Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-02-08
7<-------
THE CAP'N's WOODEN LEG.

From the New York Times.
An old man sat on the edge Of the
string piece Of a South street dock inge-
niously splicing q hawser, and hls only
companion was a short black clay pipe,
from which he pulled systematically
clouds OF rank plug tobacco smoke with
much energy and satisfaction. His age
was about sixty; his hair long and gray,
and about his withered but kindly coun-
tenapoe there were many signs OF the
hsrdships aud privations he had expe-
rienced during "a life on the ocean
wave"
Yet his appearance was not particularly
nautical, aside from a sou western and
few brass buttons which adorned an an
cient REFER" Nor would he have at
tracted much attention had II not been
r an old-iashloned wooden leg, which
was devoid OF all external covering be-
low the knee except coat OF white paint.
1t was, moreover his rightleg or a neces-
eary substitute for that useful member,
and consisted, seemingly, Of straight
piece OF timber which tapered very
awkwardly down from his kues into q
thick brass ferule at the bottom.
There was no cruteh beside him, and
the reporter was curious to know how he
managed TO get about the deck of WIS.,
sci with such primltive-lookIng limb,
when he rose from his occupation and
hobbled vlgorously over narrow plank
from the dock to the dock of q 1akish-
looking little schooner, with a remark
able cat-like agility. Then along the
deck and down into the Eliza Anne's
cabin the tall, angular and eccentric
figure disappeared for few moments,
returning to hts work with large Jack
knife, with which re proceeded to trim
oil the waste or ragged ends of neat
splice.
"Kinder spry, for an old fellow with a
timber Ics-ain't ~ he observed, no
tlcing the writer had been watching
him.
"You are, indeed" emphatically re-
sponded The as tohished reporter, taking a
seat by his side.
Eyes, and few on 'em' 8 smarter nor me
to this day at sea as always says to my
eldest son, Bill, who owns part OF thai
there schooner. Bat, OF course, | AIM
up to much scaling q riggin' or goina
aloit nowadays which was the cause
OF my losing my right leg, aud subj
quaint adoptin' oil this here aparat-
tuss.
''How long have you worn it?''
"Thirty-yes, thlrty-two years ago las,
October, l was blowed off the yardatm OF
Cap'n Samuels peerless clipper ship the
Dreadnaught going TO the BASTARD. There
was gale and all hands were piped up
TO reef and shorten sail, when the fust
thing knew | kinder lost me footing on
tho 'stirrups'oi the lower fotetcpsail yard
and was thrown on deck. +"
"And-'
"And this here leg that used to be was
so BADLY broken thai Of had to b. ampu-
tated at the kee the next day, by the
ships surgeon, and when we arrived in
Liverpl oil was taken to the eeamen g
Hospital and laid up for repairs.
'Then," continued the ancient mari
ner, after regarding this wooden extremi-
ty with much sdmiration for several
moments, Il became acquainted with
another cripp ed sailor who died OF con-
sumption. Take this, Joe,' says he,
pointing to this here leg. faint much
! know says he, but may be useful
when you get well, aud with that he
died"
"Did 1t az"
Eyes, to 7, aud enc day 1 was ex-
aminln' Of Its wonderful mechanical con-
lHslhCt W Htu u
secret plug in the boiler part Of the leg
here wAd of bank notes that took my
breath away. Two hundred aud fifty
pound, sir, az true rs I'm Cap'n Joseph
Saltus OF Glo'ster."
"NYhat did do with emp Why, bless
your heart, Tut 'em back again and never
let on to nobody I'd found 'em for fear
In confidential Whisper his poor rela-
tlors ID hear OF the discovery aud expect
me TO settle upl Then, after had been
IN the hospital two months, 'Cap'n Sam
visited me personally, kind SOUL and
insisted on my re turnin' to his ship and
accepting of job Ia the galley. My
cruise as assistant cook aboard the old
Dreadnaught came mighty near ending in
watery grave
GLOW was thatl'
"Yol SIC we were bound for New York,
and just off the banks got into calm,
and thought I'D try my luck fishing.
So took big cod hook and line and
sat on the for'srd rail, balted the hook
wi h a whole clam, and, after tying the
line to this wooden appendage for fish.
ing pole, cast out to s,arboard for q bite.
| sat there for q whole hour and was
almost asleep, when all OF sudden there
came such tug that went overheard.
It was whale. Just when / expected to
be swallowed whole like Jonah some
thing gave way and was picked up on
the port side Of The ship The worst
of 1t was there wasn't but one man
aboard who believed whale had pulled
me overheard.
"You see most OF the crew were asleep,
and to make matters worse me and the
mate, a man who refused to eat my apple
dumplin's, wasn't extra friendly and he
swore that was drunk at the tins which
assertion most on 'em believed until we
arrived of Sandy Hook and discovered a
dead whale"
"Anotherw murmured the astonished
reporter, preparing 10 hear fresh whale
story.
NO." interrupted the Captain, with
an artiul wink, "the same whale that
hooked of the Banks"
"But how did you know 1T"
"Why, by the line that was hanging
out OF ia mouth with this here leg at
tached to It, of course"
what, you lost your leg, thenP'
"Yes, for the time being, and / was
mighty lucky 1 had one to lose, for
might have iost nv life II hadn't parted