Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-03
ONE VOYAGE CURED aIM.
Painful Experience OF n San
FrauclscO Lad Who Would
60 20 Sea.

A small, black eyed lad applied at
the Mulberry street police station on
Thursday night for lodging. He
limped painfully as he walked, and his
clothing was old aud much worn. He
said he arrived in New York on the
steamer Egypt on last Sunday. TO a
Sun reporter last evening he told this
story:
My name is William Keene, and |
am sixteen years old. My father is
Capt, Charles Keene, music dealer
and proprietor Of a music hall at Mar
ket and Third streets, in San Fran.
cisco. We reside at 1915 Tartar street.
| took notion to 20 to sea, aud my
father finally let me go, saying one
voyage would cure me. | shipped as
an apprentice on the Snow & Burgess;
that is, was cabin boy, and worked
out on deck, too. As soon as we got
out to sea | was treated dreadfully.
especially BY Second Mate Lewis, who
beat me many times, and worked me
until my feet got so sOre,l couldn't
wear shoes, and could hardly step on
them. He only allowed ME to sleep
between four and five hours out oil the
twenty. tour, and on many nights made
me work right through"
He gave me that punishment once
because hadn't found time to grind
the coffee, he had kept me SO busy at
other things That night he made me
grind coffee all night. He was just as
cruel to the sailors and other boys |
saw him give the sailors black eyes
two or three times. The first mate
was just as cruel but didn't do much
striking. The steward, George Chase.
who lives somewhere in New York,
was as bad as the second mate, and /
don't know what the sailors would
have done to either one Of them il
they had found the chance.
Harry Brown, another boy, six
teen years old, had worse luck, though,
than |, for the mate pou1ded him Just
as much, and finally knocked him
overheard, and he was drowned
Harry Brown was from some place 10
New York State. He told me gave
some men in San Francisco some
money to put on board the Snow
Burgess the day she sailed. Both the
mates were mad about it, and they
made it as bad for him as they could.
But he had tie advantage Of me one
way, for he was four hours on and
four hours of, end could get plenty Of
time to sleep, while | was never sure
Of getting even my four or FIVE hours
and was sleepy and tired all the time
One day Harry Brown was up on
the rail fixing a sail when the second
mate came along and, finding fault
with the way he had fixed il, struck
him BLOWN the stomach and Knocked
him overheard. William Smith. the
bo'sen, spraDg over after Harry. One
OF the men threw a life buoy over after
him. The bosom had as much as be
could do to get the lite buoyand drift
cd about a mile away from the ship
They put out a boat for him, but did
not get Harry, though the boat went
right over him once just as he went
down. Bo'sen Smith never said much.
but he was kind 70 everybody, and ]
never saw him strike blow. The
Captain hardly ever came out. Some
times he stayed 10 for days. at a time
He had a stack 81 novels, and was
reading them
When we got TO Liverpool the mate
put me 10 irons below. l spose be
thought would get ashore and toll
on him. But some of the sailors told
me they got even with him, for one
night, when he was ashore, they got
him in some scrape or other, had him
arrested aud he was 6ned thirty shil
lings.
THE night before The ship sailed
the mate took me out Of the irons and
put me ashore. He put my chest of
with me. Some OF the sailors had
told me Of the American Consul |
went FIRST to clearinghouse, but II
was burned in a day or two, and | lost
NY cnesti WIN my clothing and what
little money | had. Then went 10
the Consul. lie took my story down
in a book with all about Harry Brown
Then he arranged for my passage in
the Egypt. | was treated well while
on board Of her. | stayed for two OF
three days at Castle Garden after |
got here"
SNOW y Burgess are ship owners AT
sc South street, in this city. Mr.
Levi q. Burgess, one Of the firm. lives
at 100 Taylor street, Brooklyn.
We are owners OF the Snow A
Burgess" he said last evening. "She
is a fnll rugged sailing vessel of 1000
tons burden She left San Francisco
Tor Liverpool some time in February
She left Liverpool for Baltimore three
or four weeks ago, and may be in Bal.
timore now. Captain Anderson Is In
charge Of her. l don't know the
names Of the mates"