The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1905-06-08
The Promotion Of the Admiral

The Promotion OF the Admiral.
Mr.. Smith, who ran sailors board
ing-house in that part OF San Francis
co known as the Barbary Coast. was
absolutely sui generis. II any drunk
en- scallawag of a scholar, who had
drifted ashore on his clearinghouse
mudhats, had ventured in a moment
of alcoholic "reminiscences to say so in
the classic tongue, Shanghai Smith
would have laid him out cold" with
anything handy, from stone-ware
matchbox to an empty bottle. But IL
that same son OF culture had used his
mother tongue. as altered for POPULAR
use in the West, and had murmured:
Jerusalem, but Mr.. Smiths the daisy
OF ALL" Smith would have thrown out
his chest and blown through his teeth
windy oath and guessed he was Just
3d.
Say It and mean 1t. that's me-" said
Smith. I'm all right. But call me
hog and | am hog; don't you forget
IT,"
Apparently all the world called him
hog For that he was no better than
one. whether he walked, or ate, or
drank. or slept was obvious to ny
sailor with an open eye. But he was
hard and rough and tough, and had
the bullheaded courage OF a mad steer
combined with the wicked cunning of
a monkey.
Don't never play upon me. he said
often. For get even Is my motter
There amt many walkn' this earth
that can say they bested me, not from
the time left Bristol In the old dart
till now. when I'm known the wide
world over"
SO far as ships and sailormen were
concerned he certainly spoke the
truth. He was talked OF with curses
In the Pacific from the Prybiloffs to
the Horn, from San Francisco to Fan
zibar. II was long odds at any given
time in any longitude that some sea
man was engaged In disappearing
Shanghai Smith for sending him on
board drunk and without a chest. and
with nothing better to propitiate his
new shipmates with than a bottle of
vinegar and water that looked like
rum till II was tasted. Every breeze
that blew. trade wind or monsoon. had
heard of his iniquities. He got the
best OF everyone.
"All but one" faid Smith in a mo-
ment of weakness, when a dozen men,
who owed so much money that they
crawled TO him as a Chinaman does
TO a joss. were hanging upon his lips
--"all but one"
"Oh. we don't take that In" said
one OF the most indebted I'VE can
'ardly believe that, Mr. Smith"
Sometimes this unsubtle iattery
would have ended in the Hatterer be-
ing thrown out. But Smith was now
gently reminiscent
Yes, was done brown and never
got the best OF one swine" said the
clearinghouse keeper. IL don't ask
you to believe It, for | own II don't
sound likely, me being what am. But
there was one swab as give me a
hidin', and he give II me good. so he
did"
He looked them over Indignantly.
II kin lick any of you here with one
hand" he swore, but the man as
bested me could have taken on three
of you with both hands And [ own |
was took aback considerable when
run against him on the pier at Sand.
ridge when | was In Australia fifteen
years ago. He was naval officer,
captain of the Warrior and dressed
up to kill, though he had face like
a fgure-head cut out of mahog'ny
with a broad-axe. And was feelin'
good and in need Of Z scrap. So when
he bumped agin me | showed him over