The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-16
AFFLICTED WITH 4 JONAH.
The Sea Captains Fear OF Parsons
Sous.
How He Proved That Doc Brought Mig
fortune to Him by Chapter From
His Own Experience.


ln1ngs as JOna1e even IN lleSe uayss said
white. haired old Eea captain one afternoon
recently to a few friends who were helping
him 10 surround q stove in the
Office OF South street chambers shop.
The Captains statement led TO satirical
remarks on the part CT some of the others
But the old mans superstition wss proof
against ridicule, end be said cutie earnestly:
s.Nov IL you chaps will only listen to me
for few minutes. i will guarantee to con.
vince every one OF you that although the
original Jonah may. be dead as a herring, his
spirit still lives, and every now and then gets
into some unlucky landsmsn, who insists on
going to sea and brings misfortune to every
ship he sets his foot on" The Captains lis
teners admitted that they were open 10 con-
viction, and were ready 70 listen to any evil
derce as TO the existence OF Jonahs which
might be laid before them.
Although i was never really what you
could call superstitious," began the Captain,
II bad the idea, even while / was mate,
that If when got to be captain should
ship parsons son in my crew 1t would
briBg me bad luck. You know parsons
sons are full OF spirits and all that, and
sometimes get in trouble Then their friends
think 1t would do them world or good TO
make voyage or two before the mast.
Well, after got to be Captain l refused sew
ersl times to ship parsons son Just on &C
years
ago was put In command OF trim little
bark Just of the stocks that was loading In
this port for Cape Haytien; in the West
Indies. Just IS / was about TO sail my
steward came TO me and asked me IL l
wouldn't take boy. he promised TO look
after the boy, and have him in his own
stateroom. From the way he talked. /
thought the boy was some relative of his.
1 liked the steward, and he had sailed with
me for teyeral years. So, TO oblige him. l
said ne would lake the boy. In the hurry
OF getting eff thought 10 more OF the boy
until OF Sandy Hook. Then 1 asked the
steward II he had brought the boy. He
says: oh. YES, sir, but he's sessick. and I
think it would be better for him to keep his
berth until he's ali right again So left it
TO the steward to bring him on deck when
he esw tit. You see, although the boy had
signed articles, and all that, 1 hadn't
.clapped eyes Oh him once.
The rext morning, when was
on deck, up came the steward With the boy.
started back when / saw the youngster. De
was fat, clumsy lad Of about eighteen.
shnccersd when I looked q him. 1t ssemed
to me ss II / saw i'll luck in his face.
wouldn't have beer any more set back il
had seen the word Jonah written on his
forehead. l looked reproechfClly at the
steward. and then I called the mate and
ted him 70 set TIE boy at work. Then
asked The steward Il be thought it was doing
tie fair thing by me To go aud smugsle =
Jonah on bosrd my bark. TAe steward got
&ind OF indignant. Why said he, that
boy amt Jonah. He's good by, only
one OF mis- chums went and got into scraps
and laid the blame 81 on him. So his peo-
&. pie had to send him TO sea. His father is
very nice man. Ny sister is seamstress in
his family Then asked the steward who
the boys father was. It turned out that he
paTson. That was ali cared TO hear.
] knew l was in for il nov. There was no
doubt now bat that had got genuine
Jonah on board.
Il thought OF first Of putting about and
landing my Jonah, but the wind was fair, so
kept on. Bot on the third day out came a
head wind That was followed by q hurri-
cane, IN which my new bark began to leak.
Then came q calm with fog. We were
going along easily, when oil of a sudden We
felt terrible shock. The bark had run into
= watteIlogged wreck, but We SION cleared
her. fortunately, we were going very
slowly, or the accident would have made q
hole in our boTs. But the bark made a good
: deal OF water after the collision, although
SIZE seemed al right otherwise. A few days
aiterwsTd a white pouall struck Us and
i, carried away two OF the upper yards and
i split whole set of sails. 1 used TO sit on
deck and watch my Jonah as he wsGdled
clumsily about, and | began to wonder il,
after all, wouldn't be justified IN quietly
pitching him overheard for felt sure thai he
was the cause of oil cur illluck. When we
=
tien / noticed that we had got into 8
strange current but / managed TO get out
Just soon enough to avoid running onto the
reefs OF the Caycos. which you know is the
most dangerous neighborhood in that part OF
the West Indies. You never saw q msa
more thankful, captain, than / was when
finally / dropped anchor in the harbor OF
Cape Hsytien, although my bark was leak
ing very badly for so new vessel.
while the bark was unloading and taking
freo - IT.
plan for gstting rid of my Jonah. he had
shipped for the round TRIP, and was afraid
that the Consul would not consent to nv dis
, charging the boy. But st last hit on plan.
i hated 10 have TO be tricky. bat l did not
dare TO risk going back with Jonah on board
for felt sure that be would bring some ter.
rible disaster on the bark if she left port
with him again. Tho boy had not gone
ss.hore once up 20 the time thst the cargo
was on board, and the bark was ready 10 sail
sent the steward ashore for some fresh pro
visions, and about an hour afterward | sent
for Jonah. ] pointed out the town and the
country a'ound it and / asked him il he
DIDN'T want to take q Iun ashore. Says L
Why, the bark went sail for these three
days btcsuse l am going 20 take a lsrge con
sienmsrt OF gold, aud that hasn't sol
here yet Tie boy seemed pleased aud
/ gave him money enough 10 cover
his wages for tbs month he had
been with me- ard 6 couple of months
nio-e. So~.' taid I, Just yeu 60 ashore and
- have good tine I called = shore boat
and Jonsh get into It. csnsssure you that
i saw him going away with 3 good deal OF
plsssure Soon atterwaid the steward came
of with the fresh provisions. Evsrythin 2
was ready To- sailing, srd just then the pilot
came on Dea-d. l ordered The crew to heave
mp the snohor st once The steward missed
Jonsh. Of course, and wss wild about him.
Says I, If the young scspegTecs has gone
and run away, how csn we help itp He
didn't seem satisfied, but it was too late for
him to do anything. for By that time we
were getting under way. The voyage bsck
was the luCkiest have ever bad. The wind