The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1876-03-11
CANTON, MISSISSIPPI MARCH II, 1876
THOMASSEN.

THOMASSEN.
Personal RecolEectiors of tho Dynamite
Fsessd BY Don Pi0h.
| As time wears on that curious menta
process called memory, left to itself, re
calls many events connected with oul
pleasant roommate, the dynamite fiend
Thomassen. There was one singular fac,
connected with the affair that we would
wish to have explained. We remember
on leaving Liverpool, being somewhat
discontented Eat finding ourself in the
same state-room with another passenger
while two or three state-rooms were va.
cant. Making our trouble known to the
purser, he Gained us by saying that after
leaving Queenstown we would have the
room toeourself Why he should say
this we never learned but the day after
our stop at Queenstown the purser gave
us the choice of room yet vacant, and
we left Thomassen to the enjoyment OF
the premises alone.
In slowing away our luggage we were
struck with the quantity of parcels our
roommate had to arrange, and among
the others, if memory serves rs, were two
queer-looking boxes that would. not 60
under the berths, and were noticed be-
cause SO much in the way. These, we
have since learned, disappeared shortly
after leaving Queenstown, and doubtless
one was the deadly clock, wound up and
adjusted for the ships destruction, had
our. roommate succeeded in securing Tho
insurance he sought in Liverpool.
!, We were putting our part of the room
in order the chill, dull, rainy afternoon
we sailed from Liverpool, when Thorn
Assem- entered. Mr.. Colchester, the al MT
at Liverpool, had informed us that our
roommate was a very agreeable gentle
man, and we found him man six feet
in height, powerfully built, well dressed,
and face from which hair and whiskers
were brushed back, clearly shaven, that
showed as pleasant q countenance as one
cared to meet. He greeted us kindly,
expressing pleasure at having us as q
roommate, and taking from his yalise q
box of not the choicest cigars even from
England, not only invited us to smoke,
but sid the box would be found open
upon the shelf for our use SO loBg as the
cigars lasted. We told him that sea-
sickness put stop to that comfort on
our part; whereupon he informed us
that he had crossed SO frequently and
been at sea SO much that he did not know
any difference in feeling between land
and water.
cit must be very rough" he said,
"when I cannot shave myself every
morning"
sHe retired early and, near as we could
observe, slept the sleep of peace and in
nocsnce. As We weregiven another room,
we next saw our companion, to notice
him, upon deck laboring under some ex-
citement. He told us that the captain
had insulted him in the grossest manner,
and when the vessel reached New York,
where they would be on an equal footing,
he intended having it out with him. 1t
seems that Thomassen had BEEN smoking
upon deck and spat upon the painfully
clean planks- The captain, q very pre-
cise and somewhat dyspeptic officer, ap-
preached and said:
-"What do you do that for, sir, when
the ocean makes the largest sort of
spittoon all around your Ladies walk
this deck, sir"
Thomassen made no reply to this
rough demand, but his face indicated an
ugly future for the captsin. They
seemed to have made it up, however
for afterwards we saw the two in close
pacing the deck together.
During the passage mock trial was
had in the smoking-room, and while we
presided as judge, Thomassen acted as
of the, jury. The case was
: breach of promise, brought by colored
maiden against Hebrew, and we had the
fun incident to such affairs on shipboard.
We do not remember the verdict brought
in by Thomassen, but it was greeted with
laughter.
While amiable and pleasant in his
there was a certain reserve that
repealed intimacy. We observed that he
was much. given to walking the decks
alone, and one night, when blowing
than usual, with a binding rain
driven along the boat, we sought shelter
On. the quieter side. of the house. above
the gangway. 1t was dark as dark can
be, and the huge vessel seemed to trem-
BILE as she plunged along in the teeth
Of the wind, riding heavy head-seas as
the model of the Star line only can.
We soon became aware of the fact that
we were not alone, for pleasant voice
at our elbow asked if we were suffering
from seasickness. We answered in the
negative and added that the wild night
had such fascination for us that it kept
US on deck.
We told him that while staring out
into the black night we had thought
what mere speck our vessel was upon the
world of waters, and were we to founder
1T sea what q little bubble would go
down. Thomassen did not seem to take
in our idea, but followed with eulogies of
the White Star line, that, he assured us,
sailed the safest boats on the ocean. He
said the Cunarders had only luck, and
one of these days a dreadful disaster
would awaken the travelling public to
the truth of this fact.
cit is when crime gets out of its we'll
known grooves that we recognize its mag
nitude. The great captains whose wars
If ambition have filed desolated house.
holds with mourning die in peace, to
have monuments erected to their memo
RES.
4 TEXAS STORY