Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-08-19

/ lowed ono pOuuu Oh LODdCcO u mOHln Dy
/ Governor Melville, who has charge of
the 'Arbor. an if we want any more we
buy it. Then we have a readin room
an library, an we play dominoes but
what we do most is what we're doing
now-resting.
81 suppose you have many queer
companions here-men of strange ex-
periences through the world %
"We have" said the ancient tar, de-
cidedly, 'a man here who was a great
man, an who is great man yet in
memory; for he isn't here, which he's
dead" The old man paused after this
sipgularly concise and lucid statement
to observe the one-legged old tar, who,
after intently studying the character Of
one of the Staten Island ferry-boats,
slid his glass together slowly and softly,
and shook his head with mournful air
as he slowly sat down III his place.
"Dead as my grandmother's cat y
said the one eyed old salt, in jerky
bass voice that seemed to rumble mp
and down his throat at will, sometimes
sinking almost to silence, and then sud-
denly barking out gruf1ly, while his eye
wandered sadly over the water, and he
tapped the sod with his wooden leg.
Deader, if anything, cause he's bur-
led eight feet deep. An say now fur
the hundredth time that he was n man
such as amt orften exalted, was Cap'n
Spencer, man-o'- war man, an gunner
to the second gun on the la'board side
of the quarterback of the Essex, 1912. p"
"The Essex ?"
eyes, sir begun as powder-monkey
on frigate Essex, one of the midship-
men bein' Admiral Farrsgut
he arterward become Admiral Far
ragut. Cap'n Spencer died in No
vember, in this ere 'Arbor, in the
year III, havin' been q inmate OF the
same for twenty-eight years. When
Admiral Farragut was alive, Cap'n
Spencer went TO see him reg'lar. They
was the only two survivors of the great
fight, an Farragut treated him like an
ekall, if he was an admiral. What
cheer, Spencer?' the commander used
ter say an Spencer d say, 'TIp-top,
your honor, an movin' along, whereon
they would talk over the great fights
of 1924. When he took leave OF
Cap'n Spencer, the Admiral used to say,
w ODCDOCIg lOu 10 OACCPlh NOWsAANA
eighty, an I'm gettin' along myself. |
wonder which of us goes first?' An
Cap'n Spencer used to say Please God,
it's me, Your honor, and come back to
the 'Arbor. The Admiral went first,
an was buried in such a most terrific
storm that folks didn't care ter risk it ;
but Cap'n Spencer followed his old
commander through the storm OF hail
and rain as he had through the storms
of shot an shell, an stood by, though
drenched to the skin, while the remains
was slowed away. Then he cum back
ter the 'Arbor. an stood the only man
as lived who fought in the Essex tia
day at Valparaiso.
' 1t was great battle"
at was, sir" rumbled the one-legged
old sailor, jerkily-''it was indeed.
Cap'n Dave Porter was in command
that March day at Valparaiso when
Spencer and Admiral Farragut fought
side by sine. Dave Porter wanted
fight. He sent word to the two British
men-o'-war layin' outside the 'arbor,
sayin to the English admiral that if he
would send one of the memo war, the
Phoebe, three leagues seaward, he
would come out and engage the Cherub,
which was a bigger frigate than the
Essex and heavier manned. Well, sir,
the English admiral agreed, and the
Phoebe put out to sea. Old Dave Por-
ter, was so anxious to fight, sir, that
he wouldn't wait for that there Phoebe
to get any distance away, but cum
right out and engaged the brig Cherub.
In minute the other Englishman
come about, an before Dave Porter
could get his honest old head into
workin' order, the Essex had it hot and
heavy, with one on the sta'board quar-
ter an the other on the la'board bow
emptying hot shot into her like hail.
| tell you, sir, that wasn't q pleasant
fight by no means, and America amt
no call ter feel ashamed of her boys
aboard the Essex, fur they was sound
an true, and none more so than Cap'n
Spencer, late of the Sailors Snug Ar
Dor, now no more of this life.
Again the one-legged old ter strug-
gled up, and sighted row-boat with
great earnestness. The old captain of
the Percy B. looked at him sadly, and
said, aside to the writer: "Peg- leg
feels his loss. There was no closer
friends in this 'Arbor than Peg-leg an
Cap'n Spencer of the Essex, 1912.
eyes, we has odd characters here, y
he continued "men who have fought
the world for many years, and been
cast about by the elerments till they re
bunged an tattered an torn; men who
has led lives that they wouldn't dare to
live again, an men who has been
wrecked on many seas. They are all
here, driftin' slowly toward the end,
but conf table an happy, passin' their
las days snug an sound IN the berth
provided by a good man-Cap'n Rob,
ert Ric hard Randall. " = Harper 5
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