The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-07-31
An OLD SAILORS YARNS.
The Ancient Mariner Diseourses on
Lager Beer and Teszs the Tale
Of Red Shirt.

Zone of the most perplexinist things"
sand the old sailor, as he mopped his face
with q red bandanna handkerchief, 'in this
terrible hot weather is to know rightly what
to drink Water aint 10 be thought OF lest
it's iced; and if iced it's dangerous and
should be avoided by prudent people. I've
known lots as has died from Ice-water, which
are as dangerous in its way as forty rifle
whisky and should be let alone as sich.
Well, rum and spirits ginerally is heatin'
and excitin' aud dreadful unsatisfactory,
maxim drunk come long afore thirst are
1denched, and no man shouldn't ought to
touch 'em with the markury at 20 degrees.
Ale are good, of course; aoman shall ever hear
me say word agin ale, but for stiddy bev-
e-idge in weather like the present, uHless
man has got very strong head and awful
eauabIe consultation, it'll make him talk of
his rich relations afore the day are done.
Upon the whole, sir, / allows as how lager
are the upple for vartuous citizens these
swelterin days, which, like London wimin's
laced tea, is cheerin7 and not inebriatin,. The
last, however, sir, are a fction-what are
called a poetic aicense, both as regards the
tea and the lager The man as says that la
ger won't intoKicate, either don't know what
he are talkin' about or else are wlllful
leceiver; 1t will do 1t, sir sartin, sure, but it
requires parsaEerin' drinkin' for to accom-
plish 1t, and in the ordinary course of
ouenchin' ene's thirst lager won't intoxi-
cate. It's only when man drinks foT socia-
bility's sake that hell ever hurt hisseh a
drinking lager. / 'spose, sir, as you've seen
1t, although you're but youngster, but I've
seen il time and agin. four of five fools,
may call 'em, having often been one of 'em,
-sittin' round table, and heavin' beer into
'em clear agin their gorges.
Come, let's have another round; fill 'em
Cp agiD' one teller will say; he don't want
it and none of the rest don't want it, and
then number two will take up the same cry,
aud then number three; and from glasses
they has to come down TO ponies, just cause
their kegs is full and they can't hold it, and
so il goes, and if it continues long enough
Shey'll all git drunk. These are the abuse of
lsger, and not the use. which | say confident
iy and without fearef contradiction will be
benefit and no injury to any one which
simply drinks it when he's thirsty. 1t are
a-satisfyin' drink, too, and don't promote a
appetite for more, which I've noticed are
pe uliarity of hot rum, but it are like the
-swlpes' we used to git in Liverpool bordin'
house-arter one or to glasses you don't want
any more. i0iRly in the case OF the swipes
the reason were because it were so poor
whereas that aint so with lager, not by no
manner of means, and / think the man as
invented it weTe asgreat benefactor to his
race as HIM as invented-d double toFsail yards
Az to how to drink il, there's different opin-
lens. AS far as taste are concerned there
amt no doubt but what it's best from the
stone as ale are from the pewter, but man
have eyes as well g. paIates, and there's no
denyi1' as lager are beautiful lookin' beve-
ridge, and part of the pleasure of drinkin'
it is derived from the sight of its rnby am
Der topped with its wealth OF snow like
foam There ART no half way, sir, about
drinkic' lager. To my mind yoC must
eitherrtak it out of a very thin goblet, and
the thinner the better, or else as we are
takin' it Row-froE the stone. Them Dutch
mugs with handles is a abOmination, and a
man as will take lager beer out of then long
things which they calls schooners, are a
brute destitute of finer feeliE's.
But here i are sir, Eneanderin' on,
which I didn't mean to be q temperance
lecture and was draU'd into on accounts of
the heat, which don't deny is severe; but
nOthln' nigh ON to what | seer once when
were into the Regulator. Captain Welde1,
which were a most concentrie nan; and st
amt to be denied. sir, as the dreadful dis
-cipline as they went Though afore they go.
for to be ski ppers, and then the unlimited
power which they found theirselves pOG
sessed of afterwards, did make 'eR dresdfui
uconcentric; this here old mans eoRcentricity
sdevelopin', among other things, in a most
unaccountabIe antipathy to a Esd shirt.
Whether he thought it were uElucky or
what don't know but I reckons il were
cause of its resemblance TO soleC's dun
mage. he bavin' the material sailors ant patby
90 sich. Whatever it were, sir, howg'ever.
II ever man come nesr him with q red
SHIRT onto him, he'd surely git good cgrsin'
If not soRnethin worse.
I'VE was from Boston. BOUND round the
Horn to San Francisco, and bein' blessed cold
weather when we started, goes to work and
buys me one of these here double breasted
things what the hremen wear, 1amin' red,
and which answers for monkey jacket, pea
- - Ill 20 .,nsI
big price for il. and were awful proud of it,
and goin' aft to the wheel at o'clock of the
first day out it bein' cold enough TO freeze
the handle off of iron pot with fresh nor
west squalls and hail, slaps this here shirt
on and congratulated myself on my wisdom
in buyin' it. The old man was walkin'
The deck smokin', and she were bilin' off
Iafore the wind under double reefed topsails,
whole courses, jib and spanker.