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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 1908)
V V ILtlglll - Freights l ,r'".....,.V ' ! . Ar . - W. W. JACOBS 1 BULLY OF THE "CAVENDISH" Talking of prize fighters, sir," said the night watchman, who had nearly danced himself over the edge of the wharf In illustrating ono of Mr. Cor bett's most trusted blows, and was bow sitting down taking in sufficient air for three, "they ain't wot they used to he when' 1 was a boy. They adver tise in the papers for months and months about their fights, and when It does come off, they do it with gloves, and they're all right agin a day or two arter. "The strangest prize fighter I ever come acrost was one wot shipped with me on the Cavendish. Ho was the most eggstrordinary fighter I've ever seen or 'card of, and 'e- got to be such a nuisanco aforo 'e'd done with ns that we could 'ardly call our souls our own. ' He shipped as an ordinary seaman a unfair thing to do, as 'e was anything but ordinary, and 'ad no right to be there at all. "We'd got one terror on board afore he come, and that was Bill Bone, one o' the biggest 'and 'strongest -men I've ever seen- down a ship's fo'c's'le, and that's saying a good deal.. Built more like a hull than a man, 'e was, and when he was In his tantrums the best thing to do was to get out of 'Is way or else get into your bunk and keep quiet. Oppersltlon used to send im crazy a'most, an if 'e said a red shirt was a blue one, you 'ad to keep quiet. It didn't do to agree with 'im and call it blue even, cos if you did he'd call you a liar and punch you for tell ing lies. "The v'y'ge I'm spnaking of we used to trade between Australia and Ixmdon Bill came aboard about an hour afore the ship sailed.. The rest of us was already aboard and down below, some of ns stowing our things away and the rest sitting down and telling each other lies about wot we'd been doing. Bill came lurching down the ladder, and Tom Baker put 'is 'and to Mm to eteady 'Im as he got to the bottom. .. " 'Who are you putting your 'ands on?" ses Bill, glaring at 'Ira. ; " -Only 'elding you up. Bill,' ses Tom, Billing. Oh,' sea Bill. "He put 'is back up agin a bunk and pulled his-self together. " ' 'Oldlng of me up was you?' he es; 'whalfor. It l might be so bold as to arsk?' ' " 'I thought your foot 'ad slipped, BUI, old man,' ses Tom; 'but I'm sorry if it 'adn'f "Bill looks at 'Im agin,' ard. speaking,' ses Joe; 'Where's your man ners, you great 'nlking rascal?' 'I thought Bill would ha' dropped with surprise at being spoke to like that. His face was purple all over and 'e stood staring at Joe as though 'e didn't know wot to make of im. And we stared, too, Joe being a small ish sort o' chap and not looking at all strong. 'Go easy, mate,' whispers Tom; 'you don't know who you're talk ing to.' . . 'You touch that man,'- he ses, quietly, pointing to Tom, 'and I'll give you such a dressing-down as you've never ad afore. Mark my words, now.' " T wasn't going to- 'it him,' ses Bill, In a strange, mild voice. ." ; 'You'd better not,' ses the young 'un, shaking his fist at 'im; 'you'd bet ter not, my lad. If there's any fighting to be done In tUis ro c s Je I ao n. Mind that.' "It's no good me saying we was staggered, bocos staggered ain t no word for it. To see Bill put 'is hands in 'is pockets and try and whistle, and then sit down on a locker and scratch 'is head, was the most, amazing thing I've ever seen. Presently e begins to sing under-.his breath. , " Stop that 'umming,' ses Joe; 'when I want you to 'urn, I'll tell you.' "Bill left off 'umming, and then he gives a little cough behind the back of 'is 'and, and, .arter fidgeting about a Nasty, Low-Looking Little Chap Was Dodgy, "'Sorry It my foot didn't slip?" he sea. "'Yo know wot I mean. Bill,' ses Tom, smiling a uneasy smile. " 'Don't laugh at me,' roars Bill. "'I wasn't laughing. Bill, old pal, ea Tom. " 'fi's called me a liar,' ses Bill, looking round at us; 'called me a liar. 