The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-27
A SAILORS YARN.
A story of FsrIy Days IN san francisco.

4
ashore, and the person addressed was Jour
/ ralist
The latter replied, sitter glance At the
weather beaten tar: There undOubte1l y
Was Ealoon here II some time, for in ths
| esrly days such places were as thick as
| huokleberries in this part OF the city. YO1ll
| nave no tronble Ia finding bar-rO0m now
II that's al sou want. are you anxious
| to find the particular one referred to-"
Well, yes, sir. although IL don't matter
much. fact Is, | was got away with IN that
place orcs, and thought I'd just like u
take wet for old times with the man who
ran the caboOse when | was last here Why,
ye never see such bloomin' fool as was in
| them days"
IF you Rad rough time OF it in that sa.
loon what is your present idea in trying to
lind the place. d. you want to raise a row
with the barkeeper?'
"Oh, no sir; not by any means. Why,
Lord bless your soul, don't bear 20 grudgs
against the place; and 1t wasn't there l go.
mped-.esstWaYs the business ended
somewhere else. I'll tell ye about il. Il We d
care to know. how they shipped crews on
American craft IN them times
"All right; bat come into this cigar store
where the people won't run over us. What
sort OF cigar viii you smoker"
Thank ye kindly, sir; but I'd rather have
I'll OF 'bsccy for my pipe, il ye don't
mind ("
Having uffed bis briarwood with the
strongest obtainable tobacco. the old salt
iOld bis yarn as follows:
zone Saturday night-that was a good
many years ago now Sails and me got FIVE
dollars each from the skipper and after sup
per got into our gO-sshoTe toys and struck
out for q little Frisco time. We belonged to
British ship, and Sails was the ssilmsker,
OF course. We stopped at the ginmill [ was
asking you about TO get 2 five dollar piece
changed snd to vet down before starting.
Just then fellow comes in and calls for q
glass Of beer and says 20 rs: BOYS take a
dliok with me; I somehow don't ike 10
drink alone
He seemed . be a right kind Of O Look.
ing chap, and we took some beer Then
Ssils he treated, and then came nay turn,
and then the stranger he eays. BOYS, what
do You want 70 waste your tine for on that
ere iron coffin Of yours Instead OF takin' g
JOB on one of them fine American shfDs2
Now there's the ship Ericsson wants a third
mate and a sRilmaker; Sl5 bonus and SO a
month, aud We gets yer meals in the cabin,
like gentlemen, OF clean white pl ates'
we says No thank ye, 81 the same, bat
our coffin as ye calls 1t, isn't q bad Graf to
sick to, and we amt over anxious to cut
away from the three months back pay that
is owing Us.
"'Suit yourselyes.' says he but that's no
reason why We shouldn't be friendly. Sup
pose yer come up 20 my house and take
social drain with .4e. Some Of the boys call
me Shanghai Briggs, and if you trust to me-
yell ind me square clear through
He was g. pleesaut-spOken chap as ye'd
want TO see, 60 We chummed in and went 10
bis house, and there we took several drinks
aboard. AL of = sudden 70 seemed as though
Id got into the trough OF q heavy sea, aud
then don't remember anything more. The
first thing I knOwed found myself hsavin'
on q Windass aboard the clipper ship Z -ics-
Z Ii rv5fh
>, poo tons OF California wheat
when ! got a sqaint IL q glass a little
later I was Just picter 70 look at Nv right
eye WRs ali bunged up and ray face and
head was dekerated with strips aDd cross of
skin plaster while I felt sick at the SION icb
weak IA the knees, low IN spirits and hal a
nervous shske all over. Ny word bat I
was nice cup o tea. ! didn't ask no cues
tions, for I knowed I'd been crimped. aud
it'd do no good to kick about it. We lowed
across the bar, slowed away q few spare
tenders and lines that was on the upper
deck, and then all hands was mustered
aft 70 the break Of the poop, where
Captain Kelly showed up and did his intro
duCtory GRAFTON. He. said he was a
knowledgeable shipmaster, and knowed how
to take care of packed rats and buck sailors;
told as how the grub aboard that ship was
prime good, AID that every man jack OF Us
should get plenty so long as there wer'nt no
wasting, which last wOuld bring a snesZsr to
the fellow as did it. He wanted his officers
and men to obey orders promptly and
without back talk or growlin', and the off,
GERS mustn't allow soierin' or backin'
and film about job that wasn't pleas
ant. The officers must Gail every man
By his name without any Introductory
swearin' and the men must answer ave,
aye, SIR distinct and respectable. An officer
must give mis- orders so as - be understood
at the first Jump, and musn't have no famil-
ait nj hor H.
when under young officer at the beginning
Of voyage, watch his every move, and try
their tricks on him the very first chance.
The old salt will Just drop some funny Joke
when the officer Is arou nd, and III be laughs
or smiles there's trouble ahead for
him sure. The sailor next tells
short funny story, then sticks IN his
Jaw as to how a job should be done, aud
tben becomes regular screback The skip
Ter Just talked to the mines, / tell ye, and
of course, l can't put it ship shape a, he did.
end ne winds up by sayin', now we don't
want no rows or trouble aboard this ere
craft, and II you men do night re shall be
treated right; bat If ye 90 to playin any
! games yell ind her hell itself, with n0saviu
! Abraham around. Now, officers, choose yer
watches
The first choice fell to the second mate,
| ard he says, peintin' to me, III tske this old
tsr-boiler. / guess he'll be al right when he
gets bis mask or
with that the skipper sprang Of the
| house right among rs, and h0urishing a re-
| yOiyer IN each hand. cries out: Officers and
| men, nay orders must be obeyed. Mr.. Jones'
/ J said you must learn every mans name aud
| cali him by il, aud by nothing else. Now,
/ SIT, find out that mans name and call him
| by r. and then apologize for breaking the
ships rules That the mate was struck all
Of heap ss we al was for that matter. and
asks my name @hich the one chose was
| Bill Shear, and then he did the humble, aud
/ skipper f0rgives him, but says, don't let il
/ occur sgain, and then the skipper turns to
ne and says, Bill Shear, makes you bos'n
| Of this ship. You viii stan watch with Mr..
Jor e., and when Mr. Williams dismiasss the
crew you vii take your dunnage from the
! fo'csstie into the after part OF the forard
house. Officers ard men, Bin Shear is nov
| sn officer OF this ship