The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-03-09
The Anti-MonOpOlist.

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for the rest of his life, and they was all
glad for to hear it. Well, he picks out this
schooner, and he buys half of her for $4,-
coo, givin' 'em o draft onto a man in New
York by the name Of Mccormick, which
sendin' on they found were good, and he
got the schooner; the other owners bein'
folks there at Marblehead. Then he turns
to and insures his half for its full value in
the name Ct his wife, and goes ahead fit
tin of her out and he sent on for US, as his
crew.
1.-The folks round there though it nigh
ty strange that he didn't take his crew from
that place, but he given no satisfaction, on
ly that he knox'd US, and that we was good
men, and as we was charged for to behave
ourselves, and does so, there couldn't be 70
objection to US, and three days AFTER we got
there we went to sea. Whatever he were up
to we didn't know, but all he said to US were
to keep shady and it we're lots Of dollars in
our pockets, and we didn't ask no ques-
tions. AS soon as we got outside, stead Of
keepin' off to the east ard, we hauld our
wind to the west'ard, and the fust thing
that he done were to git stage over the
stern, and paint out the name, 1.-TWO Pollys
of .Marblehead,' and put il in place ofs'Bel-
videre. of Inagua.' We got UP with Sandy
Hook along in the AFTERNOON, but we didn't
60 in till arter dark. This here Drink
water know'd the way in, and We run up
through the Swash Channel, and, keepin'
the Long Island shore close aboard, went on
up to the city, goin' away up to the foot Of
Twentieth street, North River, where we
made fast jist afore daylight.
''Afore he went ashore, the old man calls
all four Of US aft, and tells us as how we
mustn't leave the schooner under no per-
tence, and above all things, not take any
grog. ..Everythin'," says he, is a-goin'
lovely, and hope you won't Spite it by any
imprudence; there's heaps Of money in it if
all goes right" and we telled him he might
depend on US.
"'You see, Tom, we was all four good
men, and that were the reason he had pick
ed US out, and we had every confidence in
him. Where we laid were then so far up
town that there were no notice taken
of schooner more or less at any of the
wharfs, and SO nobody took no notice of US
except the wharhnger, who come down to
ask how long We was goin to stay there,
and we telled him, as the old man had or
dered, that we had come from Brooklyn
and were goin' up the North River to load,
and should leave the next mornin' and that
the old man would call at his Office and pay
the wharfage When the old man came
back we turned to and discharged all our
salt what we'd took in for our fish, and also
pretty much all the stuff we'd took in at
Marblehead, and along in the afternoon we
took in a lot Of whisky barrels and slowed
em below carefully, keepin in only enough
of the ballast to dunage 'em, and the water
boat come alongside and filled EN- with fresh
water, and as soon as they were filled we
laid platform of nice, clear. yallow pine
over ,em, maxim a clear deck below, with
height of about three feet to the upper deck
Then there came lot Of stores, which we
slowed away in tbs fore peak and the run,
and arter dark come down some big cop
pers and gang Of men, which quickly fitted
EN- up on deck jist abaft our reg lar galley.
We had begin to suspicion afore this what
the old man were a drivin' at, but now we
know'd that we was goin' arter "black-
birds Well we didn't care; there were a
feeling around jist then that niggers was
better off as slaves here than free in Africa,
and that it were kind of doin' 'em service
TO bring 'em over, and anyhow we wern't
particular. There were man round with
the old man all day :ha, seemed to have the
ordering Of things, and after we'd got done
our work, and while three smiths was MT
ting up the eoppers, the old man called US
aft 10 the cabin and told us that this here
chap was Mr. Mccormick. the owner of the
schooner, and he say 3 to US, Now, my lads,
Captain Drinkwater says as how our true
blue and OF the right sort. Now, this here
schooner is going 10 sea. What fur, you
l.
a going for to give you 500 piece as ad
vance wages, and if We make good voyage
Captain Drinkwater is going to give you
ST. COO more. Now, is that ionnuck9 If it
amt, say the word. and we'll make it more,
cause wants men as sails for me to be sat
ished We don't sign no articles and we
trusts one another
We said we were perfectly satisfied, and
he give each of US tweney $ notes apiece.
Now says ne agin, If you wants TO &C up
and BUY anything, now's your time. but
don't buy any grog. because I've put plenty
aboard. and you'll have it reglar every day
and mind we sails a. midnight, sharp.
well. we goes up and buys some dun
mage and tobacco and SIGH, bu. we didn't
take more than two or three niDs, because
we know'd the Importance of keepin' sober.
anu We Nctc kuVV yo1 "cus1
not think ii, TO look at me now, At mid
night tug come alongside ard took Us
down to the Hook This here Mccormick
went down TO the Heck with as and went
back in the tug. We had two darkies for
cooks, and of all the living ever had at sea.
the living in that schooner beat all We had
fresh meat all the time and soup and duff
every day. Well. We got on the coast all
night. and we took in 500 niggers into that
little schooner. We was lucky with them
too. and only lost fifty going over, landing
$50. for which the old man got $500 apiece
in gold. As soon as we got rid of them we
We slowed our coppers below, and went
away to Nassau New Providence, where we re-
filed our water casks and reftted. Il were
a English port. and they didas ask too many
questions abou. our business. The old man
sent his money hone, and he sent ours too,
to Captain Richardson, of Sailors Home, to
keep till we wanted it. Then we went over
and got another load We wern't so lucky
this time, and we had to pitch hundred