Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-01-24
REFORE THE MAST:
= c.n,. n. 4. richardson. Of Deer rsls.l

.o.n, n. A.. richardson. Of Deer Isle.l
-. ,.st wear OF the Civil war, men
great demand for all purposes
VIZ 49,. sailors or iandsmsn--snd anyone
s0' All ability could easily obtain bet
q ,.,sItion and more ray than he was
worthy OF.
,...rittingly going to sea for seine
from two Atty month upward, and
' lite generally overpsid. Yet it had
w.. occurred to me that real living
ss,,s be CLEANED from any Held but the
-, ar that stirring life could be found
',..where. There was even time, while
= .hout the third reader, that we boys
- .eeursd few valued tales in yellow,
- from them decided that either priva-
,ss,,ug or slaving would be the most at
,..ctiye life. But entire lack Of foreign
- offered no hope for letters Of marque,
wbile shaving was becoming quite unpopu-
i, md not always successful; hence, with
~ seasoning OF . few more years, the
hold spirits climbed downward to more
.,o..ie level and to the desire to become
g., COMMON sailors In belt and sheath.
4, the mature age Of sixteen had come
name 10 attend . winter term In the
ashskespesren school. Deacon Closson
x,s the teacher ld-iashioned, pre-
anne. but painstsking and we'll qualified
"a teach our class, and ~ well able to
r,.;utain good order a. be was to instruct.
He and | became especially friendly.
gs did not know tina: one reason for my
personaI loyalty was because had once
overheard him remark that my father Ian
active MASTER mariner, who had died at
,bs age OF twenty-six) twas loss to the
town. Speak highly Of boys parents,
living or dead, or OF the grandfather
whom he sdmires, and the boy cannot live
long enough to forget it, while you have
easily secured lifelong friend.
There were good boys in school that
winter also interesting girls things
were going along finely when the reports
Of wages going higher and higher became
alluring, finally calling for action beyond
the schoolroorn, and books were laid aside.
Another boy, considerably older and
with more experience, sowed the first
seeds OF an ambitious discomfort. He
suggested that we were wasting our time
and our aba ties; that we should be up
and swsyl II would attend to the busi-
ness end OF an engagement he would agree
where Bruce leads would Douglass fol-
lowi
The brig Meteor was coming due in Bos-
ton from the coast OF Africa, commanded
by q relative OF my mother. and, from
pressure, she consented that might apply
to the captain for chance to sail on his
next voyage. The application for two was
promptly mailed, and within a few days
the vessel had arrived and the captains
favorable answer came to my hand at
school recess on one Saturday forenoon.
He wished us to come at once-fifty dol
lars a month as ''ordinary" seamen; but
Douglass took cold feet. Later on my
misguided friend, dancing the hours
away, and thence from Precipitation into
chilly night, took cold and nearly died,
While then sailed DER summer seas or
wandered through orange fields in balmy
elimes where gentle tradewinds blew soft
and warm.
had never travelled much by land, and
The initial movement towards the voyage
the id-winter migration towards Bos-
ton was as interesting then, aud now as
plsasingIy reminiscent, as any experience
oitravei and observation that / have met
with since.
1t was small matter, but afterwsrd
Pleasing to remember, that instead OF ans
~efirg the whistle-calI from the corner
ana on for a rambie, the last evening in