The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-04
A STRANGE INCIDENT
That Occurred in the Career of the
Late Judge ErsIsIne.

~ AMN NAAEttN 81 AhG
Late Judge ErsISIne.
In a lengthy sketch Of the late
Judge Erskine in the Atlanta Constitu-
ton the following appears. as related
considerable time before his death. by the
judge himself. Speaking OF his expert
ence al sea the judge said.
For nay part i do not regret going
70 sea, although at the time I was less
than IL years or age. and. consequently,
before IL could be fairly said that the
mind had more than begun 10 b0urse0n.
And Notwithstanding the sea escapade
lessened the probability OF my receiving
a higher education IN the schools, vet
this loss was In degree compensated by
practical. but necessarily limited. view
or the world and mankind; and IL is not
lntrequent fOi youths 10 be as observaut
OF peoples and countries as their elders.
"Cndeterred I would slip down 10 the
wharves and ask the sailors I met about
foreign countries. especially the island OF
Juan Fernandez (where &c Is said DeFoe
laid the scene Of his immortal romanoe)
but received but little Information. AT
length l came across an ola salt who was
leaning against pier post He carried
an enormous paunch. and doubtless was
a man of great gastric energy. He told
me that he was ships husband of
schooner that lay at the wharf. and II
l wanted 10 go to Juan Fernandez I
could sail on his vessel to Boston and
from there to Nantucket, and get aboard
one Of the whaling vessels, which touched
at Juan Fernandez. Now. saw my way
clear.
1T is unnecessary to enter into particu-
lars, suffice that 1 shipped as cook-but I
have never received the Gordon blue for
my efficiency I'm the culinary art. There
hginu No fr4 fhs4
castle. l made the coffee. and put the pot
on the top step, when the sloop gave a
roll and down came the hot coffee on my
head; but the rabbit skin cap saved me
from a scalding. The captain seeing the
steam arise from the hatchway. merely
remarked, Boy, you are HI of cook.
when we got to Nantucket the sloop
was laid up. 1 ate my meals at the cap
tins house, and stayed on board as "a
kind of ships husband. There were sew
cral whaling vessels in the harbor. which
had been lghtened over the bar; among
them an old bark called the Revolution.
She had no counter or trans-summer--
neither had the Huntrcss-thus exposing
the rudder from the water line to the
tiller, and In this the vessels resembled
each other. This apparent relationship
brought me in,o trouble for when went
on the wharf. boys about my size would
CircamVent me and cry out, Here comes
the OH AftltflON 8 UdhN NOhh- Alith ~
break the Gordon and got my rabbit skin
cap torn for my rashness, and was COM
PEELED to retreat TO the iorecasle, SELF
ing the tormentors, 1 sailed ashore and
put the enemy to flight Ever after, when
/ saw them marshaling their forces,
nourished my long three-pronged iron
fork, and ultimately peace reigned
zone morning in 1869 or 1870 while stroll
ling along the wharves in Savannah, /
stepped on board a ship with her sails loose
as III ready for sea. AS / walked art.
there came up the companion way gentle
man about 50 years old, clad in blue
coat with bright buttons, and wearing a
very narrow brlmmed black hat not
unlike an inverted cone. ! said, inquiring-
~, Captain, I presume?' He replied
Yes: and l sail this afternoon at o'clock.
I noticed he looked at me with an anxious
and exploring expression, but soon he
frightened up, and Selling my hand In his
vise-like fist, cried out, AS / live, here
IS the old Criteron's baby cook; where
are your tormentors? We chatted some
time about early days, and ! was glad to
hear him deny that he was one OF the boys
who tore my rabbit-skin cap. He asked
me what | was doing now, and said that
I held position in the United States court
here, and If he would call on me there at
2 O'Clock p. m, / would be happy TO see
him. He agreed TO do so.
when I went to my chambers, / re-
quested the marshal TO announce that
court would meet at O'Clock, and also
desire the crier who had a voice like
Stentor, to open the court in solemn form;
that a gentleman wearing a Dlue coat
with brass buttons would come, and that
/ wished him to have seat within the bar.
Just before court convened, the captain
entered and took his seat. / followed,
assembled the steps, put on my gown and
resumed my chair. The court was opened
with some expression. The captain with
uncertainty in his look, bowed to me, but
1 marked him not. The marshal asked
the captain 10 come to the judge. He
came / heartily shook his hand. He said
he saw in the papers that the judges name
was John Erskine, but he did not know
that / was the man. He talked a few
minutes, when he remarked that his time
to sail had nearly arrived he took my
hand, and COMPRISING his lips and moving
his head up and down for half a minute,
said in a low tone Of voice, Well, I'll be
id, and departed. In years subsequently
I learned that he was lost in a cyclone
storm in the Indian ocean.