The Owosso times., 1882-01-06
The Captains Dinner.

I ''' oOii' oiiO ioioWihB SOOu obOIy.
was forty years ago when, with feel
J ing of no little independence, as it wa
7 my FIRST voyage i'll command, / arrive,
at New York with the first, and prob
, ably the only, crop of tea that was eve
| brought to the United States from
, Singapore. The war waged by Eng
J land for the purpose of poisoning th,
, Chinese with opium was then prevail
ing, so that, Canton being blockaded
the experiment of purchasing "JuHl
tea," in the Straits of Malacca provet
a success. Accordingly the senior part
ner Of the hOus of Goodhue g. Co., tt
which we were consigned, was 80 very
complimentary, and absolutely familiar
with me, while he was somewhat
brusque or at the utmost range in tn,
opposite direction - condescending -
with the other shippers, that they be
came little envious of nay good for
tune; which, however, well understood
was likely to be only temporary, as il
was derived from tie market value OF
the tea, and they also regarded it in
the same light.
| One day a Captain, who had discharg.
ed cargo, and whose ship lay outside OF
mine. said "Has the old man asked
you to dine with him yet?"
'.No, he hasn't" l replied.
"Wel, he will pretty soon,' he an
swered. "He does that by all of us,
and when he has done it there is an end
of his civilities."
"What sort OF a family is it?' l ask
ed. care there any daughters?
"Family! Daughters! Why, bless
your soul, he won't ask you to his
house. He'll take you to Delmonico's s
and give you a bowl of warm water
and beefsteak. "That's dining with
him."
believed that old Shellback "spoke
whereof he did KNOW" and yet, as a
beefsteak is neYer amiss, / resolved to
profit by the invitation in case it
should be given. 1t came on the very
next day.
Il shall be happy to have you dine
with me to-day" said the dignined
merchant, in his most affable tone"
''Ihank you, sir" replied, eff the
ladies will excuse me for not appearing
in dress coat"
"Oh, ah, WELL" he answered, some
what disconnected, but Immediately re-
covering his self-possession, "if you feel
any delicacy about that suppose we
dine at Delmonico's? He had corner
ed me but in the end he was cornered
himself.
Having assented to the arrangement,
he suggested that should call at the
counting-roOm shortly before 3 o'clock,
and we would walk up together. We
accordingly started at the appointed
hour, walked socially arm in arm along
South street, while those anxious skip
pers who could expect no more dinners
looked on and hitched up their slack
Wristbands. AT the corner of Wall
street my hest was buttonholed by an
excited exchange broker, aod forthwith
there ensued lively dispute as to
whether the bill under discussion was
to be drawn at thirty or sixty days.
sight. Observing my patient attitude
as / leaned against the lamp-post, an
idea more brilliant in its results for me
than for him occurred to the senior.
Captain" said he, 81 shall be de.
tanned here few minutes. 1t will be
a saving of time if you will go on and
order the dinner"
Certainly, sir" 1 replied. "What
shall / order?"
ooh, anything you please was the
satisfactory answer. 81 shall be quite
suited with your selection"
| An old shipowner of Boston was
accustomed to say that he never gave
his Captains instructions. 81 always, u
he said, "give 'em point blank to &c
where they are mind to-" L hope they
were too conscientious to take the adj
vantage of the carte blanche which Mr.
Waterman doubtless gave them that
took i'll this instance. L proceeded with
such rapid pace to Delmonico's that
when my entertainer arrived the din
ner was ready to be served, and the
champagne, as our French friends say
was stuck with ice in the cooler along.
side of the table. That was his first
occasion for astonishment, which re-
ceived another addition on the appear.
ance of the turtle-soup, another at the
sole au gratin, another at the canvas
back ducks, which was not lesseneC
when these delicate apple-fritters were
followed by the stragglers in the rear
cheese, ice-cream, nuts, grapes, anf
black coffee.
To do justice to the excellent Pela
tiah Perit-whose name thus far
have abstained from mentioning-afte
his first surprise he entered hearth,
into the joke and ate heartily of tn,
dinner. told him all about it--how
had been living on salt beef and hard
tack of late and how the rum had givel
out, and then, as he beamed benignl
upon me, told him what those othe
malicious shippers had said. And then
when the repast was over, what do yol
think he didp Why, he called for tn
best Habanas Delmonico had, althoug
he did not himself smoke, and told m
to put the bunch in my pocket.
Nor was that, the end of it. He in
|, vited me to dine there again, and b
! INVITED the others too. And we wer
all willing to let him select from th
bill of fare, although 1 don't reall
: ! think that we ever again had Dime
. |. so appetizing in all its appointment
as the one for which catered mysel