The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-10
THE TANNED CARTRIDGE
A Time When Commodore Watson Felt the
Disadvantage OF Not Swearing.

Disadvantage OF Not Swearing.
WARRINGTON, July o.-Commodore Watson,
who D s billeted to do some lively work on the
coast Of Spain with his squadron. does not be-
long to the list Of Guessing ofncers," yet as O
man-o'-war skipper he never had n man Of his
ships company aft for swearing. He was sin
Eularly indulgent Of the hard swearers forward.
Hard language helps a man along OCCASION
ally" he has been known to say to one Of his
deck officers upon overhearing a stream OF
maledictions from the lips OF some old f~lat-foot
working at q stubborn job forward, "and It is
better for the men to work offitheir wrath over
fouled anchor chains In cuss words than to take
II out Of each others hide"
Aboard one Of the ships under Watson's COM
mand there was an old bo'sun's mate named
Fuller, who had the call throughout the whole
navy as the champion profane man Of the Gov
ernment's 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, per-
haps. or q slack ridge rope-and then he would
open up in an ordinary conversational tone.
But the utterances he gave vent to were sui
phurous. 1t always took Fuller a good five
minutes to work of what he considered
the necessary number OF remarks on such COCA
sions. and 1t always seemed. when he was
through. that he had quite exhausted the whole
vocabulary Of profanity. But this was q mis-
take. The very next time anything went
wrong with o bit Of Fuller's gear he would
start in on q new line that would contain abso-
lutely not a single repetition Of any Of his pre-.
vious performances. 1t was always o source OF
wonder to Fuller's shlpmates, even the old.
whore he picked up the new ones. all
OF which were Of startling originality and force.
These shipmates related only one instance
in which he found himself at q loss for words. He
WA w WITH ne q landtiPE party from HE ship; march.
stubbed his toe on q loose boulder In the road.
and fell on his face in the dust. He picked him
ss1 aR 9 t9 sag iSps sS@ Ct inc f Bss he R Rsd 9 Pe %Sr ais
he Ess atI m . to beEi9e. but It was NO 60: He
he had to express his feelings in some way.
his ship Tor firing tie weapon Without Orders So
especially in foreign territory. but his skipper
turned him loose after a day OF. so.
When Fuller was serving aboard Watson's
eaiet nc outES as II EEeeppae s tRep sor and ms pa, ttre q fSs
ship keyed up with wonder as, to what was
eSS%tin &5 nsxt; b One g %19o Tns at big gun drill;
game |smmed in the Sreec6 q. the ; tSj.GtSs rfde
He Wouldn't permit any 81 fn tho 81 ms as'se m q
around him 70 attempt to loosen the cartridge.
jammed "a EtridEe and broke his angefnaiis over
1t, and still it wouldn't. come out. It was a
ton began to roll off Il his s1 face i IN st trs Ressp1B5 at
esrtr pShs!s'e IL 70 loof sesla as II Y he 'G %ssEd IKE Ike t sss ssE
aswearing man. When he had been working Tor
I'VE W minutes oyer The TANNED cartridge. with
sPTt + S,F FSSmsIGPfSA Im IL &. tRs ssRs 6TsesS; T6s
forehead. and looked at the gun.
FqHl hiFa, Send me Fuller so@ebodE1'
The guns; Put Watson wanted Fuller to tackle
III" sf faHf@S' SAID %sts q! .As ss sa% and get that
dummy out of that gum.
wooden cartridge, but it wouldn't come out, x
but Fuller wasn't fn that line Of the service. TRe
tSgG rd 4 aT AZ but II was no g: Watson stood
the quarterback, Fuller spat on his hands fsue and
E fo ssRta Fl w nR h tHsh neo FFssa Ml GjSn %SSpPSSid 5 d 6lS
on the back Of his head. and opened up. It was
great work, this performance Of Fuller's. and no
Re stood with his hands on his sides, looking at
ne gun breeGh. and saying things at 1t that no
d dtiyfafi pirate IF Rao Could I'd e eyeT Ga Se e SSns g aeay TRe
SDsp,@ 9Sf aSsro SS@ e. az 1Ea% al f$$SSy ny. SoSlan%ff
The P9eroration was .frightful., although de-
When Fuller finished he mopped his forehead
with his necierohiet again, and walked over to
t Has sR%Fbaad,P Paii Oa apeare %aR T ERinE lGlGsln aes SSSr
.s *E's stSsf proper. sir" said Fuller. II can't
oo ~SIe Fulls said by WfPt nssa,. al Jo didn't %sd think you