'Old my coat, Charles, and I'll split Im In halves.' "Charlie took the coat like a lamb, . though he was Tom's pal, and Tom looked 'round to see whether he couldn't nip np the ladder and get way, hut BUI was Just in front of it. Then Tom found out that one of 'is bootlaces was undone and he knelt down to do it up, and this young or vdinary seaman, Joe Blmms by name, put his 'ead out of his bunk and he aes, quiet like: . , "'You ain't afraid of that thing, mate, are you? MWotf screams Bill, starting. Don't make such a noise when I'm "You Better Not." bit with 'is feet, went up on deck again. '-'Strewth,' ses Tom, looking round at us, ' 'ave we shipped 'a bloomin' prize fighter?' "He was a ordinary seaman, mind talking to A. B.'s like that. Men who'd been up aloft and doing their little bit when 'e was going about catching cold in 'is little petlicuts. Still, if Bill could stand it, we supposed as we'd better. "Bill stayed up on deck till we was under way, and 'is spirit seemed to be broke. He went about 'is work like a man wot was walking in 'Is sleep, and when breakfast come 'e 'ardly tasted It. "Joe made a splendid breakfast, and when he'd finished 'e went to Bill's hunk and chucked the things out all ever the place and said 'e was going to 'ave it for himself. And Bill sat there and took it all quiet, and by-and- by he took 'is things up and put them In Joe's bunk without a word. ' 'You've been in a scrap or two in your time, I know,' Tom ses, admiring like. 'I knew you wa3 a bit of a one with your fists dlreckly I see you." "Oh, 'ow's that?' asks Joe. . " 'I could see by your nose,' ses Tom. "You never know how to take peo ple like that. The words 'ad 'ardly left Tom's lips afore the other ups with a basin of 'ot tea and heaves It all over 'Im. "'Take that, you insulting rascal,' he ses. ' ' , " 'Get up,' ses Tom, dancing with rage. uet up; prize ugt.ter or no prize fighter, I'll mark you.' " 'Sit down,' ses Bill, turning round. "'I'm going to 'ave a go at 'im, Bill,' ses Tom; "It you're afraid of 'im, I ain't.' - " 'Sit down,' ses Bill, starting up. ' 'Ow dare you insult me like that?' 'Like wot?' ees Tom, staring. 'If I can't lick 'im you can't,' ses Hill; 'that's 'ow it is, mate.' " "But I can try,' ses Tom. " 'All right,' ses Bill. 'Me fust, then if you lick me, you ran 'ave a go. at 'im. If you can't lick me, 'ow can you lick 'im?' 1 "That was the beginning of It, and instead of 'aving one master we found we'd got two, owing to tho' eggstror dinry way Bill had o looking at tilings, "In about three days our life wasn't worth living, and bhe fo'c's'le was more like a Sunday school class than anything else. In the fust place Joe put down swearing. He wouldn't 'ave no bad langwiilge, he said, and he didn't neither. If a man used a bad word Joe would pull 'im up the fust time, and the second he'd order Bill to 'it 'Im, being afraid of 'urtlng 'im too much 'lmself. "Then Joe objected to us playing cards for money, and we 'ad to ar range en the quiet that brace buttons' was ha' -pennies and coat buttons pen nies, and that lusted until one evening Tom Baker got up and danced and orders took the cards and pitched 'em over the side. - . ' "It was a mystery to all of us, and it got worse and worse as time went on. Hill didn't dare to call 'is soul 'is own, although Joe only hit 'im once the whole time, and . then not very hard, and he excused 'is cowardice by telling us of a man Joe 'ad skilled in a fight down in one o' them West End clubs. "Wot with Joe's Sunday school ways and Bill backing 'em up, we was all pretty glad by the time we got to Melbourne. .' . . , "Arter we'd been there two or three days we began to feel a'most sorry for Bill. Night arter night, when we was' ashore, Joe would take 'im off and look arter 'im, and at last, partly for 'is sake, but more to- see the fun, Tom Baker managed to think o' something to put things straight. " 'There'll be an end o' that bully ing Joe.' ses Tom, taking Bill by the arm. 