Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1885-01-15

From the New York Tribune.
On almost any evening there may be
seen gathered in the cOsey back rsUm OF
a West street h0stelry much favored by
seafaring men a company OF red faced
"shellbS cks" who casually drop in when
they happen to make the port OF New
York to get a taste Of the fragrant hot
Scotch or spiced rum, for which the place
is famous among all merchant sailors.
1t is favor to be admitted to the room,
which is rarely accorded to amy one who
has not made dozen deep water vOy-
ages" or doubled the TIVE capeS" two or
three times. spirit of the utmost dem
ocracy pervades the place. Afore'the-
mast Jack" is every bit as good as
mate or captain, and enjoys his glass
of steaming grOg just as much as his SUI
perior in Office and without the slightest
restraint. Everybody seems to know ev'
rybOdy else, and if he doesn't he soon be-
comes acquainted when he is admitted
to the charmed circle. Here almost any
night. amid the fragrant perfume of the
hot liquor and the thick clouds of smoke
from the Clipped navy plugs" in the
short pipes of the sailors, old shipmates
meet. exchange stories of recent voyages,
recall old tales of toll and peril that they
have undergone together, and spin some
times the most marvellous yarns for the
ediflcati0n of the assembly.
SOME WONDERFUL STORIES
are told at times. On recent occasion
a Tribune reporter was present at one
of the reunions when one of the old salts,
"TOm" Hughes by name, tall, power
! fully built Liverpool IrishmaD, who
seemed to be a general favorite, reeled
off the following "twister":
You know, mates" he said, that
while back took turn on Whaler. I'd
never had any Of that kind of work, and
thought I'd take try at 1t anyway. It's
a rum kind of business, any way you
take it--gO0d enough for Kanakas and
Portuguese, but no more OF 1T in mlne."
Fright YOU are, mate" chimed in a
weather. beaten old fellow of so years or
thereabeuts, who looked as though he
had been knocking about the world for
| at least 100 years. 1--WE been there my
self, and it amt fit for white man no
ways
well, | shipped into a tight enough
little bark, out Of New Bef0rd. bound on
a three years cruise in the South Pacific
fishing grounds" continued Hughes. Il
was before the mast on 225th lay, that is
| got ono barrel of oil out Of every 225
caught. We'd been cruising around
among the South Pacific Islands for up
ward of six months with varying luck
doing pretty well on the whole, when one
f, day the lookout gave the cry that we was
always looking for: Thar she blews and
thar she breaches!
SPARN WHALE
three pints on the lee bowl" and the
speaker gave the call in the true sing
song way of an old sailor. "Wsll, mates,
if you've never been aboard wkaler
! T0u dOh't know what eOmmOtion that
sound makes. 1t was beastly hot day,
and the watch was lying around the
deck doing all sorts Of odds and ends, Of
which you kGOw there's always plenty
abOG I'd ship, and principally hunting oat
! shady places. But at the first sound ev-
erything was alive. The watch below
I vas turned out. Men were rushing to
! their boats. The old man ran up TO the
feremast head with his glasses to sight
| the whale, aad the officers were tearing
around cuSsing the men fore and aft. It's
strange thing, but mate seems to
| think sailOrman can't work unless he's
cussed at. | was bow ear in the first
|
| the water, and We laid down to work in
good fashion, and it wasn't long before
we was up to big bull whale. The
mate put the iron TO him in good shape.
The brute sounded and we laid on our
oars waiting for him to come up. We'd
waited maybe five minutes when | hap
pened to look in the water, and there
right under us saw the old fellow COM
| ing up with mouth wide open. l gave
one yell and then was paralyZed. Be-
fore | knew where was the jaws of the
whale had closed on the boat, crushing
it like an egg shell, and felt myself
gulped down his throat
LIKE A BIG OYSTER.
You can just bet | felt as if I'd been
keelhauled. At last get into the whales
stomach. WE'LL says to myself, Tom,
old boy, you've got Yourself into nice
pickle and thought of all the bad
things I'd ever done, and made up my
mind that my time had come. s0rter
remembered about some fellow that the
Holy Joes tell about that got swallowed
by whale, and the whale carried him
ashore. i thought maybe my old hooker
to myself, there's no use making any
fuss about it, / guess you are here to
stay, my boy, and you may as well make
yourself as comfortable as you can So
hauls cut my plug of tobacco and bites
off big chaw. YOn know I'm handy
sort of chap to spit. Well, after / had
chawed little while spit. AS did so
| noticed that the whales stomach gave
a sort OF half turn. BLAST me if | amt
got you, old fellow says l, and l pulls
out my plug again and chips 1T up as
fine as l could and sprinklss it all over
the whales stomach. Before could see
went sailing up his throat like | was
shot from gun, and just as / got to the