isa-normaladvance-1913-00174

Description:	174THE NORMAL ADVANCENaming tfje pirateCARL N. MILLERFor once in our lives, Bone and I were of thesame opinion. We were of one mind as to theonly thing that would make us really and trulyhappy. True, we would not go in mourningif we each received twenty new and good pay- ing subscribers on our paper routes, but on theother hand, that would only be of momentaryinterest, and besides, it would cause more workevery day. We had stood together on the riverbridge and watched the sputtering launchesbelow too often, to be satisfied with anythingshort of a twenty footer with a hood over theengine. Furthermore, Bone had figured outwhereby this financial and mechanical reatcould be accomplished. He said so himself, andoffered proof.Bone, was only his nickname. His realname was Napoleon Kaufman. I take it, thathe was so nicknamed from the first syllable olwhat his second name should have been, together with certain hair-brained schoolyardfeats he had pulled off before coming to highschool. Napoleon was too long a name anyway.To describe him would be impossible. Physically he was tall, and incredibly thin to be asstrong as he was. But to shorten the description and make it clear as to what I mean by describing him. Bone was one of these absent-minded fellows who could take a watch apartand dissect it thoroughly, and then, after having it running nicely and smoothly again,would have about two or three cogs and wheelsleft over. He was somewhat mechanically inclined.Bones plan for acquiring a motor boat wassimplicity itself. Lets build it ourselves,said he. His further argument on the matterwas, that since it was then August, we couldbuild the hull piecemeal, (as fast as our weeklyincomes would allow), and have it finished byDecember. Then we would hoard our moneyuntil spring, buy and install an engine, and facethe coming summer with light and cheerfulhearts. There was a plan that was perfect.Not a hitch in it anywhere.AVe began work at once. AATe made a shipyard of Bones backyard, and there we appliedourselves industriously. AAre assumed our respective positions. Bone was chief shipbuilder,construction engineer, general manager, division superintendent, head foreman, gang bossand head of the bureau of information all atthe same time. I was not so burdened with responsibility. I was the water boy who in hisspare moments held boards for Bone to nailand heated tar for Bone to pour in the cracks.In short I was somewhat like the Irish hod carrier. I carried the mortar and brick to the topof the building, and Bone did the work.This boat of ours was not going to be one ofthese flimsy factory contraptions which couldnot be relied upon. Our boats first attributewas going to be sturdiness. Of course as Boneexplained, it might and probably would berather heavy, but when it came t > holding together under hard knocks, it was going to havea steam road roller green with envy. Bone alsosuggested that it might be a bit speedy, and inproof he had me look at the lines. There wasa time when a motor boat was a cross betweena sidewheeler and a john-boat, only edited in asomewhat smaller edition and furnished with apropeller. Our boat, however, was not to beany such contraption as this. AATe really intended that it should go up stream by its ownpower and without assistance from us by useof oars. It was going to be thoroughly modern.AVe made what we considered rather rapidprogress at first, but when school began thesecond week in September, the hull was stillfar from finished. However, thoughit did not
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34619
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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