The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-09
HE wHIsrLEp TO THE BABY.
An Ex-Sailor Tells How He First Hired
Out ON n Farm.

ship from Australia thought would go east OF
the mountains, try and get me home, aud not
go TO sea any more. I went to Walla Walla.
The first day there was taken down with lung
fever and was sick for seven months. This ILL
ness left me without any money. As soon As l
was able to get around, used to sit In the hotel
Office and whistle for luck.
One day farmer came into the hotel and said
that he wanted man to go and work on ranch
for week / told him that l would go, but
would rather have a steady job.
"No," said the man, 81 will give you chance
for one week"
Said l, 'Weil, I'll CO."
1t was Sunday went out to the ranch that
day. On Monday morning the farmer harnessed
up his horses and went out with him and the
team to the field. did not know what was
going to happen. He had told me the night
before that ne had hired me to SOW. / lay
awake all night wondering what Sowing" was.
/ had no more idea of what sowing was than
had baby. We went out to where he wanted
the sowing done. He hitched onto queer
looking something that / have since learned
was drill, used in sowing wheat.
The farmer said to me:
Snow YOU drive over to the other side, as
straight as you can, and be sure and see that 1t
sowe all right"
1 had to turn my head to hide laugh. I
thought the man was crazy to call that SOW
ing" When was q little boy my grandfather
drag something over the ground to make 1t level.
He used to call it a harrow, and that's what
thought this was. And as for the box on it
(where, l have since learned, they put the
wheat), thought it was for a man to sit down
on when he got tired. / started.
snow be sure and watch it and see that 1t
sows all right" said the farmer.
drove across to the other side and back again
to where he was standing.
He SAYS: "Does it SOW all rght2'
said, eyes, sir" and had to turn my head
and laugh again. Istarted once more. and when
came back he was lying on the ground, shak-
ing with laughter.
asked him, "What's the matter"
1t was some time before he could make any
answer, and then he explained and discovered
that the box OF seed was empty and that had
been hauling an empty drill all over the field.
He said: ST guess I'll SOW, and you had better
go to the house. My wife will find something
for you to do"
So started for the house, he watching me till
/ got out of sight. guess he wondered who
was and where l came from, because / didn't
know what sowing was. l wondered what his
wife would set me at. / went into the house
and told her what her husband had said.
She answered: 81 do not know of anything
you could do, unless it is to hold Cora, the
baby"
She gave me chair and put the baby in my
lap. 1t looked up in my face and commenced
crying, and didn't know what to do.
She said: "Can you whistler"
Says /: eyes, ma'am-"
"Then you'll have to whistle to it," says she.
1t took me some time before l could get
started. Then the little thing looked up in my
face and laughed. / thought that was better
than sowing or going 10 sea; but If stopped
little baby would begin crying as hard as she
could, and had all could do TO keep it in my
lap. l wished that had never come here, but
was broke and had to put up with it. Some
times would slight my whistling. 1t seemed
that when left out one note that baby would
begin crying again hard it could. l will
say, right here, that it was the crossest baby /
ever saw in my life.
(Since then have had family OF my own, but
never whistled to my babies, nor let my wife
do so, for was afraid that I'd have to whistle
all the timel.
stayed there one week, and all did after
got done with the mornings sowing was TO
whistle to the baby. / got up at o'clock in the
morning, and just / got downstairs the
farmers wife would hand me the baby and say:
al guess you'd better hold it" I'd hold il till at
night, and mourn all day for the deep blue
rolling ocean. used to begin by whisting
"Yankee Doodle" and from that went through
all the tunes to the "Doxology," and then back
to yankee Doodle" Some may think l had a
chance to rest when it was asleep, but If I
stopped one minute it would wake up and begin
crying again.
One day she (the farmers wife) asked me to go
out 10 the stack and fill bedtick with straw. /
started and did this work and had nearly gotten
back when she yelled at me: "Hurry
upi the baby is crying" 1t took me ten min
utes OF hard whistling before l could quiet it
1.-THE baby, not the tickl down. Then began to
think that il this the only way / could
make my living ashore would prefer going to
sea- ] said so TO the farmer.
hat hn srht
few days, give me something different to do,
but he never did My lips were sore and ell
puekered from whistling, and guess they have
never got back into shape.
At last | said to him: 81 guess I'll leave"
said he: Eyes, l think you'd better go away
I'm gong into town tonight. You ride
with me or wait and go in tomorrow. / have
done lust 40 / agreed to do. promised you one
weeks work, and l have given 1t 10 you. l wish
had something that you could do, but / can't
afford 10 nav a man 10 take care of one baby at
$3.50 day. 1t is too much. II l had two babies
I'd hire you to whistle TO 'em all the time"
So he paid me and won't 10 Walla Walla that
night / was the happiest man in the world to
get away. / made up my mind that never
would whistle again in my lie.
When | got to the hotel the proprietor asked
me where I'd been. told him my story. He
called in ali of his friends, and wanted me to
tell il to them just as il was The house was
fuli / IL was d q CIOcA IN morning
before they went to bed.
The next day there was paragraph in the
paper about the sailor who had hired ont to
work on a ranch and was set TO work to whistle
10 the baby.
thought had better get out OF the country,
for | couldn't live there in peace. The next
6ay. whenever | went out on the street, little
boys would chase me around and shout, There
goes the whistler" Tbs police had to stop them
from yelling at me. / would have given any
thing in the world II ! had never seen the
Mace. but / was anchored and had 10 stop
awhile
one night rugged mp and went to Charlie
Roses theater l sat down close 10 the stage.
There was q girl singing on the stage. Some one
must have told her of me, for when she was al
most done, she said: ''oh. If could whistle like
that feller.n and pointed her finger atme Twas
mad enough to shoot her, but the audience
commenced to shout and stamp. The propre-
tor had 10 call in the police 10 make them keep
ouiet. managed to get out Of the house.
went back and told the proprietor l had 70
get out of the country; that cculdnt live there
in peaee. SO packed my things and walked TO
Wailula that night, from there 10 Portland, and,
in few days, | was lucky enough 10 get ship
to Australia
have Mt whistled since.