The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-04
TALE OF A SAILOR lad
Faithful Jan NeiIson,Wh Per-
iShed on the Maine.
JUST ORDINARY SEAMAN
But a Hero Among Heroes, for
all That.

New York, April 3.-M. K. Brewster says
in the Evening Post:
He was the boy of the miscellaneous
crew of a merchantmen sailing from New
York in the fall of 1893.
In the early days of that voyage. when
the mammoth blue wall of sea came roll
ing from northward, and the last little
birds, swept off shore by the gale and,
exhausted beyond fear, lighted about
deck-chair that held a burden of reawak-
ening personality, Jan Nelson's was the
first face to impress itself among the
/ many strange ones Of those VINO came and
went in turn from the wheel.
A stolid round face it was, above a heavy
little body, always clothed in blue dun
| garees," save when the squalls came;
then his wet, red cheeks glistened above a
yellow oilskins and under a dripping SOU
wester Soon all the men were familiar
but he remained marked among the others
in the general duties OF hauling. slowing.
oiling, tarring, scraping, polishing, and
painting of that voyage. a boys life on
| shipboard is not an easy one, and besides
! that Jan carried a superficial appearance
{ OF stupidity. His sluggish northern move
ment and his dumy stature denied him the
| alert and picturesque attraction that some
| boyish seamen have.
! He cameinto prominence one day in the
South Atlantic-one of those intense blue
/ days that seem born of Brazil. where
/ the sun is dazzling on the violet ripples
/ the air hot, but uvened by thesweetest
/ of all breezes that come when the trade
! is caught and the tranquil mind is center
/ ed on the log-resIstered progress south
eastward that each hour shows.
We-the cabin Jrio-sat on the house
| in an atmosphere of tea-drinking sewing
and saiImaking. Jan was d, the wheel.
motionless, with eyes fixed. alas! not on
the compass. but on the far-oT horizon
beyond which they were trying 70 follow
thoughts that had gone home in Denmark.
Or, perhaps, SIN farther. into that re-
gion where MS destiny now mas carried
him. But rough "h0w's she head2''
brought a rude restoration, and we dlscov-
cred enough points or our course 70 be
merrily making homeward. which is
Turing direction, but Numerically opposed
TO tha: Of Australia. Jan stood at the
wheel a long time after that, and M
heart ached Tor the something pathetic
thai there was about his poor at:!e PIES
eace. the paleaess that grew on MS round
tanned cheeks, and thedroop 70 mis- patient
young dsure as the day wa1sd and the
sung rev more and more trying
DO not remember iust waea I was sur
prissd By the discovery that Jan was real
j. sweet look.rg. Perhaps g: was a sunny
morning in Newcastle whea the heat siz-
zIed in the deck p,anks ard I came upon
nm polishing braszss ;hzt already wed
with the sun. T. t6e relaxed discipline
Of q c-ew-5ess-te5 81 p.I Stopped % speak /
ID nm. ard noticed rhea how steady his
eyes we're ard tae goodness of ms sz-
preston n the say. pleased brightness I
that warmed his face al beng directly |
addressed /
After that 7 always notced him. |
though another iozg passage wita 10 op-
portunlty for speech followed But il vas
me kss1es-- pleasure - hear certain STATE
u1ents maze On n.S sehzlf n ire cabin.
and gradually verified 5y his action On /
TIE decks lie VAS constantly IN demand J
and 2lweys cheerful Re ran and .@;cnes /
ara carried from ;oz1eg --IEg r. ,ae end y
rs watch IS ths bag m1st. ard tnea was
2: A. she mans work Always ur5aira-
&c, b., Always learning s-ea5-ty aaa
vs.L Tus -ua came wAs1 - IRE Eo1za-
es- seas he zzs sz1- G-r - take rae vsass.
- 6ae a-oaene1- t-r rs bs:.sr. days e..
.zzra.rE-a-d 10 u1a w@.crss for aA5
carried Us ovE- tass.zggss rs seas more
Steadily ard Batter tasu hs- lie always
w1s E-e- -zu. ara t1@s Eas greatly
L. RS Ea~sr z-1ns ere rrsE q tss k.7t
z-1 aessE.g wo- 2as-lsgs1- g every
s sEs o. board
1g-a@u IA HAAS lztsEss: =; last -