The herald., 1896-05-10

Chatham square regard with deep re-
spect the hitting powers of Jack. Shore
folks ne feels, are his natural enemies.
and he shows what he feels by thun1p-
ing them right and left In fair figlit
Jack could whip two or three OF these
toughs, but while, the sailor is honest In
his method OF warfare, the toughs do
not scruple at using brass knuckles.
the butt of pistol, a piece of gas pipe
or heavy stocking with the foot filled
with bird shot. These implements put
the sailor to sleep In no time.
1t is quite a rare thing nowadays,
though, for these weapons to be brought
into use. Only an unlooked-for emer-
gency like the sudden onslaught of a
Whisky-crazed sailor makes the tough
run the risk of killing a man. Knock
out drinks do the trick so much more
quickly and safely. When Jack has been
drugged he Is led staggering into the
street and then put into some alley
way, where he Is robbed and left to sleep
until some policeman comes along and
sizes the victim up as helpless drunk
Jack goes to the station house, where
he sleeps off the effects Of the drug. In
the court next morning he is discharg-
ed by the magistrate on his promise
to return to his ship Immediately. With
not cent in his pocket, and half sick,
Jack is glad to get back to ship, when
he is probably placed in the brig for q
week or so for overstaying his shore
leave. This is the experience OF scores
of sailors, but the next time the vessel
is in port they are ready to go through
it again.
There are half a dozen places In Water
street where the proprietors try to guard
their patrons against robbery. When
the sailors are so intoxicated that they
don't know whether they are in New
York or Hong Kong, they are carried
tot 1.x,, 4I lv.k< 1.nd In n0 n \,
of the places large sign adorns the
wall of the barroom bearing this legend;
''No Knockout Drinks Sold"
Rather strangely these places are not
as well patronized as the Others. 1t
seems a part Of Jacks religion when he
is ashore to 60 where he can find the
most trouble, for after the monotonous
discipline OF life in war ship he has
an absorbing hunger for excitement.
and he gratifies it at the risk of having
his head broken and his features dis
arranged.
Very little seems to amuse him. Tho
stale and hackneyed dime museums
with their stock freaks are things of
Joy to him. The foul smelling concert
halls, where short gowned, yellow hair
ed women screech out sensational sem
timental songs are dreams of magn1i-
cent luxury to him. The dingy back
rooms of the East Side saloons. called
concert halls because they boast of an
old piano and "perfesser. are perfect
heavens to him. because Jack can sing
his loudest to an accompaniment. If
he should happen to sit on the keys OF
the piano during his musical effort
leaving only half of the keyboard to the
professor, the latter says nothing, but
hammers out the accompaniment
wherever he has room. When duet is
being sung. with one sailor sitting on
the treble and another reclining on the
bass, the professor thumps along con-
tentedly on the narrow margin unoccu-
nied. The professor is a great and able
man in the estimation of Jack, who buys
beer and cigars galore for him.
Unlike Norfolk. the people of New
York will never lodge a formal protest
against the incursions of Uncle Sam s
sailor lads. In the district frequented