Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-23

odor OF the red-gold juice of the rye linger-
ing lovingly about his lips, he was accosted
by the ubiquitous Mr.. P. Quill.
The extreme corner of the skipper's left
eve Just lifted the least bit in the world and
fixed itself on the bold intruder for the
space of two seconds and half. Then it
dropped, and full and true portrait of Mr..
Quill was photographed on the mariners
mind.
Chow dye do?" remarked the Captain;
won't you sit DOWN."
Mr.. Quill looked up the deck and down
the deck-nay, he even glanced casually to-
ward the water, for not chair or stool or
even a rope coil of any description could he
discern, with the single exception of the
Captains own throne.
Ill don't see anything to sit on" he
finally observed.
IMMATERIAL TO HIM.
"Oh! it don't matter, SIR said the skip
per-"don't matter in the least. Sit down
where you like. You needn't apologize. 1
don't mind"
"H'ml 1 guess I'll stand" said Mr..
Quill. "By the way, I want to have talk
with you, Captain-er-Captain-what did
you say your name WASP"
''Didn't say nv name was nothin'," said
about, sir?"
stWell,' blurted out the interviewer, 1T
want to know what you rivermen do when
you are not working on the river-during
the frost and ice season, for instance, or in
the heat of summer"
why" replied the skipper, slowly roll
ing out his words as though he were engaged
in covering them over with a solution of
tobacco smoke before sending them out into
the captious world. ''why. some of us does
nothin', and some of the hands goes down
to. the dockyards, on the Mississippi and
hammers away there; and some more of
them gets sent to the workhouse If was
to tell you what we all do, I'd have long,
long story, young man."
''Are you off work long at a timer
queried Mr.. Quill.
well, sometimes we are; sometimes
we're not" replied the skipper. sit all
depends on the climate, s'pose. In '87 we
were of for Is weeks That was a pretty
big cantle. Some winters we only get off
fora week. Last summer was pretty bad;
we were off nearly month altogether,
guess"
TOO MUCH WATER.
"Why, I thought we had lots Of water last
summer" put in Mr.. Quill.
Up went the corner Of the old Captains
eye again, and he once more photographed
the interviewer. 81 reckon we had lots of
water, young man." the Captain said after
painful pause sIndeed, anybody who
knew anything about the matter would say
we had darn sight too much waterl We
had SO much, in fact, that navigation was
almost impossible part of the time"
How do you like getting off work?''
asked the interviewer, anxious to change
the subject.
"why, sir, 1 like it fairly" the other re-
piled. TITS always pleasant to sit at fire
and let your wife cook for you and have
your children to talk to. Oh, yes, I like it
fairly"
Don't you feel a sort of longing to see
the old boat again, when you're of?"
"Why, If / want to see her, all I've got |
to do is to come down to the wharf and |
take a look. Any time want, can get on |
board, just as Kam now, and smoke and en-
joy myself No, sir, on the whole, guess,
being at home is the best part of the trade |
You see, you have your two homes-your |
river home and your land home-and you |
can live in either just as you darn please"
THE DECK HANDS FEEL IT.
"But about the Doodle side of the ques-
tion?''
"Ohi take that as It comes" said the
skipper, knocking the ashes ont Of his pine,
which had now been smoked out. 1--WE |
even with the 10 weeks worth Of salary
knocked of. It is the hands who feel the |
pinch; but then they can nearly always get
some work or other to keep them going. "A
lew are bad boys. as told you, and get