The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-17

Now, said I wasn't a specially
moral man, as men go; but was too
moral 10 cOuntenance that crowd of
brides at the capstan. Three or four
ola girls, who looked like X-barmaids
might have been lawfully married to
the men beside them. but the rest were
. cruisers from Waterloo road and the
dance halls of Paradise street
nadnt picked the creW--the crimps
ulo that for the owner And on the
whole, they'd given us a pretty good
crowd o men; but the weemen-Oh,
Lord. After all, I was glad my girl
wasn't along.
Well, we cast off and began warping
down through the docks with the big
hydraulic capstans they have there, and
as the two mates We're competent I
went below with the owner to settle vp
AFFAIRS, and the crowd ashore followed
along the sea wall.
Down below. I knew by the sounds
that we had got to a broken down can
stan and would have to use our own
amidships We We're warping stern
first, and 1 heard Mr.. johnson sing out
to someone ashore to make fast the
stern line, and TO the men forrari to
heaVe away the capstan lively; then I
heard the biggest hullabaloO I ever
heard-a woman Screamin' and 8 600
people ashore yellin', and that second
mate o mine shouting as loud as he
could 70 "heave away, my DULLES, and
clear this woman" We ran on deck
Now this is what had happened. She
was Nova Scotia built ship, with a
low poop and a cabin trunk with al
leys- The poop rail was about as high
DIS your middle, and there was q. chock
for the stern line on the taffrail and a
PAIR OF small misunderstanding our
lake SchOonerS haVe-on the pOop rail
just at the forrard corner of the house
HOu see, the stern line would not lead
from the chock on the taffraiI to the
capstan amidships without chatting the
house, SO Mr.. johnson had thrown the
blight over the timber-heads on the
rail, and that would make the line lead
slantingly through the alley from the
inboard corner aft to the outboard cor
ner forrard.
Now, there was a woman standing in
that alley swappin' bilIingsgate with
someone ashore, and as Mr.. Johnson
sang out to "heave away" he kicked
the line close to her heels. and un ir
come, taut, to a level with the rail and
1t lifted that woman's clothes with it
and squeezed her tight. Then, as the
men hove IT in, it began to saw and
saw, and saw, till it's wonder that
woman wasn't cut in two. Oh how
+ she yelled. while that wet six-inch
haWser ground past her and dragged
her tighter into the angle: and ali the
time Mr.. Dunkherst on the forecastle
deck was loOkin' every way but aft
pretend1n not to see, and Mr.. Johnson
was Slng1n' out to "heave away, and
clear this woman" He was GRIMM
{ L
and made 'em surge the line. Then she
got clear of IL, still yellin', and ran
down the cabin stairs. She was a
shockin' spectacle That limo had car
RED away all 'midship fastenings, and
everything came down by the run
when the pressure was off. I sent
some weemen down with her buds and
they fixed her up.
That was the first trouble, but in two
minutes Mr.. johnson had TO lick the
WOOTn2n'S 4
with the mate and had jOost got aft
Now, an English able seaman is handy
with his fists, but a Yankee second
mate is a bad proposition, and mighty
nancy with belayin pin, so about
the time the woman got rugged out
her man was ready for the hospital
and sent 'em both TO their state room
10 recuperate. Then 1 thought I'd bet
| ter not reprimand Mr.. Johnson At
the dock head I got rid of the owner
then we took q tug and towed to sea
and were well outside the three-rf,
line before the watches were set for
the night Now you know that under
EnSIlSn law a ship captain is q Inaeis-
trate on the high seas, with power TO
perform the marriage ceremony. I
mad never seen anyone married hut
ranged EN- along the deck after the
mates had picked the watches and had
each man take hold of his wOnoap,S
hand, SO there'd be no mistake: then
read EN- the ships articles, then I
SWOre EN- on the BIDIe, tuen / rest, on
/ the mems names-the whole sixteen
ana SAID, DO you take this woman for
/ your wife," And they answered. yes
SIR, one after the other Then I said
/ DO you weemen-I don't know your
names-take the man who has hold of
your hand for your husband ?' And
! they all answered, Yes so called
EN- man and wife and sent the watch
/ beloE. 1 have since learned that the
| marriage was legal. But all wanted
at Ihe Tune was to make 'em think so
! L. nad notion that with all hands
married and one man licked at the start
/ JnlngS might go along smooth for 2
/ while, but in the morning a woman-a
/ Sood-Iooking young woman. she was
/ came aft and wanted a divorce-said
| she couldn't bide with a man that went
/ 10 ped with pipe in his mouth: said
| that as far as she could judge. the only
| d1Herence tween a sailor and hog was
! that one made up his bed with his nose
ana tother with his feet. I reasoned
/ with her-told her that sailors made
up their beds after they turned in. and
/ smoked themselves to sleep: blIt She
| wouldn't believe me. I sent for her
man, a husky young fellow named Jim
| -Something-and Jim came GRIMM
| he said a divorce would please him
very much, as he was gOin' through the
/ world for the last time. and though he
/ expected hell, he wanted it after death.
| l Jawed 'em both d little. and sent 'em
/
| deck with his eyes nearly scratched
out, and his wife's were closed tight
| and black as your hat, and she seemed
/ proud OF 'em-so proud that I hoped
! she'd stick to the man that gave 'em:
| ana so she might, for that's their ma
| ture, young man, but the rest got to
4 tal1in' sides, and for a while there was
i hell to pay and pitch hot forrard
| big Liverpool Irishman got too SYM
| pathetic for the woman, and Jim
! slugged him; then Mr.. johnson took q
| hand and licked 'em both. but Jim's
/ wife and her women friends did him
up, and he came aft joOst able to see
! SO l had to separate the couple. ]
called all hands for witnesses, put 'em
| through some mummery, swore 'enl
| clear O. one another, and pronounced
! them two. Then I entered the job in
4 the log, and as the woman was a grass
! widow now with no husband to protect
| her, I gave her a stateroom aft, with
/ the run o. the forrard cabin and poop.
! Jim was much obliged to me, and would
I go round the deck smiling, he was so
| happy; and he and the young woman
| would pass without spea6in'. But after
/ a few days I noticed her watchin' him
more than I thought he deserved. nd
! concluded she was coming round. Jim
paid no attention, and that seemed to
| worry her She sneaked aft next time
I he took the wheel, and sat down behind
! him on the grating. and I moved round
where could see them, and not be seen
| myself.
| Zinc 5ax- st,a sai1. hit IT., s;5 -