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were the stories that were told by the venal and corrupt newspapers, the more greedily were they devoured by the craving and prurient multitude.
The consequence was, a race between the newspaper reporters after the sensational, without the least regard to the truth.
The moment a sailor landed, who had been a prisoner on board the Sumter, he was surrounded by these vampires of the press, who drank him and greenbacked him until parturition was comparatively easy.
The next morning, the cry of ‘news from the pirate Sumter’ rang sharp and clear upon the streets, from the throats of the newsboys, and Jack found himself a hero and in print!
He had actually been on board the ‘pirate,’ and escaped to tell the tale!
More drinks, and more greenbacks now followed from his admiring countrymen.
Your old salt has an eye to fun, as well as drinks, and when it was noised about, among the sailors, that some cock-and-a-bull story or other, about the Sumter, was as good as ‘fractional’ for drinks, the thing ran like wildfire, and every sailor who landed, thereafter, from that famous craft, made his way straight to a newspaper office, in quest of a reporter, drinks, and greenbacks.
Such is the stuff out of which a good deal of the Yankee histories of the late war will be made.
My paymaster, and lieutenant returned, in good time, from St. Pierre, and reported that they had found an abundance of excellent coal, at reasonable rates, in the market, but that the Collector of the Customs had interposed, to prevent it from being sold to them.
Knowing that this officer had acted without authority, I addressed a note to the Governor, reminding him of the conversation we had had the day before, and asking him for the necessary order to overrule the action of his subordinate.
My messenger brought back with him the following reply:—
Baltimore, MD. Kelly Piet & Co. 1868.
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