Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-08-11
For the Ellsworth American.
Dick, The Sailor Boy.

ton, Me, commanded by Capt. Charles Il
| Nelson, now of Boston. from whom wer
gathered the facts contained in the follow
+ ing narrative concerning Dick, the sailo
7 boy. The ship loaded in Bramley Moo
/ Dock for Boston, and sailed for that por
in April, 1857, On the afternoon she wa
to leave the dock and tow To sea, a hand
some lad came onboard and asked h
captain If he would take him to sea wit
him, as he was anxious to become a sailor
The captain, who had already engage,
his crew, and did not care to ship boy
became Interested in him, asked his name
and II his parents were willing for him t,
go to SEA. The boy said his name Wa
DICK Eaton, thst his mother was dead
and his father had given his consent 70
him to 60. He was such a prepossessin.
boy and seemed so anxious to go in th
snip, that the captain changed his min,
and engaged him, and he FASTENED 10 brjn.
his effects onboard, as the ship was resdr
10 leave the dock
lhere were no boys in the crew. so b,
was given room by himself in the for
ward house and the chief officer was in
sructed to keep an eye TO the boy. Sc,
that he was well treated. and that tn,
sailors did not impose upon him a. the,
were TOO often Inclined TO DO upon green
hands The ship had rough passage ii
the channel, but contrary to expectation
DICK was neither seasiCk nor homesick.
When they had been week at sea The
mate called the captain, attention 70 Dick
who had gone aloft of his own accord and
was standing in the malntopmast cross
uees looking about as fearlessly IS an Old
sailor. 1t often takes a much longer time
and urging for boy to acquire confidence
IN himself to DO that. After that Dk (
was pleased 70 be seIt aloft to loose the
hight sails aud do other work Of ligh,
character and did it without fear or hest
tation. lie would 60 aloft of his own
accord to look for land or sail. and was
delighted when he saw either, and re-
ported it in advance Of any one else.
lhe ship had good passage Of twenty
eight days TO Boston. where as soon as
She was fast alongside Of the wharf the
crew left, leaving the first mate, carpenter
and DICK ohboard and they ts~i- s--i-
meals On -hnr. Tho $780,, --~a discharged
~ a gang Of stevedores, and sufficient
ballast for stirening was onbosrd, when
the captain walked down alongside one
evening To find that Dick was the only
person onboard; the mate and carpenter
had taken a stroll on shore and the night
watchman had not yet come down.
Noticing that dust and dir, from the
ballast had lodged upon the plank sheer
outside of the hUlwarks, the captain called
10 Dick 10 get broom and brush it :, #
Dick quickly responded to the call with
broom in hand, but could not reach over
the rail from the deck on account of it,
height. SO he laid down upon his stomach
upon the rail with his feet in the air to
begin his work, when he lost his balance
water between the ship and wharf. The
captain ran, caught up rope into which
he put running bowliue. sprang upon the
rail and dropped the bowline over Dick
shoulders as he was padding to keeE
above water. The captain said to him
Take hold Of the fender rope and slip n.
bowline under your arms" Dick WAS mo-
the least frightened, did as he was told tC
do. reached out and caught the broom
floating near him, and then after hard pul
the captain landed him safely on deck. Ill
was now safe, bnt he had a narrow escape
for had his head struck pile Of the whar
or the large log fender lying between i
and the ship, he would have been killed
Dick changed his wet clothing for dry
and then returned to the work of sweep
ing OF the dirt, as though nothing out 0
the usual course had taken place. Tn
only scar upon him received in conse
| quence of the tumble was a small cut o
| one hand where it came in contact wit
/ lIit Oll TIC siuc Vi tlc snip as lie " d
being pulled onboard.
! The BdrHdJas Webb chartered for Ne,
| Orleans, loaded her cargo in Rivers Packt
Line, and sailed for that port where sh
safely arrived in due time. At Ne'
Orleans she took charter to load cotto
for Havre, France, and while loadin.
| NIB. Int to tph ba, N
the levee while the mate was called ava
to his meals Business friends, acQuain
ances, and others who called at the shi
stopped to take look at the handsou
sailor boy, ask who he was, where
came from, and remarked that he was Il
prettiest boy they ever saw.
The ship finished loading and sailed fl
Havre where she safely arrived after
good passage of thirty-eight days. II
captains wife and two young daughte
who were onboard became very fond
Dick, especially the daughters, as
played with them about decks in ii
weather He learned to steer the shi
was utGtutisc W HIS uutiCo anu q SCACi
favorite with all hands. The ship d
charged her cargo at Havre, and to-
emigrants back to New Orleans, had q Il
passage and arrived there safely.
Dick had become very useful onboal
being quick to learn and to act. All to-
an interest in him, especially Mrs. Nelso
the captains wife. One day on the p'
sage from Havre, she called him to
and gave him a shirt which had be
changed among the captains wash clotf
and was too small for him. She took
measure of Dicks neck and found that
shirt was too large for him; she asked
he could alter it to fit, as sailors have
be their own tailors to mend and al
clothes. Dick said he could sew lit
and thought he could alter it. He took
altered it and afterwards wore 1t. WI
Mrs. Nelson was at work sewing one d
she handed to Dick her needle and thin
and asked him to show her how well
could use them. To her astonishment
handled the needle as dexterously as
could. Then she asked il he had e
learned tailor's trade; he smiled at
INQUIRY and said he had not.
One Sunday while the ship was at N
Orleans, the stevedore invited the Ofic
to take . drive with bim upon the 81