LITERATURE. A CHAMPION DEADHEAD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6841, 1 May 1890, Page 1

LITERATURE. A CHAMPION DEADHEAD.

{Chronicle.)

*'Why don't the newspapers write up. sea tramps once in a while f" asked a wellknown steamship officer of a Chronicle • : reporter the other day. The newsgatherer confessed that the subject of sea tramps was one that had not been given much attention to by. the xeportorial fraternity, who seemed to allow ' the land tramp an undisputed monopoly of all -the fame accruing from hiß many unpleasant eccentricities. "■From what I have seen of marine tramps," said the steamship officer, '_' I am inclined . to think the tribe can give their land-lubberly brethren points on • beating their way." The reporter expressed some doubts as to the possibility of any professional beat outdoing the economical feats of the unwashed tourists who travel to and fro between New York and San Francisco on brcakbeams. "I confess," said the marine critic, *' that some of these land tramps display a prodigious amount of what is commonly called ' gall,' but for pure, unadulterated nerve give me the genuine sea tramp. ** You see," continued the officer, " the conditions under which the sea tramp and the land tramp beat their ways are very different. The land tramp has a thousand opportunities to board a breakbeam to the one the sea tramp has to get away on a steamer. Then, again, if the land lubber is detected beating his way, all that the conductor can do is to stop the train and throw him off, and that doesn't mean much to a fellow who can lodge just as comfortably under a woodpile as in a first-class hotel bed. The conductor has not got the opportunity to constitute himself judge and jury in the case, like the captain at sea, and sentence the offender to hard work and Bhort .rations, or imprison him if he sees fit, " The best illustration I can give you of the nerve of the regular Bea tramp is the case of a stowaway on the Mariposa on her last trip down to Australia," said the officer. 1 *■• The story was told me by one of the ship's officers and is authentic. "It appears that when the Mariposa was steaming out past Alcatraz she was boarded by a couple of policeman who had a warrant for the arrest of one Mike ■Culligan, a burly city-front celebrity who bad belaboured a companion in a bar-room "brawl so that the fellow's life was despaired of. The policeman searched the steamer from _tern to stern, but found no trace of the missing Culligan, though they had received positive informa ion that he had stowed away. Of course the ship's officers were interested in preventing any stowaway from beating his passage, and assisted the policemen to the fullest. It seemed impossible that the fugitive could be aboard, and the search waa given up and the officers disembarked. This was in the afternoon, and about six hours later, when the steamer was well out to sea, up walks the missing Culligan from his hiding plaoe somewhere between decks. He was promptly hauled before the captain, and as it was not possible to land him anywhere and the law could hardly have justified throwing him overboard, he was sentenced to the hardest kind of Bhovelling in the fire-room. The sentence had no apparent effect on Culligan, who was a big, strapping young fellow, and be took off hiß coat and handled the shovel in the coal-hole in a way that showed he was an able-bodied and expert fireman. Tbe energy displayed by the stowaway won him the good opinion of the subordinate officers, and as one of the -reman fell sick, Culligan was treated during the trip to Honolulu like a regular hand. "Before reaching the iblands, the captain, who heard of Culligan 's good work, read him a lecture full of good advice, and winding up with the declaration -hat he would be put ashore at Honolulu and prevented from going any further on the Mariposa. "Culligan pleaded hard to be allowed to proceed to Sydney, aB there was a poor show of making a living in Honolulu and he could not return immediately to San Francisco, where the record of hia murderous assault was Btill freßh on the city front. " The captain was inflexible, however, and Culligan was fired off at Honolulu, but not till a collection had been made up for him, with which he disembarked in high spirits, promising to return in time to accompany his benefactors to Sydney. "Having had considerable experience with sea tramps before, the captain ordered a sharp look out to be kept to prevent, Culligan from sneaking back, but some one failed in his duty, for when twelve hours out of Honolulu who should stroll up on deck but the irrepressible tramp. There was the usual scene, of course. The culprit was hauled before the captain and again sentenced to the hottest spot in the fire_oom. This was no light punishment, for the weather waß intensely tropical, but Culligan took his sentence smilingly and once more resumed the shovel with energy, thinking that the rest of the trip to Sydney was smooth sailing. "The captain bad planned a little surprise for Mr Culligan, however, and _ a few hours before <-_ sighted Tutuila, in the Samoan islands, called np the burly tramp and told him to get ready to go ashore. " Culligan pleaded hard to be allowed to -work his way to Auckland at least, for the -prospect of a cocoanut diet on the Samoan islands for an indefinite period eeemed to ■worry him. The captain was determined, ■however, to make an example and Culligan was shipped on a -canoe and paddled by a couple of Gamoan natives, after .getting another small subscription from the tender-hearted crew and some passengers. The last seen of <Cnlligan at Tutuila lie was standing on the beach with a cocoanut under each arm and surrounded by _atives, to whom he waa describing in the ■city front vernacular the hardships of a «ea -voyage without a ticket. "The officers of tbe Mariposa con•gratulated themselves that they had seen the last of the champion sea- tramp, for the prospect of Culligan getting away -from tutuila in many a long day without paying for his passage Beemed very slim. Their surprise can therefore be imagined wben, on reaching Sydney, the übiquitous Culligan waß found quietly sitting on the wharf awaiting their arrival. "'How on earth did you manage to get here ahead of us?' asked one of- the astonished crew, and Culligan smilingly solved the riddle by admitting that he had : stowed himself away in the fkeroom of a _ German man-of-war that had called out at the islands on its way to Sydney immediately after the Mariposa left. " Strict orders were issued to guard the steamer against another invasion by the enterprising tramp, and before the Mariposa left Sydney every nook and corner between decks was searched for the expected stowaway. No trace of Culligan was found however, and when the vessel was out a couple of days and tke usual apparition failed to startle the crew and excite the officers it was put down as a settled fact that the venturesome tramp had been left -stranded at the antipodes. In due time the Mariposa reached Auckland, and there to the unspeakable amazement of the Mari- j pos-'s ;>9ople Culligan was found peaoef uHy n straddling a beam on the w_arf^j__fe__r he bad been seen a^Sy^js B y.-'"'Tliere was the • usual in^uirSjr-andCulligan set the minds of hi^armer shipmates at rest by stating jbn_lYhe had quietly stowed himself away on ~ •/■/_. steamer plying between Sydney and - / .Auckland." " ' I loft a few days ahead of de Mary-

