Baxter Springs news., 1918-11-22


This Knife.
same time telling me what an expert
he was at carving. Later on ! found that
there was reason for bis carrying this
knife. He and the crew were at dag
ger points. he never daring to 60 for
ward except in case Of necessity, and
then he was careful always to carry
his butcher knife. Down In my heart
realized that II the occasion should
arise he would not be backward In
demonstrating his art Of carving on
his opponent. That Welshman was
no better cook than was, and the
crew soon became aware Of this fact;
hence their hostility.
The Cushko was q '1lme julcer,"
sailing under the English Gag. The
skipper was a "llme Juicer," the first
mate "blue noser," the first engineer
a Scotsman, while the crew was COM
posed of Spaniards. Italians, Square
heads, Films, Swedes and Russians.
The bos'n was Irish, and a firm be-
lever in Home Rule. A worse gang
of cutthroats could hardly be con-
ceIved; q nice, polite bunch they were.
Believe me, Bill and I had our troubles.
Bill and were the only two Amerl-
cans on board. The engineers mess
man was q Prussian, Karl TatZner by
name. / nicknamed 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 of the
coast Of Florida It was warm and
pleasant.
l found that my duties were to peel
spuds, wash pots and pans and be a
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. / was
greasy and filthy at all times, having
nothing but salt water to wash In, and
this would not cut the grease. BIZ
had It much easier than ]. had muir
der in my heart and vowed to stump
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-
fringe. 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. ! soon got
wise to this fact and traded about q
half a barrel Of pork for lines, guava
jelly, bay rum and alligator pears.
II 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 II to their husbands or
sweethearts, who would Immediately,
without washing It, devour It. They
spoke in a jlbbering patols which ]
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 OF the dock for pennies which
we threw overheard
About two hours before sailing from
st. Lucia, q little fellow about fifteen
years Of age came to the entrance Of
the galley and In fair English told
Bill and me q pathetic story Of In
human treatment which would have
Matted haaEta e ElQlA He wanted ~