Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1872-10-03
Steamboat stowaways..

Acorrespondent on European steamer
interviewed boy who had slowed
away" or hidden himself until the
steamer was at sea, so as to steal a
passage across the ocean. The boy said
/" Please, Sir, I've been over four times,
and always come on these boats, cos
gets so well treated, generally helps to
swab the decks at night, and looks after
the ladies and gentlemen during the day.
When they plays shovelboard runs
after the boards, and "looking meaning
ly at me, the ladies and gents allus
gives me something for my trouble" ."
And where do you get your ,ood p
ct goes down in the pantry at meal,
times and helps the stewards to clean
the dishes, and allus gets plenty to eat. y
"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 fly. But wasn't SO lucky, though,
when | crossed with him the last time,
'cos there was great big man who was
slowing away as well. and they showed
us down in the fire room. and made
us shovel Goals. Oh, my wasn't it hot
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
each others faces for the smoke. Oh
lor'. it was awful. The fireman treated
me we'll enough, COS I used to make
'em laugh, aud sing songs to 'em, but
they used to swear at the big fellow and
th,ow things at him, 'cos they thoght he
was making believe to faint. But he
wasn't. He told me he had been starv
ing in Liverpool, and we was more than
twenty-four hours hiding before We
showed ourselves, and the big fellow
nearly dropped from hunger and weak
ness, and ii you'd only seen him tuck II
the victuals the first chance he got you't
believed that he'd been starving
However, I seen him in New York moi
} long ago, and he looks quite respectable
and guv me quarter, and told me
ought to give up slowing away"
"And have your travels always beer
confined to crossing the Atlantic. Jim
my ?"
"No, Sir I once went down from
New York to New Orleans in a paddle
boat"
And did you secrete yourself in th'
coal. l.bunkers as usual ?
"No, Sir I was afraid. l didn'
know the ropes on them boats, so hlC
myself away III the paddle-box. You
know there's room for three or foul
men in the boxes, but 1 didn't calkilate
on what I'd have to go through. l go
myself up in a corner, to keep clear Of
the paddles, when she started but whe1
she did start, oh my I was nearly
knocked into the side of the ship with
the force of the water wot was thrown al
me, and | might just as well a been
dragged after the ship by a rope, and
better too, for the force of the water
took all my breath away. 1 had to hold
on for four hours though, and then
tried to scream, but the noise of the
paddles drowned my voice, and | nigh!
have stopped there until we got to Now
Orleans only passenger came out OF
curiosity to look into the paddle-box,
and saw me there I was screaming and
roaring for my life, but nobody had
heard me and then I had got into the
far corner of the paddle-box, and they
had to stopped the engines to get me
out. That made the captain and
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 al
table"
And how did You get back to New
York %
q was afraid to 60 back the same
way so l slowed away on another boat tc
Galveston, and then slowed on the
regular Galveston steamer back to New
York"
And who is your friend Mickey"
l picked him up in New York. He!
a respectable boy ); leastways, he got ;
father and mother, and that more than
[ have. Oh, Mickey's all right he told
me his fathers q merchant, and lives IL
Baxter avenue. He wants to see life, h'
does, and says when he gets to Liver
pool he'll write home and make hi
father send him money to pay his far'
, back"
Subsequent inquiries proved Jimmy
, account of himself to be correct In the
main, and his anticipations OF the jolli
ness of his passage were more thai