Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-18
IuveniIc stowawars.

ilut, udu Sleduleu past SANDY HOOK, nOneWaFu
bound, the pilot had left and with his No. l6
pilot boat was rapidly being lost to our sight,
when scuffle was heard in the ueIghborhOod Of
the engine room, and the chief engineer sudden
ly appeared on the quarter deck, leading in two
smoke-begrimmed urchins, who, in the most
nCnchalant manner possible, first cast their eyes
westward, 10 assure themselves of the safe dis
tanee oil the pilot boat, and then touching their
hair, for caps they had none, politely addressed
the captain with "Pease, sir, we've come on
board" The passengers being nearly all assem-
bled on the deck, greeted the GOODNESS OF the
young ragamuffins with a shout Of laughter, in
which the captain, after vaiuly endeavoring TO
look severe, was fain to join. Eated by this
success, the stowawayS further mgratiated
themselves into the good Will of the passengers
BY turning cart wheels expressive of their de-
LIGHT, but were promptly brought to their feet
again by a couple Of smart but not angry cuffs
from the engineer. The captain now INQUIRED
where the boys bad been found, and was told in
the coal bunkers, which their appearance suffi-
GENTLY corroborated. Upon being asked when
they came on board, the eldest boy replied:
please, sir, me and Mickey (Mickey's a New
Yorker and I'm an Englishman,) came TO the
ship last night and aXed the steward to let us
work our passages across, and he wouldn't, so
we hid ourselves away among the Goals all
night, and wouldn't have come on deck so soon
only the fireman, sir, when he was getting Goals,
hit Mickey and me in the back with bis shovel,
and Mickey cried out, and we was COPIED by
him, pointing to the chief engineer, "and here
we are, sir
"And that boys named Mickey, eh2 and
what's your name p inquired the captain.
Jimmy, sir"
"Of Liverpool
Eyes, sir; Pm Jimmy from Liverpool, and
he's Mickey from New York"
Every good, then, quartermaster," cried the
captain; "take Jimmy from Liverpool, and
Mickey from New York, and throw them over
board"
"oh, OH" roared Mickey, opening his mouth
for the first time; 81 won't never stow away
again if you'll let me off this time"
Shut up. yer fool" said Jimmy; che amt
| going to do it,"
"Ain't he?" said Mickey, somewhat reas-
sured.
"Of course he amt; Tve Travelled on this ship
before"
oh? What's thatP' said the captain.
please, sir, said Jimmy, 81 came across
with you the last trip but one, sir; never travel
| on any other line" Jimmy's last impudent re-
mark, of course, delighted the passengers and
| disguised the aptain, who told the engineer to
| take the imps into the fire room and let them
work for their passage; but tine engineer not
wanting to be bothered by the bratS, the captain
HANGED them over TO the quartermaster and re-
tired. The last arrangement evidently gave
great satisfaction to the boys, who Immediately
showed their deXterity by carrying stools aud
chairs about for the ladies, and, in Short proved
themselves both useful aud amusing additions
to the "help" provided for the passengers. |
had an opportunity the next day of 'interview-
| ing" Jimmy, who proved to be bright speci-
men of the street Arabs that nfest the princip al
seaports on both sides of the Atlantic. In
answer to my questions of how many times he
had crossed the ocean, and why he selected this
| line of steamers, Jimmy replied: "Please sir,
I've been over four times, and always come on
these boats, COS gets so well treated. | gener-
| ally helps to swab the decks at night, and look
| after the ladies and gentlemen during the day.
| When they plays shovelboard, runs after the
| boards, and" looking meaningly at me, "the
| ladies and gents allus give me something for my
| trouble"
"And where do You get your food"
Il goes down in the pantry at meal-time and
helps the stewards TO clean the dishes, and allus
gets plenty to eat"
"And have you never been fogged on any of
your stoWaway expeditions"
ooh, no, sir. The captains are all kind men,
and this here one wouldn't hurt a fly. But ]
wasn't so lucky, though, when | crossed with
| him the last time, COS there was a great bio
man who was slowing away as well, and they
| showed us down in the tiTe-ro0m and made us
| shovel Goals. Oh, my wasn't it hot The bic
fellow used TO faint nearly every day One
| time he got regular fit, and had to be carried
| up on deck; that was the time when we used to
| take the red-hot Goals out of the furnace and
| play the hose on 'em. Then we couldn't see
tlCu OLleE races ZOE Lii6 smoke. On lOr, 1t
| awful. The fremen treated me well enough,
COS l used to make 'em laugh, ana sing songs
| to EN-, but they used TO swear at the big fellow
| and throw things at him, 'cos they thought he
was making believe to faint. But he wasn't
| He told me he had been starving IN Liverpool,
and we was more nor twenty four hours hiding
| before we showed ourselves, and the bic fellow
| nearly dropped from hunger and weakness, and
| if you'd only seen him tuck in TO the vctuas
| the first chance that he got you'd a believed
that he'd been starving. However, seen him
in New York not long ago, and he looks quite
respectable, and guy me a quarter, and told me
| | ought to give up slowing away
"And have your travels always been confined
to crossing the Atlantic, JimmyP'
No, sir; once went down from New York
| to New Orleans in a paddle-Doat"
"And did you secrete yourself in the coal
| bUnkers as HsualV
'No, sir; | was afraid. | didn't know the
| ropes on them boats, so hid myself away in
the paddle box. You know there's room for
| three or four men in the boxes, but didn't cal
| kilate on what I'd have to 80 through. | got
| myself up in corner, to keep clear oil the pad
| dies, when she started; but when she did start,
| oh my! | was nearly knocked into the side of
| the ship with the force of the water wot was
| thrown at me, and might just as well a been
dragged after the ship by rope, and better too,
| for the force of the water took all my breath
away. | had to hold on for four hours though,
anu Llltu lllSu W sCIGdui5 Dub LDc 0OlSc Oh the
paddles drowned my voice, and | might have
| stopped there until we got to New Orleans only
passenger came Oat OF curiosity to look into
| the paddle box, and saw me there | was
screaming and roaring fol my iie but nobody
had heard me; and then had got into the far
| corner Of the paddle box, and they had to stop
the engines to get me out. That made the cap
tain aud the engineer wild, and they kicked me
and swore awful, but they didn't hurt me.
| had Jolly trip that time; the passengers gave
me bran new suit of clothes, and the captain
made me wait on him at table,"
'And how did you get back TO New York ?"
81 was afraid TO 20 back the same way, so
slowed away on another boat TO Galveston, and
then slowed away on the regular Galveston
steamer back to New York"
"And vino is your friend Mickey?"
81 picked him up in New York. He's re-
spectacle boy; leastways, he's got father and
mother, and that's more nor ! have. Oh,
Mickey's all right; he told me his fathers a
merchant, and he lives in Baxter avenue. He
wants 10 see life, he does, and says when he gets
TO Liverpool he'll write home and make his
father send him money to pay his fare back"
Subsequent inquiries proved Jmmy's account
of himself to be correct in the main, and his an
ticipations Of the holiness of his passage were
more than realized Both boys, by their alac-
rity and willingness, made themselves extreme
" useful to the passengers, especially to the
sick ones, and at the end Of the journey a hand
some little subscription was got up for their
joint benefit. Jimmy's knowledge of life has
proved of good service to him, as he now ar
riyes in New York regularly, dressed in a neat
uniform, as captains boy to the captain Of the
F., aud Mickey has been restored to the
bosom Of his family, who maintain grocery
store in the classic neighborhood Of Baxter
street.--Ne3o YORK Times.