Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-12-01
Miseellansous 8eading.
ATE THE AMERICAN FLAG.
Novel Meal That a British Tar Had
to Make.

Novel Meal That BRITISH ar nao
to Make.
Il observe that William Page Bryan,
the United States minister to Portu-
GAL recently objected to the Portu-
guese government to use throughout
Portugal Of the American flag for a
BARRIERS sign, and that the Portuguese
government consented to tip the bar
bers off that that sort Of use Of the
American flag wouldn't do any more
remarked a man who used to be a
chief petty officer in the United States
navy. 1T was nice of Mr.. Bryan to
register his objection. and nice Of the
Portuguese government to take 1t so
kindly and attend to 1t. But there are
more strenuous ways Of handling peo-
pie who in any way abuse the Amer
lean flag. or used to be at any rate.
once saw q man compelled to eat
an American flag, stick and all. 1t
wasn't q big American flag, but 1t
Was a meal that wouldn't have helped
my digestion out any. small as the
emblem Of liberty was.
1T happened in Honolulu. An
American man-o'-war was In that
harbor. A British warship was in the
harbor. too-her name was the, Wild
Swan. AS u general thing American
and British men-o-wars men don't
chum sos you could notice 1t. On the
contrary, they generally do about the
best they know how to knock each
others blocks off after the saki or the
vino or the pulque or the mescal gets
10 flowing good and steady. But the
liberty parties from these two ships
of war got on we'll enough together at
first in Honolulu. There were no
scraps. They kept we'll apart. II the
Fourth Of July hadn't drifted along
there might never have been any
trouble. But independence Day did
come along while the two ships were
in the harbor, and nearly all hands
from both ships went ashore on the
day, the Americans on a holiday lib
erty, and the lime-juicers. as the
British flat-feet arc called, on a prac-
tice march that had been arranged by
the British officers Without, Of course,
any reference to the fact that 1t was
the Fourth Of July, and that Honolulu,
even then before the annexation, was
in all essential respects an American
city. The Honolulu folks didn't like
the looks Of that outfit Of sailors and
marines from the Wild Swan march
ing through the streets Of Honolulu In
their side-arms on the Fourth Of July,
but they let it go with the emission
of few low growls, as did our mem
o'-war's men on liberty.
when, in the. evening, the British
turs had got through with the practice
n;arch, their officers foolishly allowed
them to break ranks and roll around
town for a few hours before reporting
aboard the ship. OF course, too, the
British hatfeet sudsed up, and when
a lime -juicing sailor gets his system
suffused with the 'swipes' and saki OF
the Kanakas he loses out some on
tact.
"Anvhow, bunch of the Wild
Swan T.en drifted into Jim Dodd's
emporium de booze, while party OF
the American lnen-o'-war's men were
in there. Jim Dodd was a very patri-
otic American. At one end Of his bar
he had a wire basket filled with small
American flags on little wooden
sticks. They were souvenirs, to be
picked up by patrons and attached to
their hats or their clothes and carried
away. They were about five inches
square, with, as I say, little wooden
sticks attached to them.
"A big, red-headed British man-o'-
wars man picked up one Of the flags
and deliberately dipped 1t into his mug
OF beer and. swashed it around In the
malt liquor. Then he tossed it onto
the saw-dusted floor at his feet and
stepped on it.
only one man among the American
sailors saw this move. The one man
was a soft-voiced bo'sun's mate who
had never been known on board ship
to get into a heat about anything, no
matter how the luck zephyred his way.
He strolled over to where the British
tar was standing, and stopped and
picked up the crushed, soggy saw
busted flag. Taking the stick Of the
soiled flag between his forefinger and
thumb the bo'sun's mate held it out
to the red-headed British flat-foot
with a smile-but as queer a smile as
ever 1 saw on a sailorman's face.
This Is yours said the bo'sun's
mate to the Britisher.
"'Bloime me. Hi blieve not replied
the red-head.
Out of the bosom Of his mastering
shirt the bo'sun's mate snatched a
dirk-not u ships knife, but dirk
with IL seven-inch blade. He put the
point of it to the Britisher's throat,
and with his left he extended the soil
ed little flag.
You're going to eat it. you swab:
he let out with 4 roar.
THE Britisher Started to open his
mouth--his jaw was hanging low
with surprise. anyhow. The bo'sun's
mate suddenly thrust the fioor-stained
flag into the hat-foot's mouth, and the
latter's jaws involuntarily closed with
a snap.
Chew it. y beach -comber!' said the
to'sun's mate. and he pressed the point
of the dirk against the red throat OF
the Rule Britannia deep-sea man.
The rest of the American men-o'-
wars men were standing at crouch