New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-28
THE OLD SIDE WHEELER.


Slack exclaimed the old purser with his favorlte
snort, why. who heard I'm the old days, when
steamships were steamships, and not fast and commo-
dlous sea going coal-scutdes, they are-yes.
sir every one Of 'em, coascuttles sir, nothing else,
for a fact / say who heard in day of feed
ing ships furnaces with slack7 Why, sir. recol-
lect when engineer would have been sent straight
TO Coventry and felt a mighty heap there than
your Lady Godlva ever did, have my opinion
about all that business tell you dayif he hadn't
thrown overheard, end Of every watch, ton two Of
better looking yes and better acting stuff, than
them shovelng into these new-fangled coascuttes of
theirs. Coal $50 ton too, mind you, not this cheap
stuff you buy nowadays. Yes, sir, $50 ton
pledge you my word. All, those the palmy days
These are the pney, and no mistake Can't even get
a good cigar now-lets try Of yours, I'll bet a
twenty-doIar gold piece It's bad" Thus encouraged,
did. The GROWER in the vein, and he
smoked and derlded cigar, and all the cigars we
rewarded by hearing him growI on.
So you made OUT he said, " that little old
mintbed for iuleps. Well It just was and clever
n Of modern landsman, been TO except
in a coal -scuttle, TO guess II the first time Juleps
Why bless your life, that nothing In our time
everything splck and span, aIisocrac. luxurious,
comfortable way-up Ceremony and etiquette I'LL you
couldn't rest Captains boy, and purser's boy, and
doctors boy and everybody's boy. Captains compi-
ments, and purser's compliments, and everybodys
compliments Captains dinner the last day out.
Panama dinner Christmas dinner and Fourth Of July
dinner. Wine allowance To every officer; want any
more when that was gone charge It to breakage ac
count But the greatest of all the great times was
when the up-steamer and the down steamer used TO
meet I'm that beautiful sinking superheated little har
Dor Of Acapulco, where used TO touch to coa-real
coal mind YOU none Of your slack. II was then that
the Junior captain would have himself shaved close and
clean and scented by the barber with bay and
Florida water and put his long-togS and call away
his gig and pull away 10 the other ship 10 visit the
senior captain Then after halfhour hour of
goodness knows what all In the captains room. with
yarns and laughing to match, the junior captain would
come back his ship, and pretty soon the senior
captains boat would be and hailed coming along
side 10 return the visit Then more Of the same.
But STAY did ever tell you about Capn Seth and the
cap'n's dinner and the night Orleri Tell II now.
then.
well one trip. It was Voyage ID Up, remember,
in the old Golden State, met the Golden Prime,
bound down right IN the harbOr Of Acapulco. STATE
and Prime came in pretty near together. raced, In
fact for the entrance Now Just imagine OF those
hot Mexican afternoons along In August every man
land some women In white linen that wasn't IN
black skin boats, visits, big dinner and ALL Capn
Seth poes of 10 the Prince and dimes with Cap'n
Forty OF course you don't know II. but In the days
~
IN row OF pins went by at least other name Just
ul. An actress Capn Fardon's real name was, or he
said f. WAS I'm a marine protest | saw him sign one
VOYAGE made with him, Fortescue Brazilero Pardon
and after that tho boys called HIM Gap IL
Forty when they liked him. and Brass
Pardon when they didn't, aud they maze
nm a warn or Purser Carne did dying Louy Carllne
that HIS father was a something In the bH'lSh Navy
and his mother a Brazilian princess black as The
f.p
wa, retired cooper who lived 10 Joralemon-st''
ooklvu and called his boy after the two ships that
had the biggest accounts on his DOCKS
Well sir pledge you my word, that dinner began
.t e,gbt bells and It wasn't till six bells had gone
again land that's three hours, sir. a. uaie say YOU
don't knowl that heard the haw-haw-ha"lns Vi
those two Jolly dogs die out and the PRIME gov
under way for Panama, and We gave her 'lrco o''"e
cheers and presently we heard the beat OF the oars
. our can,n's ptg in their rOwlocks. Then Cap Il
eth came aboard the State looking about the FACE
and eves like lighthouse in a fog but Ill MS speech
and ON his pins "a steady as church; steamer ina"
some churches mean IN Lisbon
.. .rompllments TO the chief engineer. All ready
As soon as this last lighter has hnlsheu s"s
sir, compliments to the first oncer All re~dS
"a. soon A. the engineer IS, sir Very good then
hiring me the night order book Then he slts uo"n
I'm his chart room before the chart table anu od'h's
90 ,t arms length this order for the night "et
under way as soon as the tide turns After passing
p,t,t so-aud-so steer such course. can me a'
m. cali me If you anything Of the Golden
Prime /" , 49,, I
Mr.. Peniman. the mate. knew his business 100 wen
IN call Capn Seth at a. m. or yet at 10 a. H. ou'
hon, II hearing the old fellow stamping about;
Iar,rg i,Aeps and things, he waited on the ON
man with the night order book In his hand as dd
I ma chin that Penhan, sln-dried ana sahuuIicus
nonS his own Goldfish the Zip END OF the cape Vi
tie - didn't see anything of the Prime ap III
Saws peniman, though we KEEP bright iooAo"' o."
WIZ YOU blanked IDIOT roared Capn ZEN tea
,,n,.i On hoard OF her. and-and-yOu saw her 'io"
~, for panama before We got under way $500 ,tease
w" :. IVES sir, says Peniman. as meek as you p IsI 81
- know Won dlncd aboard OF her, and thougnnr t m
,rd a. orange like. but orders is orders slr' WI"
YOU And there sure enough, Cap'n seth saw inc Sd
dor With which he wound up that wet nish h ,nh,
many good fellow has seen 1t since; l9I p anged
order book IS sacred and can Ds a. III grog sir
nlelge YOU my word
lyOTHBR KIND or LICENSE