Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-12-25
USED TO STOP A LEAK.
Dsw Peter Johnson Paid His Passage
Over the Atlantic.

Nv feter johnson raid us Passage
Over the Atlantic.
Old Peter johnson, familiar land
mark" OF South street, and who, in the
memory of the oldest dock hand in
thisu city. has never been known 10 stir
away from his seat on AN old box at
the corner Of South street and Coenties
slip, tells a most remarkable tale of
the troubles through which he had TO
pass TO become an American citizen
and TO run away from his birthplace
In Sweden.
II seems that Peter, whose naEle is
not Peter at all, but something in
which all the letters Of the alphabet
are combined. was born in a little
hamlet in Sweden. Ever since he
frst read a translation Of Robinson
Crusoe," at the age of 10, Peter had "a
violent passion for the sea. One day
he heard of America. He asked how
far of this great land might be, and
his father replied that il was on the
other side of the great Irish sea and
across the Atlantic. The next day
Peter made up a little bundle of neces-
Earies and started off TO find this glori-
ous Eldorado. He reached Leis, =
small fishing port on the coast of Swe-
de-.
Walking along the wharves he saw
o bark Of aboa 500 tons that was ad-
vertiSed TO start for New York on that
very day. He had never heard Of
New York. but as he clambered over
the port rail of the little ship he blindly.
hoped that il was somewhere near his
goal. On board he found all deserted.
BY accident Peter stumbled into the
hold Of the ship. He secreted himself
among a number Of barrels, and. as he
was very tired, he fell asleep. About
ten hours afterward he was awakened
by a peculiar clanking noise The
hip was rolling horribly. Her wooden
Ades were being strained TO the utmost
extent, and Peters heart stool still.
well, the end Of il was, said the
old man last evening to the waiter,
that | went on deck. | wa a mighty
1ck colloose, / can tell you. But /
wasn't too sick TO see that something
horrible had happened, The cap'n
stood near the wheel looking hope
bssly toward shore and didn't even
notice me. The sea was runuin' high.
a heavy gale had caught us to lee
ward and we had sprung a leak. Our
ship was pretty fast and we we're out
of sight Of land. The leak was a big
one and u ship was film fast. All
the men were at work at the pumps,
but the water was gainin' on 'em and
they were losin' heart and hope.
When the cap'n saw me he did didn't
Ire off and cat tail me. No; he Jest
ssught me by the shoulder here and
he Jest looked up to heaven thus way,
and he jest said, Thank Godr sorter
happy like.
"Then be hurried me down into the
hold and then he said somethin' to
one of the men as was al the pumps.
The man went away, but he soon come
back an told the Cap that all was
right
"Then the Cap'n he took me down
into the bow of the old hulk. That's
wher' she'd sprung a leak. Their was
hole bout the size of your body on
the starboard side. The Cap'n, he and
The man then cotched me up, an,
mates, would you believe it, they just
stuck me in that hole up 10 my arm
pits, they did, blast me If they didn't.
Il was mighty uncomfortable TO me,
but it stopped the water from fowin'
IN. After a while the water was all
pumped out, an then the carpenter
fixed the hole. For my part of the
work the Cap'n gave me a free pass
age, and here | am"
And then old Peter johnson closed
his teeth OF an old clay pipe, nor
would he open them again 10 say one
word in explanation Of his strange adj
venture New York Evening Sun.