San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-26
loopyright. 1897, by Clark RUSSELL


bound from Adelaide. and was keep
ing lookout one black night on the
fok'sle, when, there coming yelling
spit of soaking blast slap into my face,
/ lifts up. my fist and brings it down on
the rail. For more than 30 year had
used the sea, and what was it come TOT
An old chest, two or three shifts OF
rags, pair of sea boots and, s'help me-
no more Through the improvidence OF
the sailorp By thunder, then, mol
What's Providence got to do with such
withered life as the ocean? Saving
means getting, and where in niggers ID
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 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 to get living ashore?
That was the question that occupied
my attention when walked them decks
in solitude. I'd say to my mates, What
'ud 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
so little of life ashore that / couldn't
guess how men got their livings What
was a merchant? He was covey who
traded. What was clerk? He was a
coyey 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 market garden
en-. I'd feel pleased when thought OF
reaping wheat and emitting down grass,
of going home at shutdown on top of a
wagon load of hay, the air sweet as
nuts, and sitting down to bursting
blowout of ale and roasted apples and
bread and cheese. go away. salt
waterr' I'd think then.
was about S5 years old and locked
45. Lobscouse II serve you measlier than
weather. They say weak heart paints
the nose blue, which colors the spirits
Soup and bully's worse than decayed
vital, and if you leave your teeth in the
mess kid how many spoonfuls of peas
soup do it take to raise wrinkle?
The ship duly arrived, and /, along
with the rest, was paid off. There was
go months wages to take up, so had
scope to ride by. took lodging at 2
Bromley street, Commercial road, and
spent So in landgoing rig out. Then
was at loss. The name of the land
lady was Mrs. Bloomer, and her hus-
band was a waterman. Meeting her one
day in the passage as was going to
take a turn to look about me, says:
ST should like to have a short yarn
with you, missis, if you've get a
minute.
Certainly, sir, " she answers.
Don't sir me, / beg, says l. I'm
no dog.
She steps me into bit Of parlor,
close with careful keeping. There wa:
little looking glass over the mantel
shelf, bound in yaller gauze, with oys
ter shells for occasional ornaments, ant
glass case, with stuffed bird, in thu
front window.
"Can i sit?" says l.
''Why, yes" says she, smiling II
can't hurt yen.
put down my cap and took chat
and says: Mrs BlooEer, I've been
sailorman all my life and have coml
ashore to find job, meaning 20 stol
ashore I've got few pounds and cal
hold out for some time, and lwant yo'
to tell me how ought to 60 to work.
whats your age?" says she, lookin
me over.
told her
There's many situations a-going,
saws she, land handy. man ought nevt
to want for job Why not turn wateI
MANI
mo more water for me, says l.
Light porter. says she.
Thought she meant something
drink
"Can you drive orseT
81 don't fancy driving, says l,
"Look ere, MIR PooIey. says sh
your chance'll lie III advertising
Write out a little piece for the paper
tn cost you about or shil!ings
put in. Answers II come. and you c;
pick and choose
/ allowed this to be up 20 q
knocker, and IN that same room ;,
and me made ont SIS advertisements
"A sailorman wants a loh RE Is
all round hand Csl f.. aCc rnrrr al
any time, being ecrr>tou e faa'Gi:i'
that runs days WuiL ~ 10.
and pays nc overtime wr2'N Ad'.rt
William Poo!ey. Bro1.!' ';Tr'E Coz
mercial road. +
When Biooasr came hcme f5EE ElS'
he recommended me TO put the piece
TO the paper which says it has the !;
gest circulation in the world This | q
next day--forget the cost, Valuing
in pints Of beer, call it four gallon
I'm a slow hand at reading, and it to
me a smothered long time to sp
through the advertisements on the
when the piece had wrote was to q
near At last down in a corner I sD