Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-11
THE TANNED CARTRIDGE.
A Time When Commodore Watson
Felt Disadvantage Of Not Swearing.


Felt DISADVANTAGE OF Not sWearhhs'
Washington Letter.
Commodore Watson, who is biiieted TO
do some lively work on the coast Oh
Spain with his squadron, does not peiohs
to the list of Guessing officers" yet as a
man-o war skipper he never had man
Of his ships company aft for swearing
He was singularly indulgent or the nara
swearers forward.
Hard language helps a man along oc-
casionaIly" he has been known TO say 10
one of his deck officers upon overhearlng
a stream of maledictions from the lips OF
some old fiat-foot working at a stubborn
lob forward, land II is better for the men
TO work off their wrath over fouled an
Choir chains IN cuss words than to take II
out of each others hide
Aboard one of the ships under Watson's
command there was an old bo'sun's mate
named Fuller, who had the call through
out the whole navy as the champion pro-
fame man OF the governments line of
packets Fuller never raised his voice
when he swore. He would simply stand
back and quietly regard the inanimate
object of his Wrath--a bent Delaying pin,
perhaps, or slack ridge rope-and then
he would open up in an ordinary con-
versational tone. But the utterances he
gave vent to were sulphurous. 1t always
took Fuller a good five minutes TO work
off what he considered the necessary
number of remarks on such occasions
and IL always seemed. when he was
through, that he had quite exhausted the
whole vocabulary OF profanity. But
this was a mistake. The very next
time anything went wrong win
n bit of Fullers gear he would start
in on a new line that would contain aDso-
lutey not a single repetition or any Oh
his previous performances. 1t was always
n source OF wonder to Fuller's shipmates'
even the old-tmers. where he picked up
the new ones all of which were OF start
ling originality and force. These snip
mates related only one Instance IN Whlch
he found himself at "A loss for words.
He was with a landing party from his
ship. marching on the outskirts of Che
mulpo, Korea. He stubbed his toe on a
loose boulder in the road, and fell on his
face in the dust. He picked himself up
and looked at the road. He opened his
mouth to say something. but he had no
words He was dumb with wrath. Two
or three times he attempted 10 begin,
but it was no go. He was stuck for once.
SO he pulled out pistol and deliberately
fired It into the air five times. He had 70
express his feelings i'm some way. The
old man was brigged when he returned
to his ship for firing the weapon without
orders, especially in foreign territory but
his skipper knew the old-time bo'sun' S
mates ways. and turned him loose after
a day or so.
When Fuller was serving aboard Wat
sons ship he was in good shape. and his
frequent quiet outbursts kept the forward
part of the ship keyed up with wonder as
to what was coming next. one morning
at big gun drill, Captain Watson himself
was experimenting the exercise. One OF
the wooden cartridges became jammed in
the breech of the 6-inch rifle, TO which he
was devoting most Of his attention. He
wouldn't permit any Of the gunner's-
mates around him to attempt To loosen
the cartridge, but essayed the job himself
He tugged at the jammed cartridge, anc
broke his fingernails over IL, and still II
wouldn't come out. II was a pretty hot
morning on deck, and the perspiration be
gan to roll off his face in streams. Blu
he persisted in trying TO loosen the stuck
cartridge He looked as IL he would like
to say a heap, were he a swearing man
But he wasn't a swearing man. Wher
he had been working for five minutes ovel
the damned cartridge, with no success
He gave one final tug, but tho stuck cart
ridge remained in the guns breech. TIT
skipper gathered himself together. mop
ped his forehead and looked at the gun.
"Confound il allr' he broke out
where Fuller? Send me Fuller, some
body"
Fuller was on hand directly. He WASH
gunner s-mate. and he had nothing L
do with the guns. But Watson wante'
Fuller to tackle the jammed cartridge al
the same.
Fuller" said Watson. try and &c
that dummy out Of that gun"
Fuller looked at the stuck cartridge an
Watson retreated to the starboard sid
OF the quarterback. Fuller made two o
three claws at the wooden cartridge, bu
it wouldn't come out. a gunner's mat
could have got it out in jiffy, but Fulle
wasn't in that line OF the service. IA
tugged away, but II was no go. Matso
stood regarding the horizon on the star
board side OF the quarterback. Fulle
spat on his hands and made one NOR
try. The dummy didn't move tenth o
an inch Then Fuller mopped his fore
head with his neckerchief. cIapped hi
cap on the back Of his head, and opene
up. Ii was great work, this performanc
OF Fullers. and no mistake. lie eclipse
all Of his former efforts. He stood wit
his hands on his sides, looking at IN
gun breech, and saying things at it tina
no Morgan. or Kidd, or Teach. or othe
Heaven-defying pirate could ever hay
| equalled. The men stood around, jus
! looking at Fuller in open-mouthed amaz,
ment. They couldn't make out where
got them all. They were ali in Englisl
| but the combinations were weird. III
! peroration was frightful although d'
| lvered in the mildest tone imaginable.
When Fuller finished he mopped h
forehead with his neckerchief again an
walked over 10 his commanding office
who was looking over the starboard raj
apparently thinking deeply. Fuller 50
| luted.
Its stuck proper, sir" said Fuller.
| can't get II adrift.'
We'll" said Watson. II didn't thin
you could, Fuller: but l needed yo
| Thanks. You did very well. Go forward
Line Was Not Busy.
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