IT PAYS TO BE CAREFUL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3584, 9 March 1914, Page 3

IT PAYS TO BE CAREFUL.

“There is nothing like being careful,” said Captain Jim Bradley of the revenue cutter Hudson, as he stood in the pilot-house guiding the vessel neatly between a heavy car float and a Staten Island ferryboat. “I remember the time I was on the Mercodida blockading Charleston during the civil war.

'“Plie Mercedida mounted a. Parrott gun in the bow and several six-pound-ers along the sides, i wao a first-class fireman aboard of her and only 17 years o’d at that. “And I was a careful hoy in those days, as I was saying. I had, a new pair of boots on and the way I used to take care of those hoots was a caution. I had to watch ’em like a hawk or they would 'have been stolen “Early one morning, ju.st before going on watch, I was sitting there in the fo’c’sle and what was I doing hut putting mutton tallow on my boots I thought they were getting dried up and as they cost 28 dollars I couldn’t a-'low that to happen. “And did I tell you about the rats on the Mercedida? Well, sir, there were more rats on that slhip than a broken down corn-crib, and big fellows too, gome of them big enough to frighten the master at arms, and he had seen some rate in his day. being a deep water sailor just olf a tea clipper. ‘‘Just as I said before, I was latherin’ mv new boots with tallow this morning just before turn to and what did I do but go to s'eep. And when the call came to go below and tend the fires there was Jim Bradley shootaway fit to kill and the first thing I knew I felt a sharp pain in iny hand and looking down saw a rat as big as a wood-chuck nibbling away at my thumb. I let out a yell and just then there was a thundering report and the ship seemed to b? knocked galley west. “Come to find out a rebel gunboat had sneaked out of the harbor in the early morning mist, bad come close aboard and fired a shot clean tihrough the fire-room killing every man there, about 11 all told. An’ I s’pose if I had been there I’d ’a’ got it too. “So you see it paye to be careful. If I hadn’t got up early to grease my boots and fell asleep doing it, why, I’d be there yet and not dodgin’ car floats still in Uncle Sam’s service. “What did the rat bite my hand for? Well, lie and some of my friends bad eaten ad the tallow off my hoofs and he wanted what was on my band They ate a lot of holes in my boots and I had to chuck ’em overboard. “The Mercedida? Well, sir, the little Mercedida was captured that morning by the Johnny Robs and bad to go to Hilton Head and beOiave herself. We were all sent up to Philadelphia on parole afterwards and I wound up as captain of the Admiral’s gig-” A