The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-25
THE TANNED CARTRIDGE.
\ Time When Commodore Watson
Felt Like Swearing
New York SIN

W
Observation-Disclosures Watson, who is
oliieted to do some lively work on the
coast of Spain with his squadron. does not
belong 10 the list of GUESSING officers" vet
as man-o'war skipper he never had a
man or his ships company aft Cor swear
ing. He was singularly irdulgent - the
hard swearers forward
Hard language helps a man along o.
cas!onally," ne has been known 10 saw 10
one Of his deck officers upon overhearIng
stream Of nlaledic:ions from the lips Of
some OF hat-foot working at a stubborn hob
Forward. and Il IS better FOR the men 70
work or Their wrath over fouled anchor
chains in cuss words than 20 take IL out OF
each others hide"
Aboard one Of the ships under Watson's
command there was an old bo'suu's mate
named Fuller, who had the call through
Ok ne whole navy as the champion pro
fane man Of the governments line Of
packets. Fuller rever raised his voice
when he swore. He would simply stand
hack and quietly regard the tnanirnate OBJ
ject o. his wrath--a bent behaving min
perhaps or slack ridge r0pe-ani then
he would open uN IN an ordinary CONVEX
saton3l tone But the utterauces he gave
vfnt 10 we're sulphurous. Il always took
Fuller a good five minutes 70 work or
what he considered the necessary number
OF remarks on such occasions. ard Il alwavs
seemed when he was through tina: he had
quite exhausted the whole vocabulary Of
profanity. But this was 3 mistake The
very next time anything went wrong with
bit OF FG!ler's gear he would start in
on a new line that would contain 1hso-
lntelv nct q single repetition % ayv If his
previous performances. y was always a
source o. wonder 70 Fuller's shipnstes
even the old timers whore n picked ~, M
new ones, all Of which were OF startling
originality ard force
These shfQrates related only ore instance
In which he found himself a. a loss sor
words II" was with a ian3iag party from
MS ship. marching on he outskirts of The
mulT-5. Korea. He st1bbed his tee on 2
losos.4 boulder IT, the road ana rrli m MS
face n the dus'. Tie picked himself IN and
looked Al the road He opened his
mouth to say something htt he haf no
words He was dumb with wrath TWO or
three times 30 attempted 20 begin h5;+ 4,
VAS no 20 He was stuck f0- once <. h.
pulled ont pistol and deliberately fred
K into ne air Sve times lie had - 81
press his feelings in some wav. The ola
man vas Urged wA@~ ~ returned - MS
shi9 for H-ing -" weapon without orders
especially in foreign territory. nm. RE
skipper knew the ol6-ine bo'su~'x mates
ways ard turned him loose after dsx
or 50.
When Fuller vas serving aboard Wat
sons ship r" was ir good SHAPE. ami his
rreQuent quiet outta!rsls KEEP the forward
part % the snip keyed w with wonder a.
70 What vas coming next One morning
AZ h'g guG 3ri0 Capt Watson himself wae
experimenting tAe exercise One Of re
wooden cartridges lrscane fa-u-ue9 IN 10
5reeh - tho six-j1ch rife 10 which Re
was deYotng most ~ - attention He
woIl1r'. permit any - the guun@r'a mates
around him 70 attempt - l.sySen the cart
r.1gs but essayel the 'ot, himself H..
t4sge1 A. the TANNED ca~f-Nlge and broke
MS 'l1ge- nails over S.. ara ztill T. N3uff-1..
corn@ out l. was pretty aos morning
or derh and ne preparation began ~ -orf
II his fac - streams. F3ut IT, Persisted
~ tFttEE - io4>ser tre sturk ~sv+~+tgs.
II" lc~ke3 "A = 3e Tosl8 ~ - say 4 he4n
wrr@ Pc g@e4ri1x MAJ Pea he vazn..
sw ATl.e man. When a. na6 been work
TX fp~ rve minutes over - TANNED ar
1ce Tith no s'iccess. - boxes .,--.f.,
7'ipiess ana miserable lie gave ore arsI
-'lG- a1!f ire stu"k sa--rtSe.. rArn7t~.st g..
Re gus breach TIE skipper g4-~e-.sf
'-1s@3f t1s@'h"r. rsopD~1 Ms f0reaead arc
ookst AZ re KUN
-t'onf ou13 y al 1e h~1Ee o,.t .ss7-~s-e
F-L~rf es1ft fDe Faile~. sc1Y.i.1-sy"
Fuller IS - lart E}-srt}y II wasr..
3 g1nre-'@ ma. aa5 10 Aat rc.A.rr ~.
=" ~tI1 'ae gT:rs b. Watson vgar nee;
FNl.ier - "a -G4e tie g4s2z@sa cArt.l1sa al
;ae s@---A