The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-01-11
FHR FATAL CUP.
4 Scrap from Ny Log Beck.

] Among my shipmates on board
the U. s. slOop-Of-WaT Fairfield, il
1928, was George Harrison. He
was an able seaman, and Captain Oi
the after guard. I first became at.
tracted toward him because he came
from a town adjoining the one in
which 1 had left my nome; and fol
the same reason he inclined toward
me.
Harrison was man Of middle age
forty at least-and it was easily to be
seen, in his bearing and in his con-
versatiOn, and in his general appear
anee, that he had seen better days.
For time he was reserved upon ms.
ny points Of home life which 1 intro
dueed; but at length I learned his
secret. We were at sea on . calHn
and pleasant night, and were stand
| ing the mid-Watch. We sat upon q
gun eide on the quarter deck, and
were talking Of home. In the course
| of conversation / spoke OF Stiles
lunch-cellar-hOw I had often stop
ped there on my way from Wsltham
to Boston, for bit of q pie and a
glass Of beer. Harrison laid his hand
upon my arm and said:
'You know that place, then ."
told him knew it well.
''The last night spent in Bright
on" he said, "I spent in that place. /"
He paused a while, and then, in a
frank way, went on
"YOu are younger than am-you
have really but Just commenced the
voyage Of life. l will tell you my stO-
~, and you may gain wisdom from
And he told 1t to me. At the age
Of three-and-tWenty he had cOmman-
ded one Of the finest ships sailing out
Of Liverpool. He was English by
birth. At the age Of thirty he hsd
lost everything-mOney, friends,
character and pOsitiOn-thrOugh the
fatal cup. Then he had found pass
age as q common sailor to the Uni
ted States, and through the influence
and assistance Of a friend WnOm he
met in Boston he found work ID do
on shore. He had resolved that he
would drink no more. and while he
kept his pledge he prOspered.
Accident led him to the suburban
town, where he became acquainted
with a woman who loved him well
enough 70 become his wife. Having
married, he formed . cO-partnership
with 8 relative of his wife in the
bUtehering business; and the busi-
ness prospered. But in an evil hour
the demon Of appetite returned, and
he sank and failed, as he had sank
and failed once before. In the end,
crushed and broken, he shipped in
the Navy. "Surely," said l, when
he had finished his story, "yOu have
given to me an important lesson
and can you not draw one from it for
yourself? You have promise Of ma
ny years yet to come"
az am going to do it," be told me.
''If live to get back, will give the
aceursed cup the gO-by forever"
And then 1 hinted to him that the
only safe ground for q change of base
was in the present.
I knew that the cup was an enemy
with which he still tampered, and
that it often completely unnamed and
prostrated him.
He said he would do nothing rash
Iy. And yet upon the final result he
was fully determined.
Time passed on to the month Of
January, 1874. An order came out
from the Secreta ~ Of the Navy for
my transfer to the line-of- -battle-ship
Delaware.
I left many tried, friends when left
Fairfield; but since my new ship was
to take me to the loved ones at home
[ did not grieve. My final parting
was with Harrison. His eye moist
ened when we talked of home.
"YOu will get home before me" he
said; sand you will see some of those
who have been my friends. If they
ask for me, tell them I am well and
that 1 am doing we'll ~
He was silent moment, still hold
ing my hand, and then added
81 have taken the pledge, and
bound it with q solemn oath. will
tamper with the cup no more-not a
drOPW
1 asked him would he stick to it d?
And he answered me-
HIf touch the accursed cup again,
may 1 never see my hOmew
He spoke earnestly-spoke with
that was prophetic
/ left the Fairfield on Thursday,
January Ilth, expecting to sail on the
next day. But we were not to sail
until Saturday, On Friday evening
the DelaWare's third cutter was along
side bound for the Fairfield. / asked
and obtained permission to go in her.
1 wished to see the old clerk once
more, and see the old faces. It was
near sunset when we hauled up at
the foot of the Fairfield's gang-ladder,
and even as Lstepped from the boat l
caught The hush that reigned on board
the ship-the hush which follows a
fallen horror, and which cannot be
explained to those who have not ex-
perienced it.
I passed over the side, and as I
reached the gangway I saw the bur
den ofcalamity upon the quarterback.
A gang-bOard lay across two Of the
guns, and upon the board lay some
thing covered with the uniOn-jack.
ImpuIsively, and with my heart pain
fully still, approached, and lifted q
corner of the flag, and | saw the lace
of George Harrison, cold and stark IN
death!
/ hnew the story even before it was
told. He had been on shore and had
came off drunk. He had fallen from
the spar deck into the chain locker,
and broken his skull
And so the sad life was ended How
came his words back to
nv startled senses: "If touch the
cup again, msy never more
see my home ~