Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-02-27


g that green paint on m,
decks, I'll make you go down O,
your knock-knees and lick them clean
don't believe you've ever seen 6
winch before, much less painted one
And yet you have the nerve to sigt
on here as ABB"
Il always accustomed, sar, to pul
on paint wild brush don't con.
slider wad of waste a proper gen.
heman's tool"
Answer me back, would you, you
plum-colored son OF palm.nut? r.
Nike to point out just here-that J
aon't - allow deck-hands whethe,
they be white, yellow, snuff and but
teri -colored-or just plain black-tt
give me any back talk-so long as
am Mr.. Mate of this packet. And
Don't you-forget it."
The sentence was punctuated with
hard kicks bestowe" by a neatly pipe
clayed shoe on any part of the huge
vfcions-loking negro's anatomy that
The little officer could reach. The
man had drawn the knife from the
was openly prepared for murder. But
the mate gave him no chance to use
H. He chased him about the decks
with such vigor and venom that the
fellow could not turn round to strike
and when at last the man tripped
over steam-pipe and the knife went
flying, Mr.. Kettle instead of pitching
f1 Ii
1y back to its owner.
There's your knife. Put it bach
IN its sheath, or I'll smash you some
more. And now get back to your
work"
Yes, sar."
Understand how to lay on paint
with wad of waste?"
"Yes, sar."
Get ahead, then"
The negro painted with diligence
and skill, leaving the surface he
touched fine rasping green, with nc
superfiuous paint that would subse.
quently run and grow ropy, and cut
ting clean straight lines at his
edges. 1t is a high art to paint ac.
curately with wad of cotton-waste
and many men, including the house
painter, have it not But steamer
tradition says that the African negro
when he paints shall not Sc brush,
and the sea sumptuary /; ws are Sc.
we're So the negro is forced tc
learn the skill of his h Is with the
homelier instrument.
Mr.. Kettle?"
"Sir."
The mate looked aft to the upper
bridge, and beheld there the blowsy
head and still blowsier tobacco-pipe
OF Captain Saturday Farnish.
will you come to the chart house
q minute"
AYE, aye, sir"
The inside of the steamship Nor.
man Towers chart house smelt OF
clothes and varnish. Its walls were
decorated with shelf of professional
works; an oil-painting of the Norman
Towers in impossible colors on an
impossible sea, from the brush of 8
large pleasant-faced lady in bursting
satins, this last being Mrs. Saturday
Farnish.
Captain Farnish lowered himself
into a large red velvet armchair
which lurched dangerously as it met
his weight.
THAT starboard caster off again,
he grumbled. Chips must have
mended it five times this trip alone
"The carpenters inefficient, sir,
said his chief officer stiffy. "He
needs keeping up to his job. If you'i'
let me take him in hand, I'll under
take he does the thing thoroughly
this time. I'll make him good
carpenter, sir, if you'll let me have
the handling of him. could MAKE
the Towers look different boat, sir
by the time we reach Liverpool, II
you'd l4t me have full use of the
carpenter"
And never have him come near
the old packet again? No, you don't
Mr. Kettle, me man. I've had Chips
sailing with me six years now, and
like him. He's idle, but he under
stands the boat, and he's got a
neat trick with that penny whistle
HE can blow tunes out of that
whistle" the chief officer admitted
grudgingly, "and that's fact. But
as a carpenter he's a holy fraud.
Look here, sir, if you want smart
ship"
81 don't want a comfortable
one. What's the clock? Five-and.
twenty to twelve. Dash my whis-
kers! But that's five minutes after
the time for my morning"
He got up. took a whisky bottle
and tumbler from inside the folding
wash-stand, and poured himself out
an accurate three fingers, holding the
glass to the light so as TO be sure
of the measure. He added water to
within fingers breadth OF the top,
drank a, third OF the mixture, and
resumed his seat with a sigh glass
in hand.