pose so as to be on hand to board her an' go back to, ' Frisco, but I met some friendhere as wants me to stay a few weeks, so I guess I won't go back wid yez, * said the candid Bea tramp. , "Despite this assurance there was a strict watch set to prevent the irrepressible deadhead from adding himself to the passenger list of the Mariposa. The gang plank was scrutinised by a double force while the vessel lay at the wharf and after all the precautions the officers were dubious whether Culligan would not Bhow «p,ondeck in time for dinner after ihesteamgrag cast off in the afternoon and OTe^mfflg- 1 North. To the relief of the officers, _3wP ever, Culligan did not materialize, accustomed, however, had the Mariposa^ people become to seeing the tireless sea tramp seated on the wharf at every port they entered that he was' looked for &t Honolulu and confidently expected to show up at San Francisco. At neither place did he appear, and it turned out that he had told the truth in Auckland and voluntarily remained a few weeks to enjoy the scenery at some one else's expense. "Just before the Mariposa left on her return, trip to Australia the übiquitous tramp startled the officers by appearing on. the dock here and hailing them : " ' Here I am. !' he shouted. ' I've just got back on a collier. How would ye like to take me down wid yez this thrip P'

" The most irate, official responded in vigorous English, that if any tramps were caught aboard on the next trip the terrors of marine discipline would make them wish they had chosen the house of Correction instead of a tropical voyage. "'Oh, ye needn't be afeerd,' said the considerate deadhead, ' I ant goin wid yez next time. lean stay ashore awhile now, as the man that was going to prosecute me has been shanghaied. I'll give some other poor' feller a chance to enjoy himself.' "Evidently thetmagnanimous Culligan gave some others of the ilk the tip on how to get out to sea, for when the Mariposa waß some hours out a couple of unmistakable sea tramps rolled np on deck. Their enterprise waa rewarded with plenty of hard work on sbortratipns, and they were dropped at Honolulu, where they were lost sight of. In due time, however, they will work their way round, for the genuine Bea tramp is as hard to get rid of as a bad half-dollar."