Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-07

70 attend win me an
oid-fashioned Saturday night aboard United
states man-of-war in foreign port. away from
'ne familiar scenes and softening influences Of
aome port II Is on the bleak coast of
Alaska, perhaps, or amid the paluy islands OF
the tropics or in the South seas but wherever
IL Is a little squadron of United States ships are
at anchor, and the officers of one ship have in
Nited the officers of the others TO join them in
Saturday night, sort of an AT home. as
II were, when over the pipes and beer or the
mellow punch the folks at home are toasted
and thought Of. and many q good story is told
and rich joke cracked
Before the Eight bell'' reports have been re-
ceived the boats come alongside the ship with
their stern sheets crowded with a merry party
OF oncers, ready to Law aside the distinctions OF
rank Tor time and enjoy the evening on a par
Up the gangway ladder they are received by the
oncers who are the hosts with hand shakes
and, perhaps, nicknames that may carry them
away back TO their cadet DAYS at Annapolis.
when some unfortunate mshap gave one
quiek-witted comrades a chance 10 straddle n
nickname on a fellow that would stick 10 him
! through life. Down in the wa-d room the
| bright lights shine on the mess table with the
! punch and cigars and tobacco laid out for tho
visitors. The welcoming over. the friendly
| glasses go round ard that toast above all the
dearest to ones away from home, .'SweetLearts
and Wives. is drunk. Then through the smoke
wTeaths OF the fragrant Havanas come several
| good stories.
| THE LIEUTESANT's STORY.
One OF the best is from jovial. good-natured
| lieutenant, who gives us an extract. real or i'm
aginary (where's the hsrm), from another
saturday night" The expectant listeners
| settle back IN their chairs and some light q
fresh cigar as the narrative begins Ii was M
| saturday night on the old Pensacola down in
the South Sea Islands, and we had invited the
4 sklDDer a old Aar IaNf rb.la
over to assist us in preparing several beer bot
| ties for burial at sea-dead marines YOU
know. de was q typical down easter with a
voice on him like a fiddle out of tame and n
beard like chatting mat. but several beers and
| pipe full of good tobacco drew him out and
| this Is the tale he spun for US: sit war on the
good whalin' ship Nancy Jane, the LATITUDE
and the Longitude l disremember but il war
ablowin right pert gale. and the skipper wuz
standln on his quarter deck lookin' kinder
GUM. He war Capt Simmons and war mate
summons. but thar warn't no consanguInity-
when all o a student away up thar in the crow $
| nest the lookout he sung out, Thar she blows
and sperm, too Then saws Capt. Simmons.
Mate Simmons (meanin' mel, you lower that
ar Efeboat and go in chase of that ar whale
| Then up an red. Capt. Simmons this aim
| no kind o day nohow TO go in chase o. that
ar whale, an this amt no kind O weather to
lower no lfeboat into. nohow' Then sed Capt
| summons, staudiu' on his quarter deck Mate
simmons. when | SEE lower YOU lower and be
good gol blasted" An lowers. 1t war long
| pull an a hard pull, but / comes up with that
ar whale an l stands up in the bow of that
ar hfeboat an harpoons that ar whale
an L tows him alongside the Nancy Jane
An as comes up the sea ladder thar war Capt
| simmons standin' on his quarter deck with
his arms stretched out towards me an cars in
| his ewes, an he SEE TO me: Mate Simmons, in
| the forard locker Of me after cabiu there is
pipes an tobaccy an good old Medford rum.
| an there yourn for the rest of this er cruise
Then sez to Capt. Simmons: Capt. Simmons.
don't want none er your old pipes er your
| terbaccy, er your good old Medford rum; all |
want o you, Capt. Simmons. is ceeyility-com-
mon. ORDINARY ceevility, and that of the
| simplest gol burned kindr An / turns on NV
heel and walks forard. Then Capt. Simmons
| SEE to me: Mate Simmons. all / want O. YOU
Is silence. an gol deTned little O THAR An he
walks aft to his cabin"
THE QUEENS BIRTHDAY s.LurE.
This story, with the vivid ideas it conveyed
to thu Sc present, who had known the rugged
character Of the average ''down-east skipper. -
! provoked laugh all around till some one sur-
| gested taking smile of a more substantial
| character, and when some one proposed the
! toast. Here's to the wind that blows and the
ship that goes, and tine lass that loves sailor :"
1 1t was drunk with a right good will. Then
| comes a series of good stories told at the ex-
|
not makes little difference. One of the most
popular and jovial naval officers of the old
school, who often figures as the hero of some OF
| the best Of these stories, ia Commodore Fyffe
| II is told Of him that while in command Of a
| United States ship lying at anchor in an
| English port on the queen birthday his gunner
| fired a salute Of twenty-three guns instead of
| the customary national salute of twentv-one
| guns. An English admiral upon hearing OF
| the mistake sent an officer post haste TO
Capt. Fyfe to ask an explanation of
| this apparent breach of etiquette The CAPTAIN
received the officer with his customary lavish
courtesy and in reply to the a6miral's question
sent back the reply. Give the admiral nv COM
pliments and tell him / fired twenty-one guns
for Queen Victoria, one gun for the Lord
Almighty and one gun for Joe Fyfle. egad, sir.''
Bat our historian fails to relate what effect this
jocular message had upon the dignified English
admiral. As MANY Of my readers know the
good day" of the japanese language is "Obio.
and this coupled with the fact that Commodore
Fyffe is native Of the state of Ohio gives rise
to another good story; for while he was serving
on the Asiatic station he was once the guest Of
honor at japanese dinner, and when the host
said Ohio with a stately bow the quick witted
old commodore replied. Yes egad, and from
Champaign county at that" which brought a
smile from the other American officers present
NOT Up IN SPANISH.
Now listen to the good stories told at the ex-
pense Of some Of the officers of the United States
cruiser Atlanta during her last winters soiourn
in South America. Spanish is so nearly the mi
versal language in South America as to give il
the name Of New Spain, and one of the officers
felt that he had learned enough OF the language
at least TO welcome some distinguished guests
aboard the ship at Ensenada in the Argentine
Republic. and he had il all fixed in his mind 10
say with his sunniest smile and most graceful
bow, 'Buenos dias, ca5alleros," good day gen
tleulep), but when the time came his courage
failed him, and to use a common term he
',got ratified" and stammered out ..Buenos
dos, cabailosr' good God, horses. and
it took the patient and elaborate expla-
nations OF good Spanish scholar who hap
pened to be among the officers OF the ship
to convince the visitors that they had not been
insul;ed, while the laundering officer was firmly
convinced that he was not preordsined for .
linguist; then all Joined in a good laugh at the
Joke.
The Atlanta was at anchor in the litde bar of
Maldouado, Uruguay, which is with its barren
sands and proitless plains all that its name
signifies. a bad gift" and several Of the
officers wished to enjoy good days bird
shooting in the pampas grass around the odd
town. One Of the party was young naval
cadet who had frequently boosted Of his hunt
ing DAYS and mis- crack shots a; birds and clay
pigeons with fine shot gun. The dog for the
expedition was a fine setter borrowed for the
occasion from Mr.. Burnett, the English consul,
who was DESTROYS of seeing his favorite
hunting dog well treated that he Joined the
party. All went well for awhile. except that