The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-04-14

Greasing the Cooks Fiddle-a Very Sc
rious Result of Practical Joke.

Greasing the Cooks Fiddle-a Very Sc
rious Result of a Practical Joke.
New York World
BOYS, SIR said the old sailor, wiping
the froth off his mustache and peering al me
curiously through cloud of smoke, ''when 1
used for to go to sea was brung up properly
on board of merchant ships, whatever they
was in the navy. AS to how it is now, /
can't say, but presume 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 ruination of the
the navy the boys are treated into it. Why,
sir. you'll hardly believe me, but it are
fact, rs can be vouched for by any officer of
the navy, that boys Is coddled and cared for
jist as if they was dogs or horses. Every
mornin' they are brung out and stood along
in 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 individual boys tongue, and
last of all the first lieutenant inspects their
clothes, any defect, of course, brung out by
either inspection bein' to be Immediately
remedied, and the offendin' boy punished
after a fashion; but they don't never git
properly punished on board of a man-of-war
cause it amt allowed by the rules of the de-
partment; consequently the boys grow up to
be sort of pusillanimous set, kind of
cross 'twixt a loblolly boy and old woman,
and the navy has deteriated.
"Now, in the merchant sarvice there
weren't none of that fddle-fadde nonsense
at all, but q boy were jist put through
course of discipline to once. 1t were rightly
said rs they got more kicks
than coppers,' but ii were all
for their benefit and hardened 'em
up to proper condition 80 as they were good
for somethin' arter they got to be seamen.
One old man az l know'd used to be very
regular with his boys; he licked 'em reg lar
every Monday mornin' and then as often
through the week as they deserved it, which
accordin' To him, were about every day. Boys
never know what's good for 'em, and he
didn't ginerally have the same boy two Wy
ages, but they never forgot him and always
looked back on their treatment under him as
bein' the beginnin' of the maxim of 'em.
ut were in the forecetle, howsever, that
the boy got the best part of his discipline,
and very few there was but what arter wy
age to Liverpool in one of the packets could
dodge a sea boot if flung at EN-, to all ad
miration. All this put life into 'em and made
'em playful and spry, as well as respectful to
their elders. A boy giuerally were allowed
"a hours for TO enjoy his sea sickness, and
arter that he be to turn to. This were mer-
ciful provision, cause if let alone he'd be
sick for three or four days, and rs there amt
nothing worse than sea-sickness, of course
the sooner ne was cured of it the better for the
boy. There are various ways of curin'. One
mate / were with used to make 'em drink
pint pannikin ofsalt water till cured. The
boy were ginerally well after one dose. An
other tie used to ship a capstan bar and let
the boy heave the empty capstan round till
he felt quite well. If there was more than
one boy he allowed one to ride on top of the
capstan while t'other hove round, and per-
mItted EN- to spell one another every 10
minutes The ginersl way, howsever, were
to set 'em sweepin' of the decks, touchin'
of 'em up in the bunt with ropes end once
in while to larn em for to sweep clean.
"What blessed cures I've seen, sir, under
these systems. I've know'da boy as limp as
q wet dishcloth in the mUrnin' stlffen up and
brace up by night so as he could sign his
name to the mess kid equal TO old sailor.
The first thing boy larnt aboard of them
ships were that there weren't no SIGH words
in the world to boy right from home,
where of course he got no trainin' worthy of
the name, were to say when asked why he
didn't go aleft, or do somethin az he'd been
told for to do, Il can't, sir and frequently he
forgot the last word and simply said Il can't
in the which invariable, ifin well regulated
ship, he were at once knocked into the lee
scupper with the remark There amt no SIGH
word aboard the ship as can't and one lesson
ginarally done it. 1t would be good thing,
sir, for boys if they could have some of the
same kind of teachin' ashore as they have at
sea- There's many Of 'em as would be made
men of as now grows up to be poor useless
trash.
"a peculiar thing about boys aboard of a
ship were the luminosity they manifested to-
ward the cook. / never know'd cook yet
as were able to get along with boys and it
were ginerally open warfare between 'em.
In the ship New York, when / were into
her, there were an old darkey for a cock as
could play the fiddle equal to any man as
ever made a duff. There was two boys
aboard of that ship as was the most perfect
imps of mischief as ever crawled through
lubber-hole. They were onto their second
wage, which are the most villanous time of
boys career aboard of ship, and bein'
some sort of relatives of the old man, they
had extra privileges. The life that they led
that old cook was just dreadful. Frequent
they'd slyly git ON the galley and clap N
paunch mat over the funnel, so as to fill the
galley with smoke, srter havin' first fastened
the doors, SO as old George, as the cook were
called, couldn't git out. Frequent if the cook
went aft for any purpose, they'd put q lot of
pump tacks along on his seat, and then watch
for and enjoy the old mans wrath when he
sat down on 'em. Old George on his part
neglected no opportunity to git even with the
boys, and many dipper of bilin' water he
managed to chuck over EN-. A visitation of
this kind one day struck boy Bill full In the
face as he went by the galley door, and howlin'
with pain he came runnin' to the forecast
swearin' he'd be revenged.
"That evenin' in the last dog.watch we
was reachin' along on wind with all three
royals set, headin about west nor west and
this here boy Bill he comes to me and says he,
Tom, ask the doctor" for TO Civ us a tune;