Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-02-04

der1n how 1t would fit Black jacks
pear-shaped head. So i sneaked over
to the skylight an cut OF the rope.
Then l tried it on my head, an it
was jest a trife too big. But, thinks
|. it'll jest fit Black Jack, a tight fit,
too, SOS he couldn't get it off.
Back to the weather rail | tip toes.
until l stands jest in back o. BLACK
Jack. His head was jest in a daisy
position, so l carefully raises the draw
bucket above it, an down | pumps it
jest damned i down tight to his
shoulders.
well, ~fellers, ye'd a larfed to see
the jump he made, like a chicken with
its head cut off, a floppin' his arms like
they was wings. Yes, sir, jest like i
bloomin' chicken"
The smile struck Steve's sense of
hunor so strongly that it was some
moments before he could continue.
Even some of his audience laughed
with him.
But that was only for a minute"
he continued. "'Fore he could do any
thing | ups with his HEELS as the
chap on the Nancy Bell would "a said,
an over he went, with the draw bucket
stuck fast an a-smotherin' his
squeals."
The humor of the situation-ghastly
humor, perhaps-so struck all hands,
owing more to Steve's manner than to
his words, that all burst out into a
long guffaw. The idea of Black Jack
diving to his death with a draw bucket
over his head seemed ridiculously
funny.
well, fellers' said Steve, after he
had wiped the tears from his own eyes,
the ship was goin' a bare three knots,
an the moo was out. | could see the
white foam spot where he went down,
an aft l runs to the log line an
watches.
"Will We believe me-but it's true.
all of a sudden l sees that white AN
vas draw bucket pop up with his two
arms a-wavin' on each side O. it. An
there was them bow legs O. his a-wag-
gin behind, like crabs ~nippers. Oh,
say, fellers-"
Again Steve went off into peals of
merriment. Finally he was able to re-
sumo.
well, boys, l jest leaned over the
rail an larfed fit to burst myself. The
way he was tryin' to boiler through
that dpou hI1olyat orJ on,1tl,yt ,,s,1I
a. given We fits if ye'd "a heard the
way he was a-rippin' up inside.
Il kinder reckon the cuss words he
was lettin' out weighed the bucket
down an them, with the iron band,
sent him nose down. Larst l see was
his two bow legs a-kickin' up in the
air, an then l went back to the wheel.
When the chap came back to re-
lieve me didn't say nothin', but pretty
soon the third mate misses Black Jack,
an as he couldn't find him he goes an
calls the skipper.
The OF man comes on deck, and we
squares in our yards an sails back over
our course, burnin' blue lights an
shoutin', an l was shoutin' louder an
any of 'em, but you bet they didn't see
no signs of Black Jack with his head
in a draw bucket.
"Say, ~fellers, wot We suppose old Nick
said when he saw Black Jack comm
with that draw bucket we his head?
Blessed if | wouldn't a been willin' to
stand the high t~emperatoor for a few
minutes jest to see what happened"
The idea seemed so humorous to
Happy Steve that the story ended in
a long, loud laugh, interpolated with
humorous comments on an imaginary
conversation between his Satanic mai
esty and Black Jack, with the draw
bucket presenting difficulties in the
way of mutual recognition.
Happy Steve often referred to the
murder he had committed, and each
time he sprinkled his story with hearty
laughter.
When we arrived in Australia Happy
Steve cleared out for the Swan River
gold diggings. Later, we heard that
he met his finish there, but he died as
he lived-in a humorous way.
He cracked some joke up there that
wasn't appreciated by the English
miners, and it precipitated a shooting
scrape. When the smoke cleared away
three of Steve's opponents were
stretched out, but he himself had
cracked his last joke.
When told that his American humor
had not been understood, he chuckled
immoderately and then died. This &C.
count may not be exactly true, but it
was characteristic of him.
Some years later / met a man who
had been on the Southern Cross on
that same eventful trip, and when
asked him who was bo's'n's mate at
the time, he replied:
why, a humorous sort O. chap-a
Teller called Steve White IN. Y. Sun.