Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-08-28

the New York Sun, but plainly he
was drifting that way and the next
few years no doubt will find HIM
there. He wore blue flannel cloth
ing, with a cardigan jacket beneath
his coat, a black SLOUGH hat and
heavy sea boots-indubiable marks OF
deep-water skipper. That was
what he was, and as he entered the
little haven on South street where
retired mariners are wont to assem-
bic a roar of welcome went up from
old CAPTAIN Smith and his cronies
CAPTAIN Smith, as invariable spokes
man and oracle. arose labOriously to
his feet and stumped to meet the new
arrival.
why, Cap'n Bill-Smolng Turn
buckles! but what port did We hail
from and how'd We git here? Cap
Bill why dash me, | hearn ye was
lost on the Irmy Green 10 year ago
Great fish-hOoks and snappin' turtles,
but it does me good to see We. SO
We WASH lost on the Irmy Green,
Ell?
How air ye?" replied Cap'n Bill
selling the Old mans hand. Nav, |
warn't lost in the wreck of the
Green. e continued with a twinkle
il his eye. "Ye see when tn OF
hooker foundered she fetched up on
q submerged iceberg. The ship
didn't go down 10 feet and that there
berg kerried us flOatin around for
two weeks till finally it hit Glasgow
the very port we was maxim fer. and
we too tn cargo off in lighters
Some time after that tn berg melted,
but il had froze up the hole in tn
Green wI,h a twOfoOt layer of ice,
and she was jes' as good as ever,
That is, of course, in tn cold latl-
tudes. She's sailin moth Of SO de
grees to this day, | guess, but let her
get down in tn forties, and the ice
bottom would melt and she'd sink
like an anchor. How be We all?"
No one answered. Captain Smiths
jaw had dropped two inches and the
other old salts sat dumfounded
Such effrontery had not been heard
in South street in years. Surely it
must indeed, be a new arrival, ana
albeit a green one to thus fly in the
face of the ancient mariner with such
an experience as that Such Incl
dents, or rather, the recital of them,
had been the sole province of Cap
tain Smith for so many years that
his rig..t was generally regarded as
inalienaDle. Occasionally some
stranger disregarded this prerogative,
but the result was always sad; for
when Captain Smith, rising to defend
his prestige, unlimbers, gives fun
vent to his clustering eloquencc, his
plonitude of objurgaton, his fecund
imagination and his unmitigating
scOrn, the unknowing or reckless
stranger experiences all the territy-
ing emotions of a person under ma,
Chine-gUn fire Surviving the old
mans verbal bombardment he of.
tends never again. But more fire.
Cuently such a one beats a hasty re-
treat and is seen in these parts no
more. All this is proverbial in South
street, and so everyone in that little
South street resort just sat silent.
held their breath and gazed pityingly
at the newcomer.
Captain Smith resumed his seat
and glared at his old friend. His
chin protruded several inches ana
his face was as red as a tropic sun
set
"Arrump,' he snorted. "Set down.
Mister Bill Sykes-set down; We
must hev been friz right up ter yer
craw in tibet there icebox O. yourn.
Ell? Oh, no, hCOt, the Irmy Cree.
why'-Then followed the pentup ex.
plosion that had been struggling for
vent for the past five minutes. He
sputteIed and roared and pounded
his cane, asserted that there never
was such a ship as the Irmy Green
and that he could prove it: that Cap
tain Bill had never set foot on any.
thing but a canalboat: that he WASN'T
qualified to navigate on the sweat Of
an ice pitcher; that he came from
New Bedford, which "warn't Bath
Maine, by a long sight" and then
urable to do suitable Justice to his
feelings, he seized the arm of his
chair and jounced himself up and
down it.
Captain Bill sat calmly, smilingly
through the verbal onslaught. n,
Iodded amiabIy and remarked: "Jes
so, jes' So in response to the o.
gentlemans most pointed period
and when he had finished he took
chew Of tobacco and rubbed b
beard rehectively.
New Bedford yaas, mates, that
whar hail from. it was who cor
handed the Dolphin Striker. yC
must remember her. CapI Smith
Mo- Sho' We hearn tell on heg the
The whaler Dolphin Striker back
IS. The Dolph-No! Why. Can
Smith, Well, she was a boat f.
you, a patent one. Fixed her up m
self. Fixed a big harpoon out
the end of the bow-sprit. Then r
amidships we put 40 tons of pig LEI
on cars. We run track along
the forepeak When We see a VIII
ua71 rim 4h0 E+-ff-r- ~.