'We've arranged to give 'im a, lesson as'll lay 'im up for a time.' " 'Oh,' ses Bill, looking ard at a boat wot was passing. " 'We've got Dodgy Pete Coming to see us to-night,' ses Tom, in a whis per; 'there'll only be the second officer aboard, and he'll likely be asleep. Dodgy's one o' the 'best light-weights in Australia, and if 'e don't fix, up Mis ter Joe, it'll be a pity.' "At about ha'-past six Dodgy comes aboard, and the fun begins to com mence. "He was a. nasty, low-looking little chap, was Dodgy, very fly-looking and very conceited. I didn't like the look of 'im at all, and unbearable as Joe was, it didn't seem to be quite the sort o' thing to get a chap aboard to 'ammer a shipmate you couldn't 'am mer yourself. . " 'An' What's that in that bunk over there?' ses Dodgy, pointing with 'is cigar at Joe. . ... " 'Hush, be careful,' ses Tom, with a wink; 'that's a prize fighter.' " 'Oh,'Jses Dodgy; grinning, T thought it was a monkey.' " 'Bill, who is that 'andsome, gentlemanly-looking young feller over there smoking a half-crown cigar?' ses Joe. '"That's a young gent wot's come down to 'ave a look 'round,' ses Tom, as Dodgy takes 'is cigar out of 'is mouth and looks 'round, puzzled. i " 'Take that lovely little gentleman and kick 'im up the fo'c's'le ladder,' ses Joe to Bill, taking up 'is jacket agin; 'and don't make too much noise over it, cos I've got a hit of a 'eadache, else I'd do It myself.-' . -t "'Wot's - the game?' ses Dodgy, staring. " 'I'm obeying orders,' ses BUI. 'Last time I was in London, Joe 'ere . half killed me one time, and 'e made me promise to do as "e told me for six months. I'm very sorry, mate, but I've got to kick you up that ladder.' " 'You kick me up?' ses Dodgy, with a nasty little laugh.-' t " 'I can try, mate, can't 1?' ses Bill, folding 'is things up very neat and put ting 'em on a locker. "The fust blow Bill missed, and the next moment 'e got a tap on the jaw that nearly broke it, and that was fol lowed up by one in the eye that-sent 'im staggering up agin the side, and when 'e was there Dodgy's fists were rattling all round 'im "I believe it was that that brought Bill round, and the next moment Dodgy was on 'is back with a blow that nearly knocked his 'ead off. Charlie grabbed at Tom's watch and began to count, 'ana alter a mtie on called out 'Time.' It was a silly thing to do, as it would 'ave stopped the fight then and there if It 'ad n't been for Tom's presence of mind, saying it was two minutes slow. That gave Dodgy a chance, and he got. up again and walked round Bill ' very careful swearing 'ard at the small size of the fo'c's'le. "He got in three or four at Bill afore you could wink a'most, and when Bill 'it back 'e wasn't there. i "Cahrlie called 'Time' again, and we let 'em 'ave five minutes. "In five minutes more, though, it was all over. Dodgy not being able to see plain except to get out o' Bill's way and hitting wild. He seemed to think the whole fo'c's'le was full o' Bills sitting on a locker and waiting to be punched, and the end of it was a knock-out blow from the real Bill which left 'im on the floor without soul offering to pick 'im up. "Bill 'el pert 'im up at last and shook hands with 'im, arid they rinsed their faces in the same bucket, and began to praise each other up. They sat there purring like a couple o' cats, until at last we 'eard a smothered voice com ing from Joe Simmins' bunk. " Ts it all over?' he asks. " 'Yes,' ses somebody. " 'How is. Bill?' ses Joe's voice again " 'Look for yourself,' ses Tom. "Joe sat up in 'is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill's face than be gave a loud cry and fell back agin,, and, as true as I'm sit ' ting here, fainted clean away. We was struck all of a 'cap, and then Bill picked up the bucket and threw some water over 'im, and by and by he comes round agin and in a dazed sort o' way puts his arm round Bill's neck and begins to cry i' 'Mighty Moses!" seg Dodgy Pete, jumping up; 'it's a woman! "'It's my wife!' ses Bill. "We understood it all then, least ways the married ones among us did She'd shipped aboard partly to be with Bill and partly to keep an eye on 'im, and Tom Baker's mistake about a ""prize fighter had just suited her book better than anything. How Bill was to get 'er home 'e couldn' think, but it 'appened the second of ficer had been peeping down the fo'c's'le, waiting for ever so long for a suitable opportunity to stop the light, and the old man was so tickled about the way we'd all been done npnrlv went off . 'la 'end with iciv through havln' won a few dozenf That gave 'er a passage back as stewardess. was enough for Joe, and Bill by his 4 to look arter the pblp'B cat." MEN'S SUITS At $6.50 to $10 JUST THE THING FOR WORK SUITS Cf Men, if you want a Suit to, wear about your work or an every-day suit, and you don't want to pay very mudh for it, get one of our well made Men's Suits, priced at $6.50 to $10. , CJ These Suits are shown in blacks; browns, greys and mix tures. Suits that will stand a lot of hard wean Good, strong Footwear If you want a firstlass Shoe that will give you the best of serv ice in all kinds of wear, get the . Mayer Bros. Superior Footwear. HEAD-TO-FOOT CLOTHIERS ; CENTRAL LABOR UNION. First November Meeting Slated for Next Tuesday Evening at - Bruse's Hall. The Central Labor union will meet at Bruse's hall next Tuesday evening. This will be the last meeting before the convening at Denver of the an nual convention of the American Fel eration of Labor. If the local dele gate goes to Denver next Tuesday's meeting ought to have a few instruc tions to give. : T. C. Kelsey, who has been a del egate to the central body ever since Hector was an infant canine, has re turned from a special tour of Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. He says organ ized labor 'stood up" for Bryan and the Gomper's program and the farm ers let their pocketbooks and bellies influence their votes. . i . FATHER MAUPIN BETTER. W. M. Maupin returned Tuesday from Hennessey. Okla., where he was called -a week before by a telegram announcing the serious illness of his father. .Elder Maupin was consider ably better when the son left for home, and while not entirely out of danger there was every reason to he llev that he would ultimately recover. THE CARPENTERS. One hundred and fifty carpenters were Initiated at a single joint meet ing of the two Los Angeles carpen ters' unions a few weeks ago. This is said to be the largest class initia tion into the membership of a labor organization ever known In that city. Very effective work in adding to the p-embership of the various Los An geles unions is being done under the plans recently devised there. The city was sub-divided into districts and headquarters established in each, where the principles of unionism are expounded by capable advocates. BUY UH H GOODS r7 O II HARDWARE, STOVES, SPODT- Id XvOll KG GOODS, RAZORS, RAZOR L J VJ STROPS AND CUTLEBY At Low Prices Hoppe's Hardware, IQQ North IClh 30oooooooooooooooooooioooo UNION il STAMP factory No. By Insisting Upon Pur chasing Union Stamp Shoes You help better shoemafcing conditions. You get better shoes for the money. You You abolish CAPITAL AUXILIARY. Capital Auxiliary No. 11. will meet Wednesday at the home 'of Mrs. Or ville S. Young, 3226 W street. Harvey Oarmau has retired from the labor paper game after an expe rience of a couple of months. Harr vey had been accustomed to eating regularly and he couldn't stand the change. help your otcn Labor Proposition. Child Labor. DO NOT BE MISLED By Retailers toho say: "This shoe does not bear the stamp, but it is made under Union Conditions." THIS IS FALSE. No shoe is union rnkds unless it bears the Union Stamp. BOOT AND SHOE WORKERS' UNION 246 Sumner St., Boston.-Mass: v John F. Tobin, Pres. Chas. L. Baine, Sec.-Treas. - ... - ... ra 6 0OetK'0iS2SOffiOffiO00000000OiSO0000 & rnxsm are truely wonderful stones nothing at all' like -the ordinary immitation diamonds-as brilliant as the real diamond's. See them, you'll be surprised and delighted". Henderson Sc Hald, lOth Street. Opposite Post Office ". . : "'..tf:'.