Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-28

"letch ana carry for the cook My
Office hours were from six bells in the
morning (three oclock) until four
rells at night (ten oclock). L was
greasy ana hlthy at all times, having
nothing but salt water to wash in,
and this would not cut the grease.
BIll had 1T much easier than j. L had
murder in my heart and vowed to
Jump ship" at the first port we put
into.
After nine or ten days we came
alongside at Castries, st. Lucia, Brit
lsh West lnules, to coal ship. AT
thls port the men believed in Woman
Suffrage. Long lines of half-naked
black women, with huge baskets OF
coal on their heads, passed up the
forward gang PLANK, dumped their
load of coal lnto the open bunkerS,
and left the snip by the after gang
Ndy. DeIore leeLNInS Lue suIp .ue
Fourth Engineer gave each one a
little brass cneck, which later on she
would turn in TO The coaling company
Tor an English penny. While the
women We're working, the men would
sit around the dock smoking cigar
G,S.
The natives at st. Lucia had great
appetite for salt pork. l soon got
wise TO this fact and traded about Il
Hall a Ddl1Cl VI pOI ~ 1OL lllllSoJ 6 uSlN u
jelly, bay rum, and alligator pears.
III the steward or COOK mad caught
me L would never be writing TINS
story. The women threw the pork
into their dirty coal baskets, ana
upon reaching the dock gave it to
their husbands of sweethearts, who
would Immediately, without washing
IL, deVour it. They spoke in a jip-
bering patois which l could not un-
nnrStAnn Soma Of them cOIllu sneak
pretty good English. The kids, aver
aging from seven to fifteen years,
were running around naked, or div
ing off the dock for pennies which
we threw overheard.
About two hours before sailing
from st. Lucia, little fellow about
fifteen years OF age came to the en-
trance of the galley, and in fair Eng
lish told Bill and me pathetic story
OF inhuman treatment which would
have melted hearts of stone. He
wanted us to stow him away on the
ship. L was agreeable, but Bill
warned me that this was a very
grave offense against the English
Board of Trade laws, the maximum
penalty being fourteen years impris-
onment. l did not wish to incur this
risk, therefore would not listen to
the entreatieS of the young negro,
explaining to him the penalty of the
Board of Trade laws. Upon hearing
this, a cunning look, which at the
time did not appear significant to me.
came into his eyes, and he told me
that if L would stow him away. see
how easy it will be for you" He
would do all of my work, and all 1
would have to do would be to sit on
the superstructure and let my feet
hang. 1 thought this was worth risk
ing fourteen years for, SO fell in with
the plan, Bill objecting all the time
The ventilators had been un-
shipped while the coaling was going
on, and were lying aft on the poop
deck. Watching our chance we
sneaked aft and hid the little fellow
in one of the ventilators, warning
him, upon pain of death, not to make
a sound until the ship was we'll under
way. To say that L was nervous is
putting it mildly.
We cleared st. Lucia and were
soon at sea. The islands of Martin
ique, st. Lucia and Barbados were
tiny gray dots on the horizon, when
an italian sailor, Louis Maranto,
went aft to shift the ventilators. In
a few minutes he came rushing for
ward with terror in his eyes. AS he
passed the galley l stopped him and
asked what was the matter. All he
could gasp out was Mary of God, a.
tltNlI GGS Oll I'd slip. ou6-6yG Gu
Gibson" seeing his terror, went aft,
with him and soon we could see him
coming forward, leading our little
stowaway by the ear. The little
negro was bowling blue murder, and
the curses of the mate snapped like
wireless message. Luckily for mo
the mate stopped at the galley and
said, Keep your eye on this black
skunk until l can take him before
the old man." For five minutes
put all my power of entreaty into
my voice, and prayed the stowaway
to stick by me; to swear that he
came aboard of his own volition. EIe
promised to do so. Then the mate
came after him and took him before
1nn lain. During thus fifteen
minutes of interview ! lived in an
agony of torment and suspense. The
little fellow came back with a smile
on his face and I knew things were
all right He told me that the Cap
tain had shipped him at shilling
a month for the passage. For two
days he was detailed TO help me in
the galley, and I lived the life of a
prince. We nicknamed him Mon
day." the day that he came on board.
His real name was Charles Tasima
Benn.
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