Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-12-02
An Hour in the Court House.

We boarded the Court House at Ellsworth
one day last week. Blu, few people were on
deck lounging around, standing at the cabin
doors, or in the staterooms. The Commo-
dore was seated on the larbosrd quarter
deck, the larbosrd watch of twelve men,
they called jury was anchored in chairs on
the port side Of the main deck, while two
mates under their bows were trying TO steer
a case into their brains for them to .sar,ey'
upon. On the left Of the Commodore, and
just below on a poop deck, stood a lady
spinning yarn to the twelve navies and the
two steerers. AT her left sat another lady
of good model and build, with a fin.
figure head, putting down in the log book
the yarns, the courses and distances from,
fancy to fact and other little things. She
was very poor writer. They called her
style of writing "short- hand" or phonogra-
phy. 1t appeared very much like chopped
spun-yarn spread on cake. board. The
two steerers or bos'ns appeared like ordin-
AIRY seamen leastwi.e they were Young. and
ike most young people, asked great many
foolish questions. The old Commodore
would Frequently order them to huff or bear
away. We liked the way the Commodore
cunned the case after il was struck out. The
case had been going on about a dog watch
when one Of the ste.rers got upon his pins
and stood before the watch Of twelve men
and began to reel off yarn. The Commo-
dore, without ordering him to beav his
talk, intlmated 10 him and his messmate
how the land lay and what courses he should
order for the watch to steer BY. The mate
again began TO pay out on his story. when
Trask, Captain Of tine watch, and about ali
Of has mes>matcs cast most painful and ap-
pealiug look up to the Commodore. look
;ha, said plainly: 20 h,lay his slack
Show pity Lord 0 Lord forgive - But
the Old man deaf 10 such looks and
only took up his marline-spike and begun to
whisper to himself and figure up hIs DAYS
work. lhI- lalker made short anchor
watch and called the next man, who hraiicd
up a lot Of papers, and took dog wsteh at
punIshiDg and ja~ing the larboafd watch
about what would be done with the two
stowaways-one plaintiff and one defend
ant.
The whole watch writhed, and twisted.
and looked, and harked for the piping for
that not one Of those Twelve men knew
word Of what those two navies had been say
Ing, although they were conscious that some
hing Wa hurtiug them, FOR when the tlde
Of abuse stopped flowing, the SIGH Of relief
Was as great as if freed from a surgeons
lance. Bu, there we're sweet rippes running
across their hoW, as the Oid Man ordered
The bo's'n to pipe for dinner.
We happened to stray into the for,casDle
where Mr J. Jones, mailing from Rrook,yillc
and belonging tn the iarboard watch aud
Mr. Henry Bowdru. haiIing from Prnoo-
scot. Of the starhoard watch, took their
grub. The, sci at the chapau's table, and
ot course had cabin fare. much to pur sur
prise. But the, were able seamen They
had been on these working Cup jobs abou,
the Court House for several weeks. and
we're heartily tired af tie voyase, ana
Ionged 70 hear the order 10 hca,r-up for
home. So eut> these ,weu'v-four hour,.
-Buek.por, Clipper.