The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-23
ABLACK GANG STOWAWAY.
Ey.TINR NO. II RECALLS A -
ON THE

Diego to san Francisco-A Meeting with
Retired Pirate and son,o Blueiackets.
II find II odd to reflect" said Ex-Tank No.
II NJ the Harlem Club OF Former Alcoholic
Dsrennra:es. that I made a cruise on the
OLYMPIA. Admiral George Dewey's flagship,
bs'ore Dewey ever trod her decks: and I
wasn't in the navy, either"
Nc. II Immediately found himself the OBJ
i.ct Of the suspicious gaze OF the whole club.
No, l. The parliamentarian and kicker. puno-
tured the moment Of silence that followed.
Come at us light" said No. 7. You were
,boyc,ling conl on her trial trip. Is that IT."
Nope. answered Ex-Tank No. IL. Il had
. good long sail o. board the Olympia after
she vent into commission. Wasn't connected
with the service. though. as l said"
Ev- Tank No. I grew yisibly angry. but the
Chtsr EN-Tank had his eye on him and he
only scattered: You OF course awaited your
self then. II an opportunity to ride on the
O',muIa when she was n collier or q tank ship
,r engaged in creek ferrying. eh? Say. d'ye
think you can thrCw 1t into this outfit that the
OLYMPIA. one Of the finest cruisers in tho
world. was ever a passenger boat?"
There VAS plenty Of sarcasm in the inquiry,
but 40. II preserved his calm amiability.
There's no question about the Olympia's
being a reauty and a crackajack." he went
on rcfectiyely. 'Roomy. too. Plenty OF room
aboard II her for a fellow 10 keep out OF sight.
was the Olympia's first stowaway."
'uh. YOU slowed away" inquired No. Z with
A drcary smile Of incredulity. THAT sounds
40 dead easy. You know-to stow away on an
American man-o'-war. Say. did you ever
stow away on a transpaciic airshipf"
"You see, its q pretty long and monotonous
walk from san Diego 10 San Francisco. and
49,, l;,a US ~ rhnIpp1 anybAN en- Tint I li1p't
want to walk went on Ex-Tank No. II. II
was run down some. too. and needed a lungful
or two OF sea air. and a trip on a new cruiser
was good enough for me. especially when it I'D
take me back to where l wanted to go. That's
how happened to stow away or the Olympia
in the month Of March. 1895. or her return
trip from the first baby cruise she went on
after going into commission"
Didn't have a bit OF difficulty doing it.
either. did you:" inquired No. Z sarcastically.
AL YOU had to do was to walk over the side,
head for the CAPTAINS cabin and bunk up with
the old man. Ell? Say. what kind O. people dye
think you're'-
Back IN. Seven commanded the Chief Ex-
Tank. pounding with his cane gavel. Make
way for the deep. water. heavy-weather man.
Il surely did winter hard in San Francisco
that year" rcsumed No. Il. Il had got to-
LNlHCl " F'"lA ~ Twain I JUS NhIVt vi
them in the fall. expectin' EN- town me out
enough to get back to New York with bells
a-jingling. anyhow. But they all three went
wrong. one Of EN- stabbed u friend OF his
and get three years in San Quentin. Another
went of! on II toot after | had shaped him up
for a ten-round 20 with a welterweight and
landed in tie bug ward OF a free no spital with
the inns. The last OF the bunch got himself
Iokel ont in the first round by a half Modoc
lightweight, and | raised him Ut. Didn't
null down a dollar from one OF them. Then 1
got behind the curtain out at the track and
found out about q good thing that was in
PREPARATION. | nut II Willie boy that | met
next 10 what was going to hnppen. and it went
through. my rakedpwn being $500. | was in
two minds about jumping back to New York
right then, but | concluded to have one more
Thack at ,he ring on anair-tight good thing that
ia heard about. | put the whole bundle.
down t. the last Two = bit piece. on it. The nag
got away Ten lengths behind. the bunch and
was beaten u nose on the wire. with 20 to |
about him. III played him straight only. Tina:
plt me out IT business for fair.
| got through the next couple o mouths
on my wardrobe and my face. but II was hard
pIukGlng. san francisco being the worst ever
III lad.Lns, ou' the frappc to the busted also
rams. only had one suit. the trousers un-
pressed and nary The price to get my collars
and Guns out, when | met up with thc merry
s0'rouni chap. lie was running the merry;
go-round on. a lot out near the Presidio. and
making good. too. San Francisco people will
take a hack at ANYTHING that gives EN- awhirl-
'i'. it "a luIlIlE uONn DItttN All. Ill Oh
ms merry-go-round His name was Joe Cas-.
uae and he was a queer duck, with all kinds of
e tS,ISS MAXI fHiarn on his sh arms ;,a and Gdr, Ghess nod q
make 2 book. He never coughed IN anything
about himself, however; He took me in with
nm to helm him stand watch on the merry
t'.r9und for .S2a day and n roost at mis- board
VIZ mouse. stayed . ong at that until the
% %aa esseG neE mn t9 ratten out ana then Ca a.
axe in the March, flower fiesta; went:
nov. Id been doing a dry stunt ever since
FIRST went broke In san Francisco. which was
nlne months before. and this san Diego flower
i Hs, Ipst naturally made me thirsty. Cali
inthla Mower tlesla is one OF these here de-
lghtiul Latin Europeun institutions that per-
mn: end 10 fact require. all hands TO corn up
no side stepning on the proposition that those
ltorle out there knew how to enjoy them
selvo:, and the way they cut loose for the an
nudI Hover fiesta Is q warning to locusts. This
SIan Diego blowout lasted lust one week, and
mere was simply %nothing, doing eXcept 10y
nown into. 1t didn't take me of nv feet the
hing al the rcd crihianti Of California lust to
e. into the game. | found IL pretty hard to
keen at my stunt on the merry-Go-round
on the California cochineal. and on the fourth
S Sns n, ! lm't walked ,r for an hour or ns SO
got back, rrctty well hooted up. along toward
O'clock In ne afternoon. | found the merry
so,rounh with 2 big sign on 1t. Closed down.
ana a cop standing near told me that my boss
MAS in Jail hustled up to the lail to see
nm. and found him smoking a pipe as cool a.
arucumher.
It's all OF. he told me. They've nabbed
me Tor a Job OF ships wiring five years ago
thryy 70 got me dead to rights. and III DO my
n'te three or 1--WE trick over the road for i fol
certainty. | don't know whether they'll, at
Ldrh the merry-Go-round or not. but II they
non you can have it and run it yourself. You
needn't bother about any lawyer. They've
got me too nat for that
We there was a queer story in connection
WIN tha'. Five years before that Casdale
w,,Nh n couple 81 other chance-taking sailors
thH masters certificates Of all three of them
tai been taken away from them years before
LIZ crooked work had deliberately sailed q
Sinloher belonging 10 a shippiEg com pany out
o! IN" harhor of Santa Barbara and. put out tc
S1SHt, bound Tor that queer island. Tiburon
ln'F had heard uipe stories n bout buccaneers
not,"aSG!re being buried. there. and they wen
nIt' II The natives didn't let them get with,
Lh hundred yard, Of the beach. and they haC
r. san Tor Acapulco in their swiped schooner
80 boat GOT into "A gale and was waterloggeC
hni the three chaus we're picked up by the
thn'h' mail steamer Coiima. that went down
F% Years ago with all hands. Casdale hac
m'rl spotted IN San Diego at his merrv-go
Foul" ~ on" Of The agents OF the Santa Bar
,IfAt.t shipping company during my absence
mai afternoon. and haTe they had him hehiDC