The Helena independent., 1892-02-29


tlton that NIL WHO wiAhcd 10 do 10 might
jump overheard and swim ashore. IL was
plain 70 iE0 that he had fosovea to 10 down
with hlg aap flying and talks .na down with
him. l'nt as liz looked on the crowd oi
wounded men covering tho deck he
evidently felt 1t would be cruel to let them
60 halplessly to tho bottom. So he struck
hia colors."
"Will you tell ME, admiral y eaia. "how
you came to be midshipman at 50 early
M age
'lho present Admiral Pofter's father
vas sorting-master,' he said, ''stntionel nt
Now Orleans when | was a child, and Was
living there. One day ho was taken sicL
with tho yellow fever und father had him
ntonco brought to our house whare he could
DO better cared for than on board the ship.
Shortly my mother wAs taken down with
tho fever, too. Both died the same
day Rnd within few houra Of each
othcr, and were buried tho sans day. This
brother, father Of the present admiral,
came down to take his place. Whether
feeling tor tho family, or because hn
thought his b"othor'a illness was the cause
OF my mothers death, or for both, do not
know, but he proposed to adopt mo ns his
child. My father consented. When Porter
started in bombkotch for Washington I
was put on board. From that time had
no home but the sea-
Az in imagination saw this little moth
erlsss boy. only seven years old. alone on
the sea, interrupted him. "Oh, admiral.
that wasa hard fnte-a little boy seven
years old, whose place was in crib by q
mothers badside, rather than in hsm-
mock on . war vesssl!''
Yes Fsrragut leplied, lit was hard. and
l cried myself to sleep the first night. I
got up carly the ne1l morning and found
Capt. Porter walking tho deck. He looked
Ut me closely RS he came up to me, as if to
SEQ how had passed the night. He knew |
had suffered. Taking my hand he walked ur
and down the deck talking to mo chserfully
awhile, and then led me into the cabin Ia
breakfast, and sitting me beside him
helped me to every nics morsel on the table.
From that time on had no moro home
sickness. Porter WAS a stsrn man, rough
rs storm in gale, or in battle, but he had
warm heart; came to love him like u
son.
Arriving at Washington, Porter pre-.
sented ms to the aec stary of tho navy. He
seemed to take nn interest in nae, and had
mo sent to school in the country, promis-
ing that when l was 10 years old I should
be mnde midshipman! But soon wur
with England seemed inevitable, and Por-
ter thought active service would bs the best
training school. He got me appointed
midshipman year earlier than had bssn
determined upon; at nine years Of age /
was United states naval officer, walking
the deck OF a man-of-war with my sword
by my vide.
MY life on board ship was monotonous
until the war broke out. Porter, after
cruising up and down the,ooast, dete.min cd
to 70 to the Pacific ocean on a sort OF rob-
blng commission to prey on English COM
mstcs, although in case Of disaster 20 his
ship the!e was not q port into which he
could antor to make any needed repairs.
We eruised around in that grsat ocean,
capturing English merchantmen until our
caroor was ended in fight in Valparaiso
harbor.''
''Did nothing occur,'' I asked, ''in that
long eruiss of personal interest to your
selff"
"Oh, suppose so,' ho replied; much
that seemed very important to boy Of y
years old, but not to anybody else.''
Then pausing \ moment he broke into a
merry laugh and said: "Yes. there was one
thing which was very serious to me, over
which have had many hearty laugh
since. Porter had been gobbling up En-
glish ships until he had fleet at one time
OF thirteen veasels. One day he took an
ERglish corvette, which proved to be a slow
sailer, and so interfsred with our move
ments that he determined to send her back
10 Valparaiso. Well, he ordered me to go
on board of her with prize crew and order
forthwith. I shall never forget the look of
blank astonishment Of that British captain
when stepped over the vessels side and
drew up my men on deck. But at boys
piping voice, which I strovs in vain tc
make sound hoarse and stern. his surprised
look changed into one of uncomfortable
rage. He grew red as a lobster in the face
and began to curse and swear as only a
British sailor can. 1T was - insult b q
said, to put him under the orders of Z
Yankee baby and he would be- if ht
would obey me! l might sail the - nut
shell into Valparaiso myself if I wanted to
but he would be - if he would sail j,
under me; and, growing moro furious as he
swore, he at length declared he would &C
down into his cabin and get his pistols ant
defend himself froru insult, and turned
away.
II was at first cowed by the naughty
fierce, overbaaring manner of the man.
was boy, only II years old, and felt
my smallness in the presence of this pro-
fane rui1ian. who with one hand could send
mo flying over the bulwarks into the sea.
did not utter word. But the next mo-
lpent ! remembered that was an American
officer, and this clustering fellow was III
cncmy OF my country, and recovering my
self, shouted down after him just as h.
WAS disappearing through the door of the
cabin:
II you prln9 those pistols on deck Will
have you pitched ovetboatd.''
"He did not come on deck for some time,
and could hear him swearing and growl
ing to himself like bear in his don, but he
did not come on deck with his pistols
What mental process he went through
don't know, but he evidently thought thu
Yankee boy would make good his threat
for his manner had changed when l saw
him again."
but, admiral,' remarked, "you would
not have thrown him overheard,
II certainly would" was Farragut's quick
reply. 'If had not believe Capt. Porte.
would have pitched me into the sea.
presume would have fsheta him out before
he Was drowned, for needed him to navi
gate the ship to Valparaiso, asI couldn't d<
it myself. Ineser blamed the man much
for it was very huniliating, considering tn: