Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-12-15
"JACKSON,"
The Story of a Sea Dog.
BY W. chRRK RUSSELL.
Copyright, 1870. by the Authors Alliance;

Copyright, 1890. by the Authors Alliance,
Robert Ridley is retired mariner.
He never rose to higher grade than
that Of second mate, in which capacity
indeed he acted without u certificate,
having for the most part of his life
sailed in species of ship upon whose
commanders and officer, The state makes
few or no demands in an educational
sense.
Robert Ridley, having on several &C.
casions served rs n second El;.tt, and
once rs an only mate, returned to his
whilst still acting in tina. capacity quit
ted the ocean forever and settled down
MS gentleman ashore in n comfortable
little cottage by the seaside. This
achievement of independence the popu-
lation of great maritime country will
not for an instant suppose was the re-
suit of his commercial prosperity as
foremost hand. After twcrty years of
working like dog nj sea, all that
Robert Ridley had to show in the shape
Of effects" was comprised in Il small
sca-chest half full of clothes and n suit
of oilskins, with perhaps a matter of
eight pounds lodged in n post Office saw
ings bank.
No! My friend Bob Ridley gained an
independence not through Old ocean
that most beggarly Of callings-but
through an uncle who had bcen IN
Italian warehouseman. and WHO left
the worthy fellow, To his establishment
and joy, the handsome sum Ito IN able
seaman) of six Thousand pounds.
was recently in the town where Bob
Ridley lives, and spent an hour with
him. We smoked our pipes together.
drank TO each other in n glass of liol-
land, and talked of the sea. lie carried
me into his little garden, and with much
pride pointed to the various flowers and
to what he called his kitchen garden. Il
considerable bed Of soil full of carrots,
cabbage and the like. At the extrem-
ity of his half-acre of land stood sum-
mer arbor, the fruits of his own skill
for he had been ships carpenter in his
day, and few men were smarter with
the chisel and the saw than he. On
entering this building observed a little
wooden obelislk about three feet in
height erected in the center Of it. On
the apex rested piece of carving in
wood. Of which ] could make neither
head nor tail. Upon the body Of the
obelisk were carved the words:
in Memory Of JACKSON.
Sunday morn, MDCCCLXXV."
At the hinder base of this queer little
structure was the model Of wreck.
Many queer devices representing mer-
maids, the sun, anchors, hearts, and SO
forth, were artfully chiselcd on the
sides.
'Pray what have you here, Ridley?"
said /.
"A memorial" he answered.
'Ay, that's clear enough. But what
sailor friend Of yours lies buried here?"
mo sailor ut all, he answered laugh
ing. jackson was dog, and he, poor
beast, doesn't lie here, either. wish
he did. 1t would sometimes give my
mind a sort of satisfaction to feel that
his remains lay snug under this here
mark"
"And what" cried l, pccring at the
little bit of carving on top OF the obelisk,
lis this?"
st is the portrait of the half of n YES
sells caboose. sir-of vessel that was
lost on q Sunday morning"
BY the word ''caboose" he signihed
galley, or the kitchen of little ship.
could now make out that 1t was the
representation of the roof and portion
of the sides of q caboose, as he called It,
with hole atop for the reception Of
chimney.
II see there is yarn here" said I.
mot much of a yarn" he answered;
''just the tale of poor beast of a dog
that in course of time ! got to love Us
truly as II he'd been n Christian man
and brother. That's where | fell in
with him." said he, pointing to the
Id ~ XA6
80 S~G NNETE