The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-08-05
Seltrf Stpgg.
AN OLD SAILORS YARN.
CRUELTY AT SEA-1RUE STORY
OF 4 CABIN BOY.

"Whatever were his real name, sir"
said the old sailor, as he settled himself
back comfortably in his chair, after light
ing his pipe, II never knowd but the
purser's name we knowd him by were
'Crippy." Wherever the old man got
him l don't know some said as how he
come out of some asylum or other, and
some said he were a illegitimate son of
the Oldham by some stewardess that he'd
had with him, but that l don't believe,
cause don't believe it's into any manto
treat his own flesh and blood as l seen
that boy treated but, anyway, he were
most miserable lookin' wretch when l
first laid eyes on him, which were when
the old man came on board in the after
noon, and we got under way and towed
down and anchored in the Horseshoe,
cause the wind was southeast and dead
ahead. She were big lump of bark,
bound from New York to Rio, and l had
shipped into her cause l we're hard up
and times was hard, and were glad to
git a chance to go anywheres, and l didn't
know nothin' about this here old man
his name were Thompson, and he were
a internal rascal.
II took my bag and hammock aboard
of her, alongside of the dock, and me. and
another chap by the name of Tim Walker
was the only two that went out into the
river with her; but durin' the day the
other five was brung of-there was only
seven of US afore the mast-and along
about o'clock the old man came off, and
he brung this atomy of boy with him,
and we got the anchor and towed down
into the Horseshoe, where we anchored
at little arter 6 o'clock.
eff ever there were hnman that look
ed as if he'd jist desarted from grave
yard it were this here Crippy. He were
as thin as the leaf of psalm book in the
first place; he had red hair, which proba-
bly, had never been combed since the
day he were born; one of his eyes was
slowed athwartships and the other were
troubled with some, kind ofdisease which
KEEP it a-runnin' all the time, the CRIME
from the eye constantly plowin' a furrow
in the dirt on that cheek, which give it
a kind of a streaked appearance on that
side, contrastin' oddly with the plain
dirt of the other cheek. His nose were
short, and turned up at the end, and his
mouth were so wide that when he opened
it the top of his head seemed to be an
island. Two of his front teeth had been
knocked out by the old man in one of
his tantrums, and he had one upper tusk
that ought to have been knocked out,
cause it stuck right out, and no amount
of lip would cover it. His clothes were
the cast off dunnage Of the old man, and
fitted him like purser's shirt on hand
spike. His breeches, bein' good deal
too long, was turned up at the bottom;
his weskit reached well down amidships,
and the tails of his claw-hammer coat
was only jist clear of the deck as he
walked. As the old man came over the
side, he waited until this Crippy came
over, and then, fetchin' him wipe along
side of the head which made the poor
boy stagger, he pitched bundle of pa
pers to him, tellin' him to stow 'em away
in his room, and to see everythin' TO
rights there; and mind, you young
whelp,' says the old man, if find any
thin wrong there when l come below,
you'll catch it; so mind how you draw
your hair strokes
Il had the watch from 10 to II, and
along abort 1915, as l were sittin' on the
windlass end smokin', l heerd the most
Onarthly sereechin' aft, and | goes along
for to see what were the matter. The
bark had half poop trunk cabin, and
gittin' on to this, / looked down the sky
light and there saw this here Crippy
strapped down to a settee, and the old
man a-givin' it to him with small cat
which he had made out of ratlin' stuff,
and it were him screechiu' that | had
heard. Well, sir, of course it weren't no
business Of mine; boys aboard of ship
must be fogged, il you ever expects to |
make anythin' out Of 'em, and this here !
particular boy seemed to. belong more to |
the old man than to the ship; still,
must say, felt a good deal like goin' in !
and hollerin' enough to the old man,
cause it seemed to me he were a-givin'
him little too much, no matter what he
had done wrong. Well, after whalin'
him tiH he vOt tlred the old man went |