The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-01-09
THE CAPTAINS WIPE.

per to tAke MS WIG cU on q -FOUR OF u "
yeats voy age; aud some Of them rixh,
whalers. who p r. their figure heads o
near the North Pole a. they can with
out touching it. stay away as long Al
seven years.
Just think Of it; knew . skipper
once who got married t~o weeks before
be got orders to sail. and bis wife could
not 60 because she was so frightened OF
salt water. tell you there was ~eer.
ing aud waiting on board the Osprey
before she cast of; and when she got
back. four years after, that shipper re-
tired to private life
His wife must have suffered . great
deal during his Absence l replied.
'Of course, she did, but then che was
true blue ard full Of grit; in fact. she
was born within tess OF biscuit from
Howland's wharf in New Bed or I. and
she lear ..ed the smell Of oil when she
Was baby.
.Bnt that u;n't the woman was going
to tell you about Heaven rest her soul
she's dead now though il ever there
was al angel in petite ,ats. she was one.
I always remember poor Joe in Bleak
House when ! think of her; she was
mighty good to me-
4 should really like to hear about
he-. Mr. Doidrum.'
That's her picture. sid he, taking
out = photograph well worn by Coli
slant carrying in his pocket.
Its all I've got TO remember her by.
except the memory nf her which goes
ou. only when shuttle OIL my coil and
donse the gim
YOU see had jn,t signed the ships
articles as second mate for four year,
on the bark George and Snsan, and had
made two voyages before with the sane
skipper A l was leaving the owners
office l met the captain coming mp the
gsngway with a woman holding on to
his arm
Mr. Doldrum, let me introduce you
to my wife. You will be shipmstes TO-.
gcther and might a. we'll be acquainted
beforehand
Il doffed my head gear when she held
out her hand aud gave me u regular
sailof's grip.
i kinder saw that she took a liking
t. M. and th,t male the feel easy. for
it won't do 10 have o wemaY down Or
yon board u ship. nnd that woman the
skipper's wife.
she asked mo lots Of questions; how
many voyages I had made. and If had
saved up any money! l fnally hauled
off and luifed up till / reached an out
filters shop, where l overhauled their
slop chest aud picked out wha. duds l
needed for the voyage. slowed IN away
Ia my donkey. or chest. Ms you lsRds-
men Call it, aud had i, srnt down to The
vessel.
In three or four days We had the
customary good wishes and splain's
prayers for good luck and safe return.
cast off moorings. aud ere long we were
standing masthead uH the western ISL
ands.
We raised = schO,l one morning, and
after hard days work. caught three
which slowed dawn ninety cightharrel..
They were all COW whsl-s and did not
try out only little more than thirty
barrels each.
Bot it WAS good [, start OH. and
would make ballast doubling the Cape
on the Horn we had Q lively time of
it; got into fog and nearly run ashore
on sheer coast before we knew what
was the matter.
The skipper's wife vas on deck most
of the time. ard though that vas her
tirst voyage. hor quick ear caught the
sound OF breakers on our lee sonc ten
minutes ere we heard them.
i tell you we had to tack and tack to
get away from those rocks; . little
longer and all would have gone to Dsvy
Jones in 600 fsthoms Of water.
We kinder looked mp to the shippers
wife after that. for il it bad not been
for her would not be telling you
about her. After We rounded the Cape
tho old man squared away for the Mar
quesas Islands. where We bad run
ashore and brought of one or two boat
loads II oranges. bananas and COCOA.
nuts: to keep away the scurvy. Some
how or other the Atmosphers did not
agree with ne. aud lore l knew it I
was down in my bunk with . scorchiDg
fever. The captain got out his big
book. unlocked the mtdicine chest and
was going 10 prescribe . big dose Of
EPSON salts-thcy always give 'sm
board of ship II man falls from the
mast head, it's saltA II be hes the
toothachc. sams medieipe. But the
Akippes's wife took mo in TOW and stop
ped that nonsense pretty quick. Her
father WAS . land doctor aud che had
picked up something better for fsvee
than salts.
she dived into the lmed,cine chest
and brought out number seven; that's
the only nsme I knew il By; gave ne
some of seven; opened = on Of mustard
and got . tub Of hot water from the
cook : galley. and made me take mus
tard bath. until you could wring water
enough out Of the sheets ! hsd arcusd
me TO nUat whale boat.
She didn't stop there, however. but
t.asted and tea'd me Just like . mother.
The captain hadn't : word 10 cay. but
Just let her have things her own way;
and vhat With doctnring. nursing and
watching o. nights. chs fetched me
through until was entered on the log
book cured-but us bad % get number
seven filled mp when ws got into Val
paraiso. =.
The cabin bov he also bad touch
of something-migh have bsen h"me-
sicknsss - much ~ anything but che
took him in t.w and in fnar o9 6se
days Get him right side mp With care.
we had heen cut 8 '.rg on nigh 10
.h.~~ ,>Avr vith nsyen buadrot bar.