The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1918-12-13

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In New York Public School No. 70
had three chums, "Bil" Meek, "Jim'
Fleming, and Charlie" Unger.
Bill was full OF wild ideas and
schemes. He had the "get-rlch-quick''
mania. About every two weeks he
would call us aside and in q mystic
rious and important manner carefully
unfold some daring scheme to get rich
quick, giving his personal guarantee
chat it could not fail. At first we
were very enthusiastic over his
scheme and wanted to 60 in with
both feet" and would carefully work
out the details Of how to proceed,
when, bang! Bill would introduce an
other project absolutely different from
the preceding one. When we asked
him what became of his wonderful
proposition Of two weeks ago. he un-
blushingly told us that unforeseen cir
cumstances which no one could pre-
vent had interfered. Then he would
unroll another wild dream of fortune.
And so it went on; one scheme after
another vanishing In smoke, until we
became very skeptlcal. Personally.
I had no faith in any Of Bits day
dreams, but I admired, and perhaps
envied, his spirit Of adventure; so at
tast I decided that I would take a
chance, success or no success.
One night Bill came around to the
house with four tickets for a blood
and thunder war play entitled "Cuba's
Vow" His brother was playing the
villain. This play greatly impressed
me: in fact. from the first act to the
last he footllghts were gushing blood,
love and adventure-and rotten act
fng. Bits brother was awful.
Bill was q pretty good judge OF
human nature. He had taken us to
this play TO get us worked up to a
pitch Of enthusiasm, and thus getting
us i'm the proper frame OF mind, he
could unroll his latest scheme.
That night, after the show, he pro-
posed a trip to South America, which
took breaths away. We were to
run away and ship on a tramp steam
err, for a passage Of about nine
months. With the money thus earned
we were to equip ourselves and start
out for Port Limon, Costa Rica, and
20 into the coffee plantation business.
We all fell for this and took a solemn
vow to stick. The scheme especially
appealed to me because here was my
chance to follow Dana in his 'Two
Years Before the Mast" The next
dry, after sleeping II over, Charlie and
Jim decided that there was more
money In New York, and refused to
go. I admit I had a sinking sensa-
ton In the pit OF my stomach when
! viewed the proposition In the sum
tight, but I stuck. Then Bill and I
made a tour Of the docks i'm New
York. trying to find the ship we
wanted. We fell in with several
boarding masters" These men in
fest the water fronts Of large cities
and are nothing but bloodsuckers
prcylng on sailors. One Of these
parasites took us on board an old
tramp steamer. lying in Erie basin,
called the Cushko. Here we met
the steward, q slime juicer," John
Royal Minis, with the emphasis on
the hyphen. The wonderful tale Of
ease, luxury and getting paid for see-
Ing the world" stuff that the steward
and the boarding master unrolled be-
fore our eager eyes carried us into
tho seventh heaven of expectation.
This was five O'Clock, in the afternoon.
The ship was to sail at three-ten the
following morning, but they did not
tell us this. The steward said that
we were just the two that ne wanted.
there being vacancies on the ship for
second steward and second cook. He
suggested that we sleep on the ship
that night, and then In the morning,
after seeing what 1t was like, we could
60 home and decide whether we want
ed to ship or not. I demurred mt
this, because I had to 60 home first.
30 he gave Bill and me permission to
60. but said we had to get back ut
midnight. We hurried home and on
the sly I packed my grip with my be-
longings.
That night I exploded a b~ombshel
In the family. After dessert had been
served, pulled up with Importance, I
declared: swell. I'm going to South
America" A barrage Of laughter
rippled around the table. This got
me sore. and I shut up like a clam.
II was February, and very cold.
About we O'clock that night a great
storm came UP and the streets were
o 0 covered with sleety ice. i turned
into bed with my clothes on. Bill was
to notify me at ten o'clock by throw
ing pebbles against the window pane
In ray room. Every time I looked
out into the street and saw that howl
fng blizzard, a picture of a ship wal
lowing In a trough ct the e con-
stantly came before my mind and !
shlyered. and my enthusiasm dropped
TO zero. 4 could not take my eyes
nway from the clock. It vas an
Of intense waiting. similar TO