The Brunswick daily news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1903-1906, 1904-02-14

our family. and1hat was one too many.
Undeterred by his Christian name, he
ran away from home in boyhood and
began his notorious marine career as
stowaway in an Australian clipper.
/ can understand that the family life
must have Jared upon him, for my
grandfather was q Methodist preacher
OF the narrowest type, and Uncle
Jonah's boyhood was soured by a sur
felt of chapel going and long family
prayers.
For 20 years or so Uncle Jonah held
no communication with his bereayed
family, who alluded to him as "a lost
vessel and regarded his probable de-
cease with equanimity Then he re-
appeared. with rings in his ears and
roll OF banlsnotes in his pocket, and
his early follies were condoued I'M
like most sailors, Uncle Jonah had de-
veloped thrifty habits. For the first
week or two his reputation as man
of substance enabled him TO sponge"
upon the frequenters of tae village inn;
but after that people began to resent
his stinginess, and the hospitable
stream of free drinks ceased to flow;
thereupon Uncle Jonah went no more
to the Goat and Compasses, and began
to tire Of pastoral life. Soon he went
afioat again, securing the command Of
a tramp steamer bound for the Gold
coast with cargo Of square gin and
condemned rifles.
babe him farewell In the South
ampton docks one bleak evening In
Eahrnarv His narting words aston
ished me.
James, my lad" he said boastful-
W, I'm going TO make my fortune this
voyage and If ever come back I'll
make gentleman of YOU"
The doubtful prospect of becoming
q gentleman without individual exer-
ton did not lure me into idle habits.
There was the chance, too, that Uncle
Jonah might be drowned pursued
my vocal, Gas we pressmen phrase
III untIfsFf ose to the position of re-
porter on the Daily Scum.
Years passed, but no tidings Of I'M
Gle Jonah ever reached me, until one
day. In the ordinary course of bust
ness, was sent to Bow street police
court TO write up case Of piracy on
the high seas that promised to afford
good copy. The intelligent reader will
have guessed that the accused person
proved to be my Uncle Jonah; but
need hardly say that | was wholly I'M
prepared TO find a relative in the dock.
My professional zeal enabled me to
EtiHe any emotion that might have in
terfered with the business in hand.
II man possesses the true journalistic
instinct he is capable of writing de-
scriptiye article on the vivisection of
his own father and will take pride in
the task.
recognized Uncle Jonah directly
he stepped into the dock, He had aged
q little. for his black beard was
streaked with gray and his keen, fer
rety face had grown haggard; but he
did not appear to be greatly cast down
by his misfcrtunes. To say that he
bore himself with dignity q took the
liberty Of saying this in my report)
would be inaccurate, Uncle Jonah
never had any dignity, being one of
those familiar, vulgar persons In
whose company even the dignity OF
others withers like leaf in autumn
His shifty eyes explored the dlngy
court and rested for moment on the
reporters table. He recognized me and
winked
The evidence taken that morning
was purely formal, and, pending the
attendance of some important witt
nesses. the prisoner was remanded In
custody. foresaw that the coming
trial would be made to excite excep-
tional interest, cases OF piracy being
comparatively rare. | was eager to
secure the first interview with I'm
Gle Jonah, and to this end played the
useful card of our relationship for all
It was worth. The inspector of po-
lice, after pocketing q sovereign. con
fessed himself unwillk to resist the
appeals Of the prfsoner's beloved
nephew. l was permitted to spend half
an hour in the cell, ON condition that
made no professional use of the in
teryiew. The exigencies of journal
ism Obliged me to pledge my word
TO the inspector, though | foresaw the
impossibility of keeping my promise
And this is the story of bafiied pira.
cy as told by my Uncle Jonah. re-
late it as nearly as possible in his
own words. emitting his lurid mari
time explicatiyes:
I'm these days Of keen competition. /"
said Uncle Jonah, ITS no sort Of good.
my lad. trying to run pirate craft on
old fashioned lines. A hundred years
ago. or maybe. fifty. one could AFFORD
TO ship strong crew and give the men
a fair percentage of the profits: but
nowadays there's the stokers and en-
gineers TO settle with, the coal bins
something awful, and you must employ
few trained gunners besides. Steam. q
played Old Harry with piracy, and
spilled the slave trade To start with.
there's the cost of the plant Eighty
years ago they could build wooden
line OF battle ship for 100000 quid; now
you can't buy a 4O0-ton steam yacht at
the figure. Well. needn't go into de-
tails. and there isn't time, but even a
land lubber can see that only million.
aires can run pirate on their own"
Then how did you get the money to
at out your ship?' I asked.
Uncle Jonah wirked and spat skill
fully into the corner Of the cell. @The