The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-10-16
~[Copy1gni, 1897, by Clark Russell.J

N'fS - 70 NA"S VIVA 49,
the Empire that 1 made up my mind to
knock off the sea. We was homeward
bound from Adelaide. and | was keep
ing a lookout one black night on the
fox 's,e, when, there coming a yelling
spit of soaking blast slap into my face,
l lifts up my fist and brings it down On
the rail. For more than 20 year had |
used the sea, and what was it come to?
An old chest, two or three shifts Of
rags, a pair of sea boots and, s'help me,
no more. Through the improvidence of
the sailor? By thunder, then, mol
What's Providence got to do with such
a withered life as the ocean? Saving
means getting, and wnere III nlgBers is
the getting to be found where it's all
living hard, faring hard, dying hard
and going to hell after all?
Beef you could chisel into snatch
blocks, pork too foul to grease your
boots with, kicks and curses aft, wet
and famine forrards-is it good enough?
With a fok'sle so full of fired Dutch
men-why. when they hoist the Eng
lish red ensign the flags the bitterest
lie since Annynius and Sophia.
But how was l to get a living ashore?
That was the question that occupied
by attention when | walked them decks
IN solitude. I'd say to my mates, "What
nd you do if you knocked Off" and
some was for going to sea again, and
the rest was for the work'us. I'd seen
90 little of life ashore that l couldn't
guess how men got their livings. What
was a merchant? He was a covey who
traded. What was a clerk? He was a
covey who sat on a stool and wrote in
a book. No use of my laying a course
for the likes of that. My taste went to
the country, deep inland. | fancied I'd
like to get a job under a market garden
er. I'd feel pleased when | thought of
reaping wheat and cutting down grass,
of going home at shutdown on top of a
wagon load of hay, the air sweet as
nuts, and sitting down to a bursting
blowout of ale and roasted apples and
bread and cheese. go away, salt
water!' I'd think then.
/ was about 80 years old and looked
As Lobscouse'll serve you measlier than
weather They say a weak heart paints
the nose blue, which colors the spirits.
Soup and bully's worse than a decayed
vital, and if you leave your teeth in the
mess kid how many spoonfuls of peas
soup do it take to raise a wrinkle?
The ship duly arrived, and |, along
with the rest, was paid off There wal
22 months wages to take up, so | ha6
scope to ride by took a lodging at
Bromley street, Commercial road, anC
spent GO in a landgoing rig out. Then
l was at a loss The name of the land
lady was Mrs. Bloomer, and her hus
band was a waterman. Meeting her ONT
day in the passage as | was going tc
take "a turn to look about me, | says:
Il should like to have a short yarI
with you, mlssis, if you We got
minute.
"Certainlv, sir, " she w
Don't SIR me, beg, says l. I'm
nc dog
She steps me into a bit Of a parlor
close with careful keeping There wa
a little looking glass over the mantel
shelf, bound i'll yaller gauze, with oys
ter shells for occasional ornaments, ant
q glass case, with q stuffed bird, in tn
front window,
"Oan | sit?" says l.
why, yes, says she, smiling. II
can't hurt you"
| put down my cap and took a chat
and says: Mrs. Bloomer, I've been
sailorman all my life and have com
ashore to find a job, meaning to sto
ashore. I've got a few pounds and ca
hold out for ONE time, and | want 20
to tell me how | ought to 60 to work.
Whats your age?" says she, lookin
me over.
/ tolu her,
There's a many situations a-going,
says she, land a handy man ought neve
to want for a Job. Why not turn water
MANI"
mo more water for me, says !.
Light porter, says she.
Thought she mean something t
drink.
Can you drive a 'orseF'
Il don fancy driving" says I.
Look ere, Mr.. Policy. says she
your chance'll lie in advertising
Write out a little piece for the papers
It'll cost you about 3 or 4 shillings I
put in Answers'll come, and you ca
pick and choose.
| allowed this to be up to til
knocker, and in that same room 81
and me made out this advertisement:
"A sailorman wants a job He is a
all round hand, useful anywhere al
any time, being accustomed to a calm
that runs a days work into "a houI
and pays no overtime wages. Addre
William Pooley, 2 Bromley street, Con
mercial road, e"
When Bloomer came home that nigh
he recommended me to put the piece il
gest circulation in the world. This l d,
next day-forget the cost. Valuing
in pints of beer, call it four gallon
I'm a slow hand at reading, and it toe
me a smothered long time to spe
through the advertisements on the d.
when the piece l had wrote was to a
pear At last down in a corner / spi
my name.
Who's a-going to see this?'' says
80 Mrs. Bloomer, putting my fling
upon it.
lit do look insignificant, certainly
said she
"Who the blooming blazes is a-goil
to see it," says l, a~-bringing down n
fist.
You never can tell" says MI