Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-01-20
A STERN CHASE.

sailors you happen TO come across q salt Of
the good old fashioned kind, with bar
nacles on his back and FUN rugged shir
tattooed on his shaggy, moss grown chest.
Brcthren, whenever you meet such an In.
dividnal, cherish him In your bosom, wrap
him up IN cotton wool and place him gen
tly In glass case. For believe me, the old
"nhellback" Is becoming scarce and Ia fast
being gathered TO his fathers. In q little
while he will become extinct like that a.
gantic bird the roc, so graphically de-
scribed by Captain Sinbad, which has van
ished from the face OF the earth, leaving
not even feather or fragment of egg
shell for ornithologists TO ponder over.
While cruising down South street the
other day was fortunate enough TO cross
the bows Of an ancient mariner-not one OF
your artificial kind. but one OF old Nep-
tunes private stock. He savored OF the
salt, salt sea to such an extent that verify
believe that n had tapped him with a
knife North Carolina tar would have ex-
uded from the wound and not blood.
He was backing and filling, bound to the
Battery. some three sheets in the wind,
with q rivulet Of tobacco juice running
down his oakumlike beard. AS l got
athwart his hawse hailed him.
An0t lDWErEIs nt Ntptit1t tou can I
play any tricks on an old sailorman like
me. I've got nothing to give 10 your
burned longshore missions, neither can
you shanghai me. I've travelled"
soUthed him In nautical fashion, con.
WINGED him that was neither missionary
nor a crimp, and made him spin me yarn.
He told me of the time his ship was chased
by the Alabama. would give good deal
to be able to tell the story In the quaint
way Of the old sea dog, but unfortunately
Haven't the faculty, 20 ! must tell It In
my own feeble way.
His ship was the Blue Rocket. one OF
Donald Mckay's fastest clippers, hailing
from New York and engaged In the East
Indian and Chinese trade. She was re-
markable for her fast passages and her
captain used to boast that nothing that
carried canvas could pass her, while the
ordinary steamship Of those days wasn't In
the procession with her. In the fifties and
sixties we had feet Of merchant ships
the finest I'm the world. The Yankee clip
per and her smart officers were seen in
every port, no matter how distant, and the
contrast between them and the sloyenly
British cargo carriers was as great as that
between yacht and scow. The Yankee
ships were kept rs bright as a new pin and
Is pretty as putty and paint could make
them. Their yards were always square"
while In port, their running gear swayed
up rs taut as harp strings and no Irish
pennanss" were ever to be seen trailing
over the sides. II used to be the pride IL
their captains 20 make them look as smart
as d man-of-wsr.
The Yankee clippers glory Is departed
The stars and stripes are no more TO he
seen waving In foreign ports, but there are
some glorious memories connected with
those days when our ships commanded the
commerce of the world.
The Blue Rocket had taken out o cargo
consisting Of nearly everything under the
sun. She OF course made a rapid passage
and discharged her cargo In various East
Indian ports. There were rumors Of war
when the pilot left her OF Sandy Hook
and the ship set cloud OF snowy canvas
and pointed her prov TO the southwark
The Blue Rocket did a good deal Of coast
ing trade. having. from her reputation as a
clipper, secured number OF lucrative
charters She took flying trip 10 Aus
tralia, bringing back to Madras a couple
Of hundred horses for use In the Indian
cavalry. her spacious and well ventilated
tween decks making her an ideal ship for
this purpose.
And all this time the captain was piling
mp the dollars and his owners were getting
richer and richer. The skipper, whose
name was Randall, was a shrewd down
easter, smart as they were made In those
days and as good q seaman a. ever passed
weather earring. He was kind TO his
crew also. his theory being that Jack win
work harsier and Ii more TO be depended
upon In an emergency II he Is treated like
q human being. He had worked his way
up from before the mast until be had
reached the rank OF captain. His younger
days had been passed In the forecastIe OF
one Of the old Indiamen that hailed from
Salem, Mass., and thus he gained consider
able experience which stood him In good
stead when he became commander OF the
Blue Rocket.
AT last he grew homesick and determined
10 load up for New York. He wouldn't
take the ordinary cargo of rice, sugar and
hides. but reserved his space In the lower
hold and tween decks for silk, indigo.
spices and similar fancy goods. which com
manded the highest rates. He put into
Singapore to take aboard the last Of his
cargo. reaching that port In December.
1868.
singapore Is delightful harbcr from a
-@AA1l fotut Oi view. rum ana tooAcCO
are cheap and tropical fruits are plentiful
When the Blue Rocket got there there
were plenty Of American ships mt anchor,
but AL were dismantled, their crews paid
on and their captains wandering about the
town looking wretched and demoralixed.
The climate - rather enervating, the
Island being situated within deg. of the
equator. and who could blame these skip
pers with no occupation II they took too
frequent s'pegs" Of brandy paneef
Let me tell you the origin Of the word
peg" which has the same significance a.
the American ''nipp or ''smile.D So far a.
know. Il Is only used By glo-Indlans.
but ~ originated with those renowned
drinkers. the Angio.Saxcns, who were
equally good with tankard or trencher.
An. old friend Of mine, who resides In q ro-
zn&ntic manor house 10 the county Of Sus-
sax, England, In an archmologist Of some
repnte Among the interesting relies in
his possession Is ''peg tankard," fine.
ED fashioned piece Of plate, holding two
4uarts--nof the. scanty measure that does
duty Cor half 4 gallon In the United States.
eut q Neneroue full two quarts Of old EnR-
lish standard, perhaps equal 10 modern
New York gallon. inside this noble cup Ia
rpw Of eight pexs, ono above the other.
The grand old custom wks that each com
potatof when drinking should empty the
pxact spAee between peg and peg. II he
pxeesded the measured aaantity hs was