Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-04-02
AN OLD SAILORS YARNS.
Greasing the Cooks Fiddle--A Very
Serious Result of Practical Joke.
Sunday World.

sunday NOTlu.
BOYS, sir" said the Old Sailor, wip-
ing the froth off his mustache and peer
ing at me curiousiy through cloud of
smoke, when used to go to sea was
brung up properly on board of mer-
chant ships, whatever they was in the
navy. AS to how it was | can't say. but
| persume some of the salutary lessons
of obedience is still teached. I've heern
tell and don't see no reason for to doubt
it, that it have been the ruillation OF
the navy the way boys are treated into
it. Why, sir, you'll hardly believe me,
but it are a fact, as can be vouched for
by any officer of the navy, that boys are
coddled and cared for list as if they
was dogs or horses. Every mornin
they are brought out and stood along in
a line on deck, and then the master-at-
arms goes along the line with a sheet of
white paper and catcher and tries
every boys head, and next follers the
doctor and takes a look at each ones
tongue, and the last of all the first lieu.
tenant inspects their clothes, any de-
feet, of course brought out by either in
spection bein' to be Immediately
remedied, and the offendin' boy punish
ed arter a fashion; but they don't never
get properly punished on board of
man-of- war cause it amt allowed by the
ru,oe of the department: consequently
the boy grows up to be a sort OF pusil-
Luminous set, kind of cross 'twixt
lobloly-boy and an old woman, and the
navy has deteriated.
Nov in the merchant sarvice there
weren't none of that tiddle.faddle non
sense at all, but boy were jist put
through a proper course of discipline to
once. 1t were rightly said as they got
more kicks than coppers, but it were
all their benefit and hardened 'em up
to proper condition so as they was
good for somethin' arter they got to be
seamen. One old man as / know'd
used to be very regular with his boys;
he licked EN- regular every Monday
mornin' and then as often through the
week as they disarved it, which accor-
dim to him, were about every day.
BOYS never know what's good for 'em,
and he didn't ginerally have the same
boy two wages, but they never forgot
him and always looked back on their
treatment under him as bein' the begin
in Of the maxim of 'em
1T were in the forecast, howsever,
that the boy got the best part ofhis dis
cipline, and very few there was but
what arter wage to Liverpool in one
of the packets could dodge sea-boot
if flung at EN-, to all admiration. All
this put life into 'em and made 'em
playful and spry, rs well as respectful
to their elders A boy ginerally were
allowed twenty.four hours for to enjoy
his sea-sickness, and arter that he had to
turn to. This we're a marciful provision,
cause if let alone he'd be sick for three
or four days, and as there amt nothin
worse than sea-sickness, of course the
sooner he were cured of 1t the better
for the boy. There were various ways
Of curin'. One mate were with used
TO make 'em drink pint pannikin OF
salt water till cured. The boy were
generally well arter one dose. Another
mate used to ship a capstan bar and let
the boy heave the empty capstan round
till he felt quite well. II there was
more than one boy he allowed one to ride
on top Oft the capstan while t'other hove
round, and permitted 'em to spell one
another every ten minutes. The giner-
al way. hows'ever, were to set 'em a
sweepin' of the decks, touchin' of 'em
up in the bunt with rope's-end once
in a while to larn EN- for to sweep
clean.
what blessed cures I've seen, sir, I'M
der these systems. I've know'd boy
as limp as wet dish cloth in the morn
in brace up BY night so as he could
sign his name to the mes kid equal TO
an old sailor. The first thing be learns
aboard Of hem ships we're that there
weren't no such word as cant One OF
the most natural things in the work. %
BOY right from home, where Of course
ne got no trainin' worthy Of mention,
We're 70 say when asked why he didn't
go aloft, or do somethin' az he had been
told for TO do, 4 can't, SIR and frequent
be forgot the last word and simply said
/ .an't' and if in a well.reeulated ship,
be were at once knocked down with the
remark There Amt no such word as
1t and one lesson ginerally sufFiced:
the boy never said cant again, but If
ordered 10 do anythin' ne started off