The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1903-05-28
The Economical pirate.

svsy ffem homs 10 boyhood spd osasl
tls pototioas marine career ss siossss.
10 90 Australian clipper | csn nrds
sissd thsi the family liis mat hsvs isrrss
npan hic, Tor ny sfspdfsthu was Melt
cdisi presebef Of The naroust typr. sns
Usci. Jonshs boyhood u0 soured BY
surieis OF ohspei eeins snd lons isuil!
pf.ysu
For 20 yesrs OF 20 Uacle Jonsh held nj
communication ~ith his bsrssved family
uho slluisd to him % - lost vessel. sot
regarded his probable deossse siih eqasr
iui.y. Then be resppssrsd. With RIGGS Ia
Lis esfs aud . roll OF bsnknoies 10 BIZ
pocket, snd his early iolliss we're condos
ed. Uaiike most sailors. Uocle Jonah had
developed thrifty habits. For the frs
week or tuo bis reputation % . nsn o.
subsisncs enabled hin TO "sponss' upor
the ireqasnters Of ibe village inn; bot sl
ter that people began TO resent bis sting
nssa. aud the bosplisb!e stream OF free
dtiots oesssd 10 nov: thsreupon Uocls
Jonsh vent 20 more TO the Gost and Com
passes. snd began TO tire Of pastoral life.
Soon be vent snost sgsiu, securing The
command Of . tramp stesmef bound for
the Gold coast vi . cargo OF squsre gin
sud condemned rf*
bsde him farewell 10 the s S,uthsmp pton
dosks one blesk evening 10 Febr rusry.
His parting words sstopished me.
james. my lad. be said bosstfully, I'm
going u make my fortune this voyage.
and II ever come back Ill make . gentle
man Of you.
The doubtiol prospect Of becoming .
gentleman without individual excrtion
did not lore me into idle habits There
vas the chance, too, that Uaols Jonah
m isht be drowned. ! pursued my vocs
tion (u We pressmen pbrsss) until rose
to the position Of reporter on the Daily
Ssnm.
Years pissed. bu, no iidings OF Unole
Jonah ever reached me. until one day, 10
the ordinary course Of business, l wss sent
TO Bow street police court to write up
case OF piracy on the high seas that promis
ed TO sflIrd good copy. The Intelligent
reader will have guessed that the sssused
person proved to be ny Uacle Jonah; bat
| Iesd hsrdly ssy that l was wholly unprs
pared TO fiud . relstive in the dock.
Ny professional zlsl enabled me TO stiAs
my emotion that might have intsriered
with the business 10 hand. II Q man pos
sessas the true j)arnslistic instinct be 10
capable OF wri,ing descriptive article 90
the vivisection OF bis own father, snd will
tske pride 10 the task,
l recognized Upcls Jonah directly be
stepped into the dock He had eyed lit
tie. for bis black beard wss stresked With
gray and bis keen. ierrety face had grown
hsegsrd. bot hs did not sppear to be
greatly cast down BY his misiortunes. To
say that be bore himself with dignity II
took The liberty Of saying this 10 my re
pori) would bs iasccnrsse. Unole Jonsb
never had any dignity. being one Of those
similisr. vulssr persons 10 whose com
psny even the dignity Of others witbers
like Leaf 10 sutump. His sbiity eyes ex
plored the dingy court snd rested for .
moment 90 the reporters table. he recog
uiz,d me and winked.
The evidence taken that morning was
purely formal, and, pending toe attend
ancs Of some important wine ,ses. the pris
ouer vas remsndsd 10 custody. ! ioressw
shss the coming trial would be msde 10 ex
site exceptional interest, Gases Of piracy |
being comparatively rare. l vas esRer to
secure the first "interviev" with Uncle
Jonsh. and TO this end played The useful
card OF our relationship Tor oil II wss
worth. The inspector Of police, after pock
citing q sovereign. confessed himself un
willing to resist the sppesls OF the prison
sr's beloved nephew. was permitted TO
spend bali an hour 10 the cell. on condi
tion tibet made no professional use Of the
interview. The e1iseDcies OF journalism
obliged me to pledge my word TO the 10
spector. though / ioressw the impossibili
~ Of keeping my promise.
And this is the story Of b al d piracy %
told by my Unsle Jonsh. relste it -
nearly as possible 10 bis own words. omit
ting bis lurii maritime explicstives:
10 these days oi keen competion, said
acle Jonah, It's 10 sort Of good, my lad,
trying TO to run . pirsle craft on old fash
oned lioes. A hnndred years ago. or may
be. ffty, one conld VI nd TO ship . strong
sfes sud give tie men 9 fair percentage
81 The profits; bat nowadays the s.oksrs
nd engineers to settle with. the coal bill's
svful. snd 700 must employ
lew tfsibed aunntrs besides Btesm's
pl.yed o.d Harry with pirsey, and sp'iled
he slave trade. To start uisb, there's the
,,a OF the plant. Eighty yers ego they
soulj bnild . wooden line Of battle ship
10, 100 0o0 qaid. nov you can't bay . 400
IN steam Yacht st the fsure. Well.
,.eda't go into de.sils. aud there isn't
ine, bat even lard lnbber can see that
,niy millionsires csn run pirate OF their
,su.
Then hov did you get the money to at
,nt yont saipf ! sked,
Urcis Jonah viuked sDd spst skilfclly
oio tae eorner Of the cell The Falcon
sr rua BY . syndicsie Of usrmsps, be
I'D, sud my ins,foc,ions vas 10 sttsch
o,hios bat British ships II knes the
isnes OF The shareholders ia sise en TO
Co. bat they slwsys paid ny sslsry
hrcnzh m Leaft