The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-11-04


and keen seasching eye. which gave
one The Impression that he was all
there"
AZ dinner no proved 20 be the life
OF our table and this first meal. which
as a rule Is thing TO be dreaded.
owing 10 the suspicious reserve OF the
average BrtIsher on such occasions,
passed off with much merrlment. Of
which Smith was the center. After
wards In the smoking room. lis stories
kept us spellbound for hours and no
one even proposed cards this first even
Ing.
Never did / sec a man so quick al
making friends as was this cabin mate
~ mine Before we had been ont three
DAYS. he knew every male saloon
passenger intimately and called many
by their Christian names. lie did no.
seem 10 care much for the society Of
The gentler sex and we all laughed at
his excuse that he was shy. Jim
Smith shy lndecd," We all called him
Jim Smith by now and some even Jim.
A more openhanded fellow Il would
be- hard 20 find and he never seemed
10 take olfcnse az tho free way in which
his generosity was abused by some OF
he shabbior passengers. lie would
bring whole box OF cigars up 10 the
smokng-room and give them away in
handfuls While not ayerse 10 a game
OF cards his chief amusement seemed
20 be talking, and when the rest of the
smoking-rcom habitues We're deep in
poker he would as often as not take
up with ono Of tho quioter passengers
and SIT falling. or would walk the
deck with him for hours.
The weather had been fine so far
bit there are always some people who
are sea-sicE however calm il be- and
there We're several such on board.
smith made some excuse about perhaps
knowing some Of the invaiis 70 hunt
them MP in their cabins. one by one.
There he would stay by the hour pre-
scribing champagne and generally act
ing the good Samaritan 70 these ne
elected ones
Thc intermediate passengers next
BEGAN 20 enjoy his friendship. and for
a day or two he charmed them as be
had done MS Intermediate passen-
gers arc usually rather sensitive about
their position and think that the saloon
ones are "sidey" as there Is not
usually much intercourse between the
classes, but here was a gentleman
after their own hearts and they well
coined him with enthusiasm. But they
did not please him as much as he did
them and soon he deserted them for
the Storage I attempted 70 remon-
strate with him one evening. as We
We're going in 10 dinner and he had
been forward the whole day but only
got snubbed for my pains. soon the
sailors were HIS chums and then thu
sfOkers ne would be down in the
stoke-hole for hours. taking 4 hand
as he laughlnely told me. and certainly
getting very dirty. This was the last
straw and the saloon passengers sent
a deputation 70 the captain. and
gladly Joined H. requesting that Mr.
Smith should not be permitted 70 enter
he saloon If he should persist in get
ting dirty ford" The captain sent
for the accused. and his very appear
ance condemned him as he emerged
from a compani0n-way leading from
the stoke-hole and slouched aft dirty.
addressed and hang-dog looking.
What a change since the first day.
when he had captured MS by his charm
Of person and conversation, The can
talns remonstrance only called forth
an indignant reply 70 the effect that
the stokers were a better lot Of men
than all the rest Of us put together
Nothing remained but for us 10 put
him into Coventry" and this we did
most thoroughly | moved to another
cabin and the seat on either side Of
him at table became vacant. At each
meal he would appear. eat silently and
then at once so ford again. As If 10
complete his descent in the social scale,
be became especially attached 70 a
down-draft rascal Of stoler and the
two were inseparable. One day this
scoundrel refused 10 carry out some
order and. on his being pressed 70 do
so, struck the officer on duty with a
shovel. he was az once arrested and
put in irons. Smith was indgnant.
but could DO nothing. nor could he
get a sympathetic ear when he tried 10
defend his shady friend.
About the time that the Canadian
coast first came into view a rumO> was
started. no one knew by whom. that
this versatile man. this J. A. Smith as
he called himself. might be the MUIR
dorer. who was expected 20 have cs-
capped from Liverpool BY one OF the
outward bound vessels on the day that
we left. Some one reminded the smoke
room audience that the fellow had
boarded us after the police officer. who
had looked through the ship. had left
on Che tender. 4 large reward had
been offered, so the last papers said, 10
anyone who would give information
which would lead 10 the villains arrest.
and It was interesting 70 note what
run there was on these week-old
napers One man-an old Jew-was
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