Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-05-10
FAvoRITEs HooDoos.
In Navy Circles Anyway, Says q Petty
Officer.

Officer.
I'm after reading that the champion
fighter of the British navy recently got
walloped to standstill by an aun-
known bluejacket fighter when the
champion was q 1 to 10 shot in the
betting" said q former chief petty Of
ficer in the American navy. "That
was repetition Of the old story. Fa-
vorites don't win anything in navies.
can't explain why, but they DON'T
and I myself have stood for a lot OF
hard jolts that prove It. I'll mention
a few examples.
when the Baltimore left Japan for
San Francisco early in '96 pup OF a
moon faced landsman who didn't know
any more about a ship han a starish,
but who just had a hunch, that's all,
offered to bet me even money for 500
that the ship wouldn't reach San
Francisco under forty days. figured
that the trip would be done in twenty
five days at the outside. and, Of course,
took him, and IT sure looked like l
had the favorite's end. On the second
day out the Baltimore ran her nose in
to a typhoon and she was hove to and
battered out Of shape for ten days be-
fore she could proceed on her course.
When she limped into Honolulu she
had to be overhauled, and 1t was near
ly two months after leaving japan be-
fore she crawled into San Francisco
harbor.
"Once, when 1 served on the China
station. was soaked for half tho saw
ings of three-year cruise on a still
tighter-lo looking cinch. This loss was
on a scrap that took place In Seoul,
Corea- We had a big marine on board
the ship named Jack Brinton, who, I
imagined, was good enough to put 1t
on anybody in the Asiatic station. /
had seen him trounce a lot Of good
men in different ships, and so, when
he got into an argument with an un-
der-sized Danish seaman, and they
made arrangements to have 1t out
ashore in Seoul, gave all Of the 2 to
| that they wanted on the proposition
that the Dane would lick Brinton. !
didn't see the fight, for I was master
alarms at that time and had to stay
on board on duty, but the whole star
board watch went ashore to see the
fight. just waited for that Dane to
be brought off to the ship in the steam
cutter, all chopped up, and ready TO
pass into the hands Of the surgeon.
But he came back as clipper as you
please with the liberty bunch, and
nary the mark or scratch on him.
Brinton didn't appear till the next
morning, and he was the worst-look-
ing mess Of hammered sea soldier l
ever saw. The men who saw the fight
told me that my man hadn't been In
1t at any stage Of the fight-that the
Dane could have put him away In q
punch had he so minded, but that he
played with the big marine for six
rounds, pounding his mug into jelly,
before putting the finishing touches on
him.
ION board the old Swatara we had
a goat and a wildcat-this was on the
Pacific side-and the two animals
didn't hit 1t off we'll together. The
wildcat-it really was Central Amer
lean panther, but we called 1t a wild
cat-took a good deal Of humping
about from the goat while 1t was young
and sappy, but when it began to get
its growth 1t revolted over being prod
ded all over the ship at the points of
the goats horns, and it looked to be
only a question Of time before the two
got together for a finish fight. Now
that goat was practically boss Of the
ship, and a fighter from away back,
and so when the betting began on the
outcome Of the eventual scrap, I took
the goat end. announced that I had
500 underneath my mastering shirt
that said that the goat would win In
a walk IL 1t ever came to real, sure
enough scrap between him and the
wildcat.