The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1880-06-11

Ely WILLIAM cossrock.


teen summers aud winters had passed
over my head, l was going home to
dinner one afternoon, and had arrived
as far as the corner of Front and Roose-
welt streets when paused on seeing
considerable crowd collected in front
of M & Co.'s store.
Above the heads of the bystanders
loomed that of big cartman whom /
had often seen in that vicinity, and ev-
er aud anon he lifted a rattan as it
threatening some person with severe
chastisement.
pressed forward to take look st
the victim, but that was not accom-
piished. till had got inside the ring,
for the individual who had incurred
the wrath of the gigantic cartman was
small negro boy-a mere child and
there he stond, trembling like leaf,
aud almost white with terror, as be
momentarily expected the rcourge 10
descend upon his head and shoulders.
The surrounding throns laughed and
jeered they were highly entertained
by the terror of the little black boy.
A number of sacks filed with CHINA
mon were placed on the sidewalk they
had just been landed from an, East In
dia ship that lay at the wharf near by,
The boys finding little holes in these
sacks through which the cinnamon
projected, had improved the OCCASION
by supplying themselves gratis.
When she big cartman pounced up
Oh item they scattered. and all escaped
except tho little black boy, and of him
the cartman had thought proper to
make an example.
As he stood there covering and
friendless, placed myself at his side,
saying, Don't be frightened, little fel-
low, he dare not hurt you.''
Down came the rattan upon one of
my legs, and the delighted crowd glo-
ried in finding a new subject for their
n;rth, while an enormous fat woman
still further contributed to their merri-
ment by placing herself in front of me,
glarins in my face, and demanding III
the shril,est of tones /: "Are you nlg~
ger white~ashed, that you take hig-
gers part %
The little negro, taking advantage OF
this diversion in bis favor, glided
through the crowd, and puttiug all his
legs to the ground, got off clear.
The blow which received from the
cartman's rattan was 10 great thing,
but the insult was something, and as
looked up at HIM resentfulIy, he said,
sob, l dcu't care who your father IS
don't care who your father is.''
OF course not what should he care
TOR fathers, mothers, uncles or aunts ?
Was be not the fayorite cartman OF the
wealthy house'of ~ 6 Go. Had
be not good, round salary and per-
manent situation ? Thus established for
lite, could he not afford to be perfectly
Independent of everybody except his
wealthy employers 2
Three years fTorn that time l went
my FIRST voyage to sea. On my return
home at the end of three years and four
months, among the first news that ]
heard was that the big cartman called
Dobbinf had hung himself.
"How 10 that ?'' asked.
ssWhy, you see,'s was the reply che
had long been in the service of NJ
& CO., and, when they failed, nobody
else cared to employ him. The con-
sequence wastl,at he become miserably
poor, and finally, he has hung himself
in despair
That was sad news, and, as it was a
disagreeable subject of contemplation, /
banished it from my memory in the be-
lief that the fate of Big Dobbins would
soon be forgotten. was mistaken.
Being adrift in Valparaiso, three or
four years afterward, I entered the
navy, and signed the papers on board
the U. S. ship B., which lay in the
barbor.
Afser writing my name, and holding
a brief conference with The First Lieu
tenant, I was passing along the gun
deck when an object that met my~view
caused me TO start.
Was I dreaming 2
There stood before me . gigantic
seaman, with ascoit in his hand, with
the form and features Of Big Dobbina.
Isnet only seemed to be the man him.