The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-06-10
johnny Shrimplg Compogition.


/ like boats. When l am big, I
mean to have as many boats as l want.
I once read 4 book written by Mr..
Sparrowgrass. lie said that a boat
was a good thing to have in house,
if they>be any water near
I think so too.
Pa says he'll buy me boat when
be gets rich. He says he's 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 pew in church, and Johu
Barleycorn, and other neeessaries OF
life. | think a boat is more 4 necesis
airy of lie than 4 pew in church
any day. 1 wonder who John Bar
ieycorn is, and Why he wants to buy
him.
Aunt Jerusha says that if that boy
has a boat he'll be sure TO tumble
overheard, and be brought home
wringing wet, and dead as door
nail, by the police, on a shutter II
would be fun. The cops bring me
home by the coat color or by the ear
1t hurts-I think a shutter would be
much better.
I rowed pa over to Hoboken once
Pa says it's good for boys to row
and good for men to set in the sterr
of the boat and be rowed. Sometimes
boys have too much of a good thing
l had it theD.
1 caught crabs when rowing t;
Hoboken. / caught 'em with my oar
and they knocked me of the seat
Pa said not to care, it would maxi
me grow to be knocked over in tbt
bottom Of leaky boat; it vets thei
trowsers anI makes 'em feel sticky
1 don't call that growing.
1 don't like to bail out boats. Wher
the boat is leaky, | take Dieky
Mopps with ne. He's littlor than
am, and l can make him do all III
bailing. Once pa said he could no
pay the rent, and must be arrested, ans
who could he get to bail him out
1 said "Dieky Mopps' Pa said
"Don't be a fool." Ma says that pa
often asks very unreasonable thing
of me, and expects too much.
l ike to build little steamboats,
Aunt Jerusha says l used up ali hci
spools Of cotton for cylinders anC
rigging. l borrowed some of ID,
wheels from the kitchen clock one,
10 make I4...el....~.y--.Al tho elccl,
has never run sincs. Ma found it out
and told Aunt Jerusha that I ha(
wonderful talent, aud would make :
great mechanic. But when | took ;
wheel, and a needle, and some othei
things, out of her sewing machine
ma said 1 ought to be whipped sound
ly. 1 don't see why one thing dom
show as much talent as the other.
Aunt Jerusha says l am dragging
her to an early grave, because l tool
her glasses out other spectaeles, and
her old thimble, and her pill-boxes
and the top Of the tea kettle, to make
up into things for my boat. Shc
says she'll tell pa.
Pa says my boat is very nice. Sc
1 didn't tell him cut out the hull
with his razor, and made the sails oui
of piece Of his shirt. Pa says the
washerwomen are very careless. One
Of them washed the back all out oi
of his shirts. l think shirt stuff
makes very good sails. l mean to
make a good many boats, and
know a boy whose father keeps Z
watch store, and has lots of little
wheels and things. That boys pamC
is Spriggins-Hank Spriggius.
gave him an apple to-day. 1t wa:
sour, and l didn't want it. 1 mean
to make up to Sp-iggins, and see II
he won't give me some clock works
He can get them from his pa.
often get things from pa withou
bothering him by asking him before
hand. l take 'em. It saves trouble