The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-08-08
A CHRISTMAS OUTING.
BY F. H. BURYESON.

| BIZ ESONs
A Christmas eve in the early eighties.
The day had been cold and clear, with a
fifty-mile northwest blizzard churnine
the waters of New York Bay. I was
one Of crew of sixteen which had
just been put on board the Putnam
Bell. a Belfast (Me full rigger, anchor.
ed in The Narrows, off Stapletbn and
bound for London, with wheat in bulk.
The old man had requested the ship
ping master earlier in the day to have
us put on board that evening, as he
wanted to get underway next morn
ing on the last of the flood tide, and
before the favoring Northwestern died
out.
The Putnam Bell was an old-fashion-
ed three skysail-yarder of about two
thousand tons burden, double-channel-
ed, with long poop extending forward
of the mainmast. She looked like a
comfortable old hooker, full-bowed and
square sterned, her lines and the mas
sive curving of her run indicating that
she was good sea boat and probably a
fair sailer. l noted with dismay, how
ever, that all her spars were scraped
bright from truck to mast-coat, but the
soft coal smoke of New York had
blackened them considerably.
Here, old chap" | said to myself,
sis where you will be blowing your
fingers scraping these dodgasted sticks
while crossing the Pond
These observations were made while
steaming alongside in the tug. AS soon
as | got over the rail l shouldered my
bag and made Decline for the fore
castle, so as to get ''sooner's" option
on a top bunk with window attach
ment, if such thing were to be had.
Luck favored me, for l struck a bunk
with headlight directly overhead, and
fitted with rude shelf on which my
predecessor had obligingly left half a
a bar of blue notified soap and New
| Testament as a reminder, l suppose,
that cleanliness is next to goodness.
After divesting myself of my Sunday
go-to meeting togs and putting on red
Havre shirt and bucko cap, | proceeded
to rig up my bunk after the manner of
sailormen from time immemOrial Then
lit my pipe and took a survey OF the
premises and the men with whom [
would have to mess, work and in gen.
eral way rub elbows for the following
two or three months.
1t was the usual crowd on tough
Yankee deep-waterman, eleven nation
alities being represented. With the ex-
ception of Russian Finn and a New
foundlander, who had been my fellow
boarders on shore, they were all strang-
ers to me. A few were still busy fixing
up their hunks; some were turned In
all standing, sleeping off the effects of
the Cherry street Christmas booze;
others were raising pandemonium by
roaring out sea shanties. and freshening
the nip from a big black bottle after
every chorus. Still others were swap
ping yarns or mapping out a good time
Oh the Highway" in London. About
the only one besides myself who was
not doing anything in particular was
the man who had pre-empted the bunk
next to mine. and to him | instlnctlyely
turned for relief from the turmoil
around me.
He was a tough looking customer of
the old packet-rat type, and apparently
forty-five or fifty years of age. OF
stocky, powerful build, his muscular,
thickset neck and large, hairy hands
betokened enormous strength, His
hair was thick, bushy and black, and
his face was all but covered by heavy
beard of the same color, but now slightly
griZzled Somehow | found myself cast
ing about in my my mind where | had
previously seen him, for his face was
familiar to me. Putting my hand under
my mattress l pulled out bottle of
applejack which had concealed there
for use next morning and walked over
toward him.
, Merry Christmas to you, shipmate,'
I said; here, take swig of this.
Same to you, me boy, and many
) happy returns of the season." he re
piled; here's looking at you. | am from
Rockland and my name is Barney Cot
fin; what's yours?'
l told him. "Cotfin?" l said, retec-
: lively: did you know Dan Coffin, who
was killed by the mate on board of the
Gree last summer"
"Know him?" echoed Coffin: why he
was my brother. Did you know him?'
l told Barney that l was on board OF
the Gree when his brother was killed
in fight with BLACK Bill Taylor the
. mate, but that the tragedy happened in
my watch below, so ! could not give
him any more details than he already
knew. | mentioned, however, that
was present at Taylor's trial at Norfolk
and heard him acquitted on the plea OF
self-defense.
"Self-defeuse, muttered Barney, fierce
| ly; "l'll Self-defenSe the numbering
+ hound when Say, give me another
!, nip from that bottle of yours
o AlIer having pun nlHlscll outoiuo
: stiff's boatswain's nip and half he
. leaned toward me and, in a low voice
, said:
!, "'Black' Bill Taylor is mate of this
o hooker"
= l was startled at this information
: for Taylor was desperate character
= and notorious bucko, and | had testl
fed to that effect at his trial in Norfolk
. "Whew!" l said, "we're in for dew
J of time, all right, before we gel
. across
3 "Oh, he won't be so fresh now We're
: bound for England. All these bucko'
y are in fear of British courts. Besides
' something may happen before we ge'
there"
At this Barney looked at me in hare
sort of way. Then he whispered:
Say mate, don't let this go an!
, further. Keep what have told you t.
Yourself. You will know why before
!, we get to London. Taylor doesn't know
q me, and don't want him to know mt
> until get ready for him. My name OF
). the articles is not Coffin, nor anythln!
> like that, so just call me Barney
l assented, feeling vague apprehen
> sion at becoming an unwilling party tt
hnd