The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-02-14
ADMIRAL SCHLEY'S YARN
SPINS AN ENDLESS CHAIN STORY
ABOUT AN ORANc-oUTANC.

hhown as "Porkchops." Form an
Amusing Narrative.
''Did you ever hear Admiral Schley's
endless chain stoy about that orang-
outang he picked up in the East In
dies, when he was the executive officer
of the Benecia in 1862" asked naval
officer of his party in the club corner
the other night. Because if you
haven't yoI ought to. The commo-
dore started to tell me that story one
night about ten years ago, in the smok-
ing compartment Of sleeping car GO
ing over to New York, and he hasn't
entirely finished it yet. Every time
meet him and we have time for talk
over a smoke he tells me an install
ment of that orang -outang yarn. He
never repeats himself at all, but his
story of that marvellous orang- outang
Is connected narrative of the adven-
lures and misadventures Of the anthro.
poid. am free to say that the monkey
must have been a wonder, and I've al
ways been curious to ascertain what
was his eventual end. But the COM
modore has always evaded that issue.
Many times I've asked him fatty what
finally became of the orang -outang,
but he curls up when 1 ask him that
question and stalls me off by telling
me some further instances of the
proves and mischievousness of the
simian. I'm in hopes of learning some
day what finish the monkey met up
with, and before Schley goes on the
retired list he may relent and tell me.
Anyhow, when Schley was first
Lieutenant of the Benecia, and that
good old tub was cruising through the
Straits of Sunda, thirty years ago, a
native bumboat man brought the
orang-outang aboard The orang-
outang was a natural born sailor, and
he made himself so at home with the
rigging and running gear of the Ben
ecla on his first visit aboard that he
caught Schley's eye-and Schley's eve
when he was thirty years younger
wasn't bit less discerning than it is
now. Schley asked the bumboat man
to name his figure for the orang-
outang. The bumboat man thought
n dollar'd be about right, and when
the Benecia picked up her anchor to
resume her cruise, the orang -outang
remained on board and became, to all
intents and purposes, member Of the
crew. I've seen the dampness come
into Commodore Schley's eyes in tell
ing about that orang -outang. Schley
turned the new member of the ships
company over to the old chief bos'n's
mate, to whom the brute took an i'm
mediate fancy, and you know what it
means for an animal to be turned loose
up forward among the blueiackets. If
an animal doesn't pick up sense, not
to speak of culture, audacity and the
inner trimmings of humanity, in the
course of few months contact with
the men forward of man-o war, then
the animal must be constitutionally
lacking, and there wasn't anything
lacking in Porkchops, this orang-
outang. Why, Schley says that Pork
chops was more than human. The
orang-outang hadn't been aboard the
Benecia two days before his keeper.
the chief b'o'sn's mate, rugged up a
regular blueiacket's hammock for the
thing, and Porkchops slept in it.
Porkchops learnt his hammock num-
Der, Schley says, within q week, and
when the call to get hammocks out of
the netting went forth in the evening
Porkchops would pick his own out of
the bunch unerringly every time.
carry 1T below to the berth deck, where
he slung and rugged the hammock to
the correct billet every time without
fail, unlashing it and getting it ready
for occupancy himself At ell hands
In the morning, Schley says, the
oTang- outang nd lash up his hammock
and have it in the netting before the
rest of the bluejackets counting Pork
chops as bluejacket) would be through
rubbing their eyes. Then, Schley saws.
Porkchops got to be a valuable seaman
when the ship was cruising. He mas.
tered the running gear in no time. and
of course, the Benecia was one of
the old-time windjam m era-when tn ere
was heavy weather his services in 90
ing aloft and shortening sail were.
says Schley, worth those Of any five
men OF the ships company. You Just
ought to hear of the number OF times
Porkchops saved the Benecia and the
lives Of the whole ships company
thereof by getting in the big spread
OF canvas just in the nick of time be.
fore the squalls came along.
And Schley says-Porkcbops
got to be a confirmed tobacco fiend
The old bo's'n's mate filed a pipe one
day, lighted it for the orang- outnng.
handed it TO the thing quickly. and
then galloped for the toggallant fo'c'sle.
fearing that when the anthropoid took
a Whit from the pipe and found out
what he was up against, he'd try to
tear the ship apart. But, instead of
that, Porkchops just pulled away at
the pipe-Schley says-like a ROYAL
marine, and seemed to get all kinds of
enjoyment out Of the tobacco, aud
what's more, Porkchops, when he
wanted to expectorate, would use the
spitkits for the purpose. After that
Porkchops was pulling away at pine
all the time, and Schley had TO include
IN his monthly expense account n
couple Of pounds Of navy plug for tho
oranR -outang's consumption. Schlev
says that it was q touching and anna |
bic sight to sec the old bo's'n's mate |
and the oraug-outang walking fore
aud aft on the spar deck linked arms |
after mess Of an evening, both Of them |
chewing on old black clay pipes and |
thinking over the happenings Of the /
dnV-fOr efrau0oiv ouotrest, Tps...t. 49, |