The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-07-05
He Would Be q Sailor.

AMONG the crew of the Nova Scotia
schooner Bertha Ellen that recently ar
rived in this port was a boy named Rich
ard Fielding, whose experience as rum
away is worth recording as lesson to ad-
venturOus young fellows whose ambition
is to pillow the raging main in slow,
rakish, swift sailing clipper" Young
Fielding is about fifteen years of age, with
a bright, handsome face, pleasing man.
ners and of evident intelligence. His
father is a wealthy landowner in Hamp-
shire, an English gentleman of family and
position. Richard had been sent to school
in Dorset, where Bracebridge Hemyngs
wonderful lies about the happy issue of
all Jack Harkaway's adver lures fell into
his hand and were eagerly perused. The
natural result followed. He longed to
emulate the romantic glory of Jacks I'M.
possible actions. and yearned for field to
display, as Jack had done, the heroism
and pluck which he supposed that he pcs
sessed. Unfortunately, his father had no
influence with the Board of Admiralty, or
the boy might have gone into the navy
and found a legitimate channel in which
to develop his adventurous lodgings. AS
it was, Richard determined to run away
and 60 to sea.
Tying up the customary bundle the little
fellow slipped away from school and went
to Liverpool. Here he found it impossi-
bic to ship in any capacity, but, deter
mined to go to sea at all hazards, he slowed
away in the hold Of a Mediterranean fruit
brig, bound to Messina. He was soon
discovered, and after undergoing no end
Of abuse from the Captain, was set to the
dirticst kind OF work, swabbing the decks,
e., a.
rigging, and on every calm was put over the
side to scrub copper. Before arriving at
Messina, he was one day tarring down the
jib-stay, swung in boatswain's chair,
when the man who was attending to the
hosting rope carelessly lost his hold, and
Dick was precipitated to the deck, falling
on an anchor.stock and on the rail. His
arm and leg were broken and he bounded
into the water. He was rescued, however,
and after being freely cursed by the Cap
tain for the detention of the vessel which
the accident had caused, he was passed
below, where, without any medical treat
ment, he was permitted to stay till the YES
sci arrived at port, fortunately only
twenty -four hours afterward. He then
went to the hospital, where incom-
petent physicians dressed his limbs,
and after three months he was dis
charged, pennilcss and without friends,
and cripple. All the British Consul
could do was to get him berth. which,
owing to the fact of the boys crippled
limb, was difficult thing to do, but
which was finally accomplished, and
Richard sailed as cabin boy in an Amer.
lean bark for Rio. His situation in this
vessel was more tOlerable, but on arriving
at Rio the bark was condemned as unsea-
worthy, and Richard was q second time
cast adrift in q foreign land. He finally
shipped as cook in . West India trading
schooner, where he got more kicks than
ha'pence, and in this vessel came to Hall
fax, where he shipped in schooner that
aftcrward came to Baltimore with potatoes.
Previous to sailing he wrote to his
mother, telling her the name of his vessel.
His father cabled to Halifax and ascer-
tanned his destination, and then cabled to
friend in Baltimore to lock out for Rich
ard on his arrival. Dick came here in
the schooner Bertha Ellen, after thirty
days tempestuous vorage. His fathers
agent met him, telegraphed his father,
provided him with new outfit Of clothes
and passage to Liverpool by the White
Star Line. And last evening Richard left
for New York to take the steamer, a wiser
boy, cripple for life, and one not likely
to again be filled with glowing enthusi-
asm at the stories of writer's of melOdra-
matte fcticn.-BGltsns0re american.