Spriggins. 1
gave him an apple to-day. 1t was
sour and | didn't want it. l mean to
make up to spriggins and see if he
won't give me some elock-works. He
can get some from his pa. often
get things from my pa without both
ering him by asking him beforehand.
| take 'em, 1t saves trouble.