Nelson Family Juvenilia
Box 1 Folder 40
The Rough It Club

[cover]

THE ROUGH IT CLUB
or THE FAMOUS GULF CITY CLUB
by William Little
The Lake Series
Published by Green and Little

[inside]

The Rough It Club
Or
The Famous Gulf City Club

On Rose Bud Poind thare was thare was [sic] a rivalry betwen these and another of Cape Cod called the Gulf City Club. Jimmy Allen was the captain of the Gulf City Club and Hatch Havard was the captain of the Rose Buds. Thare was about 25 Gulf City boys and 60 of the Gulf City boys had a schooner 15 row boats and 2 sailboats the Rose Bud boys had a schooner 10 row boats and three fishing smacks. Oh boys shouted Jimmy. I have got some news. [page break] as he ran down on to the wharf what is it asked them all oh I found this bill on the street. I will read it to you.
TAKE NOTICE
I ofter to the one that can catch the thief a two thousand dolar bill he has broke into the bank at Spruce Bluff and got over 4 million dolars last week he has a heavy pair of whiskers. He is a rather of a short man. His hair is black and he has a large scar above his left eye. When found write
to
Mr. Mr. Write.
48
Broadway, Sn
SPruce Bluff
BC.
[page break]
what good does that do us asked Sam Dolbin. Well I will tell you said Jimmy the thief probaly went down through Spectical Lane and down Spcitcal River into Island Ocean. And out for Pumpkin Island thare is whare a lot gow that have stolen something and lets start this after noon which boat shall we take why take the starry banner for this was the schooner the boys were soon ready and [wlay?] party started of[f] on their long journey. The rose bud boys thought them fools to think of catching him [again?] and it did seem rather imposable and the Rose Bud boys told them they probaly would not hear of him again [page break] we [ho-?t] come back take we hear of him again. At least said Jimmy now sir, said the crew for the boys were very inthusiastic sew they had started soon they were out of the gulf and bound for Pumpkin Island. 1000 miles away a long journey but the schooner was equal to it for a while they moved along the coast then they struck out north east. Right after night was passed on the schooner and after day they passed with out seing land or any ship but just water once in a while they passed a ship and once in a while an island on the day of the 6 day they met a whaleing ship and went aboard it the captain was a jolly good fellow and they felt equainted with him the minute they stepped on board [page break]

The Rough It Club
Chapter 2
The Roght [sic] It Club gets news of the burgler I say master have you seeen a man tha has a big black beard and a scar above his left eye. Well yess I do think I reckelect some thing about it. He had black heavy whiskers and black hare. With a scar over his left eye. He was a rather of a short man with a slouch hat on and he was in a schooner it had a three [rower?] patch on the maine sail and the mast was spliced in two places that is him said Jimmy with a start and he looked round and said now fellow we have got some news of the thief soon they took their departure the man had said that he had gone toard Dog Island [page break] but said the captain of the whailing vessel he did not tell me whare he was gowing but I over heard some private talk and they said some thing about Rock Island when ddi you see him asked Jimmy fester day [yesterday] afternoon at five oclock all right sir good by and the starry banner sailed off now boy, this is good news and I think we can over take her before she gets over the boundry line, for our boat is so muuch faster sailor that the general row of schooners but if we see her we must not rush up and comand him to give up for reemmber he and his two men could keep us from boarding her if they wished for they could protect the gang ways easy enough. In the next day a ship was sighted and the little [page break] schooner sailed up it was a Big Continent man of war the Rough It Club went on board Jimmy came up to one of the crew and said have you seen a schooner with a three corner [pagh?] in the sail yess sir I ahve said the man had he had a black beard and thare was two splices on his mast thank you sir said Jimmy we want to find the fellow which way did he gow he was gowing off thare and the sailor pointed his finger toard Rock Island how long agow only this fore noon thank you sir goodby [page break] and the staary banner took her de parture on the morning of the next day a sail was sighted for of on the east ward of the starry banner so Jimmy tacked a little and headed for the boat they knew that they were gowing faster than the other boat because it looked larger right [erased: strait] along and soon Jimmy got out the big telascope boys he shouted after he got the spyglass to point on it it is the boat we are after for I can see the three corner patch on the maine sail is it let me see said all of the boys and they all had to take their turns looking at the vessel and now the two thousand dolar vision danced before their eyes [page break]

The Rough It Club
Chap 3
The Burglar is Captured
Now boys we will sail up to that schooner hitch on and board her if the want us and then we will be lazing round on board and I will say oh dear me Sue and you all must jump on the robber and his mates now remember the signal will be oh dear me Suz along late that after noon the little schooner came up with the other schooner the man was a rich looking man they came on board they were talking and the [page break] looked all around thare was every evidence that that was the thief Jimmy was chatting away with the burgler and his two mates when he said oh dear me Suz the next instant thare was a rush and then a battle insued the three men were teken by such a surprise that they had not any time to prepare to fight and the seventy five young men was two much for them the men were thrown down and after a few minutes they had his hands and feet tied you villens said the burglar I will have my pay on you. All right you may said John very saucily the wind died down and thare was a calm the boys conclueded to take the schooner and all to Gulf City and then rie to Mr Rite so now they were gowing to let [page break] two thousand dolars the boys were wanting to get home now in the third day after they had captured the robbers a heavy wind sprang up from the north part of the boys took the robbers schooner and part took the starry banner and they were on their way to the Gulf of Grassington the wind by a gale but by good treatment they were not recked in seven days they were a Gulf City the boys were the heroes of Gulf City and the Rose Bud boys felt very cheap and did not dare to look Jimmy in the face [page break] the letter was sent and Mr White and a sherif was seen thair a week later and the thief was taken Mr Write payed them two thousand dolars and thanked the Rough It Club very mutch for their catching the burglar then they left in a few days the great fiar which the Gulf City folks always had and all the boys got ready for some fun for the people had lots of sports for the young men and boys this time Ethan Allen the fater of Jimmy was at the head of the sports and he had so meny new ones that the boys were all very excited

The Rough It Club
Chap 4
The Fair Comes of Successfully
So the day came for the fair it was a pleasant day but the wind blew quite hard and thare was quite high waves Jimmy and the Rough It Culub [sic] sailed down in the starry banner one of the sports was to have a race in schooners from Gulf City to Rose Bud Point and back again bothe clubs and a few other got ready when the word was given the boats hoisted their sails and of[f] they went soon the starry banner began to cut ahead [page break] this made the Rose Buds mad and they put up every sail and peace of cloth but they could not catch the starry banner the wind was two high for the Red Buds to carry such a sail for very long and all at once the prow dove under and the schooner tipped over to the great delight of the Rough It Club but lie must save them shouted Jimmy hear John take the tiller John obeyed and Jimmy grabbed the wheel and whirled it half way over quicker than a flash the boats head went round and it keeled do far on its beam ends as to dip water the people on land thought that the starry banner was gowing over to but Jimmy new better [page break] in five minutes he was with on a few feat of the wreck then they went to hawling in the Red Bud boys thare wasnt my drowned but that stopped the rage but the Rough It Club got the prize. The Red Bud boys wasnt thankfull a bit for being saved and Hatch said what did you come back hear for we thought we would pull you out seing you got up two much said said [sic] Jimmy I did not ask you to come back said Hatch. If we had known you wanted to stay in we would have let you said Jimmy airlessly in a little while tthey were to shore and the Red Buds parents [page break] praised Jimmy and his party very mutch for saving the lives of their boys. This the red buds did not like a while after the fair two men got to talking about sword fish Mr Momps bet thare wasnt any sword fish in Grassington Gulf and Mr Bealy bet thare was they got so high over it that Mr Bealy said he would give any one. Ten dolars that would catch a sword fish in such of Grassington the Rose Buds concluded they would get the ten dolars but they knew thare wasnt any sword fish in the Gulf of Grassington but Tom has a rich uncle who was in favor with the Rose Buds and he used to give the Rose Buds things [page break]

Chap 5 The Rough It Club
The Rose Buds Little Plan Fail

And he rote to them what they wanted next Hatch wrote to him and said the moste we want now is as large a sword fish as you can get and send him alive his uncle replied by sending him a monster great sword fish whew said Hatch now boys we will ahve some fun we will put a hook in his mouth then fasten it with a wire to the line and let it gow that day they done as Hatch has preposed and were shipp [page break] ing over the water like fun wear the enterance of the Gulf of Grassington about one fourth of a mile from land is a rock named Tide Wate[r] Rock it has a large body on it but as the Rose Buds went on like fun they came crash on to the rock oh shouted the boys as the water came pouring in the boy that had had the line dropped it now the boys had a large float on the end of the line so if any one of the boys should let gow they could get it again all the boys jumped over board the starry banner was who was out fishing at the [wee ward?] of the Rose Buds see we the desaster sailed up to the spot [page break] and halled in the boys one of the boys saw the busy floating and got hold of it but he could not pull it in it took ten boys to hall the sword fish in the Rose Buds were so excited in getting out of the water the boys stored the fish away in the hold for they knew that the Rose Buds was trying to play a trick. Soon the boys was landed, and the boy sailed down to Mr Dealys house, the boys told Mr Dealy that probably it was not caught in the Gulf of Grassington but he payed them ten dolars [page break] this was rather of a bad way to get money for the Rough It Club but the Rose Buds has played a mean trick on them before and they had resolved to pay him back and now they had a chance but this brought another harder quarrel betwen them and you shall see how it ended in the next chapter the boys had regular battles and fights as you will see when you read over the pages fro both sides was plucky [page break]

The Rough It Club
Chap 6
The Boys Have a Fight
The Rose Buds when they fo[u]nd that thare had been a trick played on them the[y] saw the sail boat out on the gulf and they concluded to have a fight so getting in their schooner they started out. When they came up along side they ordered Jimmy and his men to give up for Jimmy did not take out many of his me[n] in the sail boat, Jimmy said he would not [page break] then the Rose Buds started to bord the sail boat but they pushed it of[]f and the Rough It Club hoisted their sail and sailed of[f] leaving the schooner behind one day Jack ther man took his boat and went out listening he had been fishing quite a while when a fishing smack put out from Rose Bud Point he knew what was up and started for shore but the fishing smack gained on him and at last he was caught he was put in the Rose Buds prison the next day Jimmy asked whare Jack Therman was one of the boys said he went out oister fishing they went and inquired at his home but they had not [page break] seen him since yesterday but suposed he was with the Rough It Club then I know whare he is said Jimmy the Rose Buds have captured him coem on boys we will gow and get him so they all pilled into the Starry Banner and started for Rose Bud Point as soon as they got thare they saw Jack in prison then they met the Rough It Club gow for them boys said Jimmy Jimmy grabbed one threw him into the water and went for another for half an hour they fought and at last moste of the Rose Buds was captured [page break] and all were laying on the ground in their backs now began Jimmy if you dont let us have Jack and his boat and oisters we will cature fou [you] and all of your boats and thare will never be any more Rose Bud Club. The Rose Buds reluctantly gave back all that was cptured thare is yet the two clubs but the Rose Buds have a good respect for the Rough It Club or the Great Culk City Club
The End
By William Little