Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-12-13


name. | niclznamed him Fritz" He
was only twenty years old, but was
clumsy, strong as an OK and about six
feet TALL
After weathering the gale we at last
came into the Gulf stream, and off the
coast Of Florida it was warm and
pleasant.
| found that my duties were to peel
spuds, wash pots and pans and be q
regular "fetch and carry" for the cook.
My Office hours were from six bells in
the morning (three o'clock) until four
bells at night (ten o'clock). I was
greasy and filthy at all times, having
nothing but salt water to wash in, and
this would not cut the grease. Bill
had it much easier than I. / had muir
der 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
ish West Indies, to coal ship. At this
port the men believed in woman suf-
frage. 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
into the open bunkers, and left the
ship by the after gangway. Before
leaving the ship the fourth engineer
gave each one a little brass check,
which later ON she would turn in to
the coaling company for an English
penny. While the women were work.
ing the men would sit around the dock
smoking cigarettes.
The natives at st. Lucia had a great
appetite for salt pork. I soon got
wise to this fact and traded about
half barrel of pork for lines, guava
jelly, bay rum and alligator pears.
If the steward or cook had caught me
/ would never be writing this story.
The women threw the pork into their
dirty coal baskets, and upon reaching
the dock gave it to their husbands or
SWeetheartS, who would Immediately,
without washing it, deyour it. They
spoke in jibbering patois which I
could not understand Some of them
could speak pretty good English. The
kids, averaging from seven to fifteen
years, were running around naked, or
diving 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 entrance of
the galley and in fair English told
Bill and me a pathetic story of in
human treatment which would have
melted hearts of stone. He wanted us
to stow him away on the ship. I was
agreeable, but Bill warned me that
this was very grave offense against
the English board of trade laws, the
maximum penalty being fourteen
years Imprisonment. I did not wish
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 sig
nificant to me, came into his eyes, and
he told me that if I would stow him
away, ''see how easy it will be for
you" He would do all of my work,
and all / would have to do would be
to sit on the superstructure and let
worth risking fourteen years for, so
fell in with the plan, Bill objecting.
The ventilators had been unshipped
while the coaling was going on, and
were lying aft ON the poop Geek.
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 well under way. To say that
/ was nervous is putting it mildly.
We cleared st. Lucia and were soon
at sea. The islands of Martinique, st.
Lucia and Barbados were tiny gray
dots on the horizon when an Italian
sailor, Louis Maranto, went aft to ship
the ventilators. In a few minutes he
came rushing forward with terror in
his eyes. AS he passed the galley I
oIOpPCA 1liAI tlhu dohCo WiCL " do L1lO
matter. All he could gasp out was
MARY of God, devil ees on da ship"
"One-eyed 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
message. Luckily fer me the
mate stopped at the galley and said,
keep your eye on this black skunk
until / can take him before the old
man." For five minutes put all my
power of entreatysinto my voice and
prayed the stOWaway to stick by me;
to swear that he came aboard of his
own volition. He promised to do so.
Then the mate came after him and |
took him before the captain. During !,
this fifteen minutes of interview /
lived in an agony of torment and sus-
pense. The little fellow came back
with a smile on his face and / knew
things were all right. He told me that |
the captain had shipped him at shill-
ing month for the passage. For two
days he was detailed to help me in
the galley, and lived the life of a