The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-22
DICK EATON Of STOCKTON
The Mess Boy Of the Barnabas Webb
Who Turned Out to Be
q Girl
From Liverpool to New Orleans
and Thence to the
CoAet
a Remarkable Story Of sSafariuK Life
Told Over Thirty Years
After.

In = recent number Of the frooklin'
(Mass.) Chronicle appeared q remarkably,
story Of ssAfaring life which contained
many facts THAT will be Of interest to Cali
fornians. Briefly % possible tho story il
this:
Charles H. Nelson, nov Of Boston, was il
1857 captain Of the American ship Barna
has Webb. Shs had boon lying in the har-
Dor of Liverpool for some time, and was e
sail for Boston on tho day following the
opening of this story. On that afternoon
a handsome lad came on board and asked
to be taken AZ mess boy. Capt. Nelson
told him that there was no place for him;
but tho lad looked 90 innocent and ap-
reared so modest that the captain asked
him Who he was and what was his reason
for wanting TO go to sea,
.My mother IL dead,' replied the boy.
''and father 10 willing that ! should 20.
You SOC, everything is SO uncertain here.
have often had to 60 to sleep without any
3 and many a time, when the rain
cams pouring down and the cold winds al
most chilled me, was compelled to find
shelter in q doorway or there under the
wharf" ~
The captain was 30 touched by the boys
straightforward tale that he told him to get
his traps and be ready to start with him on
the morrow. Dick, for that was the lads
name, soon brought his little stock Of
clothes aboard the ship. and as there were
NO other boys among the crew he was given
q room By himself. He soon became a fav-
orite with:everybody and succeeded in max
ing himself generally useful. In the cap
tsin's wife he found a good. kind friend,
and he was constantly the playmate of her
children.
The ship made several voyages to various
foreign And domestic ports. and at one
time while she was moored at a wharf at
New Orleans, the captain and crew being
ashore, Dick and the o were left in
charge of the vessel, with Dick in COM
mand. He had been given orders that in
case a heavy gale should spring up the flags
should be taken in, The captain was not
long gone when Dick. Who was lying upon
the deck Of thu vessel under a boat reading
a book, fell asleep.
Soon a storm sprung up and before the
boy awoke the captain had returned and
found that many of the flags had been
blown away Dick loaped to his feet as
soon az he saw the captain. who. on account
of his non attendance to duty, ordered him
aloft to take down a small sail that had
floating in the breeze. As he grasped
part of the rigging which would
enable him to reach the sail the thunder
roarsd and the lightning flashed. The boy
let 10 his hold and looked imploringly at
the captain, but that individual had re-
solved to teach the lad a lesson and again
commanded him to go nloft. For the seo-
ond time the boy made the attempt, but
glare Of the lightning was so terrible and
the roar of the thunder SO deafenina that
he burst into tears and in broken sobs said:
Captain, II you only knew" but the cap
tain was resolved, and for the third time
Dick caught hold of the ropes and was
few attempts he succeeded in gaining a
point from which he could reach the sail,
but at this point his strength failed him
and he fell in q faint upon tine platform of
the naintop.
The captain, who had relented and was
sorry for his cruelty, was by the lads side
in an instant, and taking him in his arms
carried him down to the deck.
The matter was soon forgotten, and the
next morning the ship was on her way to
Havre. with Dick and the captain the best
of friends. The next voyage took them
back to New Orleans, and after a short stay
there Capt. Nelson prepared to stat for
1sV61pOOls Cukl6Uus 4Ao uny bcAOIo uG
started Dick was missing, and all search for
him proved in vain.
Though growing at the loss of the boy,
the captain set sail without him. Upon his
arrival at Liverpool he was surprised to
meet an old friend, Richard Eaton.
''Ah, captainr' said Mr.. Eaton, a. he
grasped the extended hands of his friend;
"you know not the great service you have
dome me-"
IF I have done you O good deed. Rich
ard, / am very proud and thankful" re-
piled the captain. but of what nature
Was it that l am not aware of i'll"
You have brought me back my son,
Dick Eaton" he answered.
"Your Q l never knew you had a
son. / remember your little daughter
Alice; but was not aware you had a son"
We'll. not exactly a son; it was Alice.
my daughter. that you have been taking
care OF. Little Dick, you called her."
Little Dick! Why. you don't mean to
tell me that Dick was a Qirl?"
"That's what l do, captain. Dick and
my daughter Alice are one. Bring me te
her; I have not seen her for years"
The captain wiped away a tear as he tolG
MI. Eaton OF the strange departure of Dicl
the day previous to his leaving, New Or
leans. Mr.. Eaton was almost heartbroker
by the news and taking from his pocket ,
letter handed it to the captain, saying
''This will explain aIl."
The lettee told how Alice Eaton had beer
stolen by gypsies when little more than siz
years OF age; how she managed to escape
from them. and of her meeting with
Captain Nelson and his kind treat
ment. She also said that she would re-
turn on the Barnabas Webb with the cap.
tain. and once more be with her father
from whom she had been separated 20 long
The captain promised Mr.. Eaton that h
would make diiigent search for his child O,
his next voyage to America.
When he returned to New Orleans he wa
visited by an old colored woman, who tolt
him that Dick had gone to California AM
WAS in Stockton teaching school.
Soon after that Capt. Nelson set sail TO
n francisco and when he arrived tho,
paida visit to Stockton. Miss Dick Eaton
ns she called herself, was on q visit t.
friends in snother part of the state. III
captain left a note stating be had called
and informing he: of his meeting with he
father in England. He soon left San Fran
CISCO, L on his arrival at Nav Orleans b
received a letter from Miss Eaton express
ing her regret at not having been at HON
when he called.
Miss Eaton is still a school teacher a
Stockton, where she is beloved by all he
pupils, and revels in the delight OF bein
called plain Dick